[ad_1]
(CercleFinance.com) – Wall Street is expected to open essentially unchanged on Wednesday morning, with investors using the absence of significant news as an excuse to consolidate their positions while the American stock market is still trading at record levels.
About half an hour before the opening, futures contracts on the major New York indices were hovering around equilibrium, or even falling by 0.1%, a precursor to a stable start to the session.
Supported by hopes surrounding the Chinese economic recovery plan, the Dow Jones had recorded a minimal gain of 0.2% yesterday, a score nevertheless sufficient to allow it to register new historical highs.
The S&P 500 is not far behind, as the fund managers’ benchmark index has also posted a string of high closes in recent times and is now up more than 20% this year.
The recent upward movement was mainly due to the decline in inflation and the start of the monetary easing cycle by the Fed, which cut its rates by 50 points last week.
While stock markets remain well-oriented, they are also beginning to show some signs of fatigue and many investors are wondering whether this upward trend is set to continue.
Given the current high valuations, stock market indices will find it difficult to progress further in the absence of driving forces, professionals warn.
The recent upheavals recorded in the bond sector have also revived concerns about the Fed’s policy, which according to some strategists could have intervened too early and too strongly.
“Its early and hasty intervention could have the effect of rekindling inflationary pressures,” warns a London-based trader.
On the Treasury market, the yield on ten-year paper thus rose above 3.75%, betraying investors’ fears about the future trajectory of rates, which could be less favorable than anticipated.
Wednesday’s session looks set to be relatively calm with no indicators or events likely to cause the indices to react, although new home sales and oil inventories will fall during the morning.
Eyes will be focused on Friday on the publication of the consumer price index (PCE), the Fed’s preferred figure for gauging inflation.
Despite the current risks, some analysts are more optimistic about the end of the year.
Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, the wealth management arm of UBS, said investors should not be afraid to buy stocks when they are at record highs.
“If we look at history, we realize that the risks are much lower than we might think,” insists the strategist.
Copyright (c) 2024 CercleFinance.com. All rights reserved.
[ad_2]
Source link -84