Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq rise as Fed boosts rally
U.S. stocks rose Thursday amid growing optimism that the Federal Reserve’s massive interest rate cut will bring about a “soft landing” for the U.S. economy.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose about 1.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^IXIC) gained nearly 1%, with both trading near all-time highs. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led the gains, up 2.5%.
Stocks are on the rise as investors look more closely at the Federal Reserve’s decision to kick off its new rate cycle with a 50-basis-point cut. Following Wednesday’s policy announcement, indicators seesawed before closing lower.
Wall Street has absorbed Chairman Jerome Powell’s message that deep rate cuts in a relatively strong economy will ultimately stave off the risk of recession, and it’s a sign of faith, not panic, over current conditions.
Bank of America now thinks the Fed will cut rates by 0.75% before the end of the year, up from 0.50% it had previously forecast. By comparison, the central bank’s own “dot plot” indicates policymakers expect a reduction of half a percentage point.
Read more: What the Fed’s rate cut means for bank accounts, CDs, loans and credit cards
Rate-sensitive growth stocks rose in premarket trading, with the mega-caps of Big Tech that fueled this year’s rally gaining. Alphabet (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT) and Meta (META) rose about 2%, while Apple (AAPL) added more than 3%. Tesla (TSLA) and Nvidia (NVDA) rose nearly 5%.
With the Fed now in the dodge, some in the market have once again turned their attention to data releases as they brace for potential volatility. A weekly report from the Labor Department on initial unemployment claims On Thursday morning, the figures for the week ending Sept. 19 stood at 219,000, the lowest level in four months, while the previous week’s total was revised up 1,000 to 231,000.
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