Stocks Snap Two Days of Losses; Bonds End Mixed: Markets Wrap
- Investors digested mixed US economic data on Wednesday
- Jobs report on Friday to provide further clues on labor market
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US stocks ended Wednesday’s session with gains as traders weighed the concerns Federal Reserve officials voiced during their last policy meeting against key data showing the economy is slowing. Treasury yields slipped.
The S&P 500 snapped two days of losses, but not without some drama following the release of minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s December meeting. They showed officials cautioning that an “unwarranted” loosening of financial conditions — a cross-asset measure of stress among markets — would complicate efforts to reach their inflation target. Policy makers were also concerned that inflation will remain entrenched if the labor market stays resilient.