The U.S. stock market may get off to a mixed start at the opening bell this morning, as traders prepare for a busy week. In the days ahead, investors will receive a few important economic releases, along with a handful of corporate profit reports. However, the Federal Reserve’s meeting, and a much-anticipated interest-rate announcement, will be the main area of focus. As we were publishing this update, the S&P 500 Index futures were hovering around the neutral line in early-morning trading.
In economic news, today should be relatively quiet. However, tomorrow we will get a look at the August retail sales figures. Most analysts think that sales softened slightly during the past month, due partly to weaker demand for automobiles. For some time, the consumer has been borrowing heavily to support purchases, and it is quite possible that fatigue has finally started to set in.
As noted, the main even this week will take place on Wednesday, when the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) concludes its two-day policy meeting with an interest-rate decision. In addition, Chairman Jerome Powell will present some prepared remarks and conduct a press conference. Most investors expect that the Federal Reserve will reduce interest rates by at least 25 basis points at this juncture, although many seem to be hoping for a larger reduction. It should be mentioned that aggressive action by the central bank could ignite concerns about the economy and create market volatility. Hopefully, the Fed will provide some guidance, which might alleviate some uncertainty for traders.
In the corporate sector, there will be a few corporate profit reports worth following this week. On Wednesday, General Mills (GIS), a leading packaged food manufacturer, will weigh in with its numbers. On Thursday, we will hear from Lennar (LEN), a sizable homebuilder, and FedEx (FDX), one of the world’s biggest package delivery companies.
Technically, the stock market has recovered considerable ground over the past several sessions. In fact, the S&P 500 Index is now sitting just below the high mark reached in late July. It remains to be seen if stocks can push through this key level (located around 5,650) without encountering too much resistance. From a sector perspective, we have noticed that capital has started to flow back into the large technology issues. Some of the basic materials stocks have also performed well. In contrast, the energy group has come under pressure, as the price of oil has fallen under $70 a barrel. – Adam Rosner
At the time of this article’s writing, the author did not have positions in any of the companies mentioned.
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