DAILY UPDATE: Powell Speaks and Stock Markets Tumble

By Staff Reporters

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The NYSE and the NASDAQ will follow a regular schedule on Friday, the day before Veterans Day. The U.S. bond market, which may be poised for a big comeback next year if yields continue to fall, will be open Friday as usual.

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The major indexes ended a brief winning streak after comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell stoked concerns over interest rates. More interest-rate hikes are still a possibility to bring inflation under control, he said. In a dramatic campaign to tamp down inflation, the Federal Reserve has raised the benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, a 22-year high.

Here is where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 Index was down 35.43 points (0.8%) at 4,347.35; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 220.33 points (0.7%) at 33,891.94; the NASDAQ Composite was down 128.97 points (0.9%) at 13,521.45.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield was up about 12 basis points at 4.632%.
  • CBOEs Volatility Index (VIX) was up 0.84 at 15.28.

Nearly every market sector was under pressure Thursday, with consumer discretionary and health care among the weakest performers. Energy shares were an exception, thanks to a rebound in crude oil futures, though oil prices remain near the 3½-month lows touched earlier this week. The U.S. dollar index (DXY) strengthened for the fourth- straight day.

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