US Markets Slide: Nasdaq and S&P 500 Drop as Fed Signals Hawkish Turn

Major US indices witnessed a sharp sell-off on Wednesday as investors recalibrated their expectations following the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting. While interest rates remained unchanged, a surprisingly hawkish tone from central bank officials sparked fears of imminent rate hikes to combat persistent inflation.

Fed Holds Rates Steady but Signals Potential Hikes

The Federal Reserve opted to keep interest rates within the 3.50%-3.75% range, a move that was widely anticipated by market participants. However, the decision was overshadowed by new quarterly projections that painted a much stricter monetary policy picture. According to the latest data, nine central bank officials now expect at least one rate hike before the end of 2026.

Crucially, the Fed’s official policy statement removed previous language that had hinted at the possibility of rate cuts within this year. This shift suggests that the central bank is prioritizing price stability above all else, particularly as they grapple with inflationary pressures stemming from recent oil-price spikes linked to the Iran war.

Chair Warsh’s Hawkish Stance Rattles Traders

New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh departed from traditional central bank protocols by not submitting an interest-rate-path projection as part of the quarterly forecasts. Instead, Warsh focused heavily on the mandate of price stability in his communications with reporters.

This shift in rhetoric had an immediate impact on market sentiment. According to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, trader bets that rates would remain steady through the end of the year plummeted from 40% on Tuesday to just 15.7%. The market is now pricing in significant volatility: expectations for a 25-basis-point rate hike by December stand at nearly 38%, while the probability of a more aggressive 50-basis-point hike is approximately 33%.

Market Reaction: Major Indices Take a Hit

The hawkish pivot led to a broad-based decline across Wall Street. The S&P 500 fell by 1.19%, losing 89.59 points to close at 7,421.76. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite saw a steeper decline, dropping 1.32% (349.14 points) to end at 26,027.21. Even the Dow Jones Industrial Average was not immune, sliding 0.96% to close at 51,494.99.

در حالی که خرده‌فروشی ایالات متحده در ماه مه قدرت غیرمنتظره‌ای نشان داد — که ناشی از افزایش خرید خودرو علی‌رغم قیمت‌های بالاتر بنزین بود — عدم قطعیت ژئوپلیتیک پیرامون توافق صلح ایالات متحده و ایران بر احساسات بازار سنگینی کرد. پس از یک رالی کوتاه متعاقب مذاکرات صلح مقدماتی، قیمت نفت دوباره افزایش یافت، زیرا پرزیدنت ترامپ اشاره کرد که توافق هنوز نهایی نشده است و این امر باعث اضطراب مجدد بازار شد.

تحرکات شرکتی: CME Group و Allbirds

در اخبار مربوط به سهام شرکت‌ها، سهام CME Group پس از اعلام خبر کناره‌گیری تری دافی، مدیرعامل شرکت، در اول مارس برای انتقال به نقش رئیس هیئت مدیره اجرایی، کاهش یافت. در مقابل، سهام Allbirds پس از تغییر نام برند شرکت به "Smartbird" که نشان‌دهنده تغییر مسیر این شرکت از تولید کفش به یک نهاد متمرکز بر هوش مصنوعی (AI) بود، جهش کرد؛ همچنین نادیا کارلستن، مدیر سابق آمازون، به عنوان مدیرعامل جدید آن منصوب شد.

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