Market Volatility Continues as Investors Weigh Interest Rate Path
As the year comes to a close, investors are grappling with the uncertainty surrounding interest rates in 2025. The Federal Reserve’s recent hints at maintaining higher rates for longer have sent mixed signals to the market, leading to a tumultuous week.
Stocks See-Saw on Monday
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) eked out a 0.3% gain, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq (^IXIC) rose 0.7%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.3%. Semiconductor stocks were a bright spot, with Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO) surging more than 2% and 5%, respectively.
Consumer Confidence Takes a Hit
December’s Consumer Confidence index reading came in at 104.7, below the 113.2 expected by economists. The Expectations Index, which includes the short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions, plummeted 12.6 points to 81.1, its largest month-over-month decline since November 2020.
Fed’s Rate Hike Plans Weigh on Markets
The Federal Reserve’s decision to slow its pace of rate cuts has investors on edge. According to the CME FedWatch tool, investors are betting on the Fed holding rates steady next month, with a 50-50 split on a cut vs. a hold for the subsequent meeting in March.
Bitcoin Continues Downward Trend
The world’s largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC-USD), extended its losses on Monday, dropping more than 2.5% over the past 24 hours to touch $93,000 per token. Bitcoin has fallen more than 10% from its all-time record highs north of $108,000 touched last Tuesday.
Semiconductor Stocks Shine
Shares of AI chip heavyweight Nvidia (NVDA) gained more than 1%, while Broadcom (AVGO) and Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) also edged higher. AMD (AMD) surged more than 5% after Rosenblatt Securities named the chipmaker a top pick for 2025.
Holiday Trading Schedule
Markets will close at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, followed by Wednesday’s Christmas holiday, providing a brief respite for investors to digest and reflect on the year ahead.
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