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Wall Street ends down with strong jobs data keeping the pressure on for rate hikes
NEW YORK, June 4 — US stock indexes ended lower yesterday after a solid jobs report ate in to hopes for a pause in the Federal Reserve’s aggressive policy-tightening which is needed to cool decades-high inflation.
Shares of market heavyweights Apple Inc and Tesla Inc were also major drags on the market, pushing down the consumer discretionary and technology sectors while energy outperformed as oil prices rose.
Earlier, the Labour Department’s closely watched report showed nonfarm payrolls rose by 390,000 jobs last month and wages grew, while the unemployment rate held steady at 3.6 per cent — all signs of a tight labour market.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast nonfarm payrolls to rise by 325,000 jobs.
While the jobs report was reassuring for the current state of the economy, investors focused primarily on its potential influence on central bank policy.
“The market is trying to funnel its response through what the Fed may or may not do,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP, who expects the market to continue to seesaw as a result of uncertainty around interest rates and inflation.
Shawn Snyder, head of investment strategy at Citi Personal Wealth Management, saw the solid report as a double-edged sword.
“It’s telling us the economy is in fairly good shape which is good news but when viewed in the context of what it means for the Federal Reserve and tightening monetary policy it likely makes them more confident they can continue to tighten,” he said. “That comes through as a bit of a negative for investors because they’re hoping for the Fed to pause later this year.” Money markets are fully pricing in 50 basis-point rate hikes by the Fed in June and July.
While the May report’s slower-than-expected increase in hourly earnings looked like good news for inflation, Snyder cited rising oil prices as an offsetting factor.
According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 68.42 points, or 1.64 per cent, to end at 4,108.40 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 305.50 points, or 2.48 per cent, to 12,011.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 351.39 points, or 1.06 per cent, to 32,896.89.
Volatility has gripped Wall Street in recent weeks as investors debated whether markets had hit a bottom against the backdrop of some hawkish comments from Fed officials and data suggesting that inflation may have peaked.
“For right now, the economy looks OK. And the labour market as a signal of the real economy on Main Street looks incredibly solid,” said ADP’s Richardson, adding she sees inflation as “a threat to that outlook” even if it may have peaked.
“The peak is less relevant than the staying power of inflation and elevated rates,” she said. “That’s why wages in this report were so material. While wage growth may not drive up inflation past the peak, it could play a strong role in keeping inflation around these higher levels much longer than anybody wants or anticipates.” IPhone maker Apple tumbled after a bearish brokerage outlook and a report that EU countries and lawmakers would agree next week on a common charging port for mobile devices and headphones — a proposal Apple has criticised.
Tesla shares sank after CEO Elon Musk, in an email to executives seen by Reuters, said he has a “super bad feeling” about the economy and needs to cut about 10 per cent of jobs at the electric car maker. — Reuters