Europe / Inflation Data Creates Equity Market Volatility

Inflation Data Creates Equity Market Volatility

S&P 500 finished almost exactly flat, Nasdaq 100 increased by 0.5% while Dow Jones closed at over 150 points down on Tuesday after investors processed the most recent U.S. inflation figures and reevaluated the prospects for monetary policy, the stock market became volatile.

Feyisayo Ajayi February 14, 2023 2 min read

S&P 500 finished almost exactly flat at 0.028%, Nasdaq 100 increased by 0.71% today to 12,590.89 while Dow Jones closed at 34,089.27 which was 0.46% down on Tuesday as at the writing of this article after investors processed the most recent U.S. inflation figures and reevaluated the prospects for monetary policy, the stock market became volatile. Although it was the lowest since October 2021, the carefully monitored Consumer Price Index (CPI) figure for January came in at 6.4%, which was above experts’ expectations of 6.2%. John Williams from the Federal Reserve spoke at a conference for the NYC region. He said that while inflation has increased, it is still above the target level of 2% and that the central bank would need to keep raising interest rates to control it.

He underlined that more needs to be done by the American central bank. Additionally, he said that the economy would experience some slow growth and a slight easing of labor market circumstances in the near future. Coca-Cola lost 1.7% in the earnings department despite posting earnings that were in line with projections and quarterly revenue that was higher than expected. By the end of the quarter, the United States Stock Market Index (US30) is predicted to be worth 32765.13 points, and in a year, it will likely be worth 29662.71 according to Trading economics.

The United States Stock Market Index (US30) achieved an all-time high of 36952.65 in January 2022, according to historical data. The most recent update to this data, including with forecasts and charts, was in February 2023. In conclusion, a wave of volatility has been triggered in the equity markets by the most recent U.S. inflation figures and revised prognosis for monetary policy.
Investors will continue to pay close attention to the Fed’s views on inflation and interest rates as well as the earnings reports. The global economy is beginning to show signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, making it an exciting time for investors to keep an eye on the most recent economic statistics.