Stock Rally Hits a Wall After Fed’s Hawkish Pause: Markets Wrap

  • Fed pauses raising rates, but signals more tightening to come
  • Policymakers lifted median rate forecast to 5.6% in 2023
Powell Says Fed Rate Cuts Are a 'Couple Years Out'Source: Bloomberg
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The relentless rally in US stocks lost some traction on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve signaled interest-rate hikes are still on the table after pausing its tightening cycle in June to assess economic conditions.

Following the usual whirlwind of Fed days, the S&P 500 closed with a gain of only 0.1%. The small move drove the gauge to its fifth straight advance, the longest winning run since November 2021. Equities recovered some ground amid a rebound in big tech and as Jerome Powell said no decision has been made for the next few meetings.