US stocks screamed red at midsession on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve cleared the path to a possible rate hike this year.
The Federal Open Market Committee concluded its two-day meeting in Washington saying that risks had diminished, winking that the global impact of Britain’s decision last month to quit the European Union could be accommodated.
The Fed next meets on September 20-21.
The S&P 500 index was down 0.25% at 2,163, while the S&P Midcap 400 lost 0.6% to 1,544. The mid-caps were led by Knowles Corp (NYSE:KN) down 14.5% to $13.85.
The S&P Smallcap 600 was down 0.2% to 742, and led by Unifi Inc (NYSE:UFI), one of the world's leading synthetic recycled yarn producers, down 12.53% to $25.35 after it announced less-than-stellar fourth quarter results.
Oil didn’t help support the bourse, as the West Texas Intermediate was off 2.6% to $41.82 – its lowest level since late April.
Open
US shares showed a mixed open as the tech sector did well and the market waits for a Fed announcement.
The Dow Jones was flat at around 18,473, while the Nasdaq added 0.4% to 5,130 and the broader-based S&P500 was down 0.21% to stand at 2,164.
After Apple results yesterday, shares in the tech behemoth continued north at the open and are now up over 6% to US$102.85.
The group reported earnings that beat revenue and profits estimates, but iPhone sales showed a slow-down.
Elsewhere, another good riser was Sequenom Inc (NASDAQ:SQNM), which gained over 178% after the patient management information company said it agreed to be bought by Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings.
The outcome of the Fed's meeting is not a given, but the general mood is no rate rise as yet but traders will be keen to latch on to any clue of when there may be a change in that.
US shares are set to head higher as the market digests tech giant Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) earnings, which showed a slow-down in phone sales, and more corporate results are expected today.
Apple shares are racing up almost 7% in pre-market as third quarter results actually came in better than expected, and sales of the famous iPhones fell by less than the market had anticipated.
The company sold 40.4 million of the devices in the period, down 15% from the same quarter a year ago but still more than a market consensus of 40.02 million.
Apple also said it expected iPhone average selling prices to improve into September. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 7 during the month.
Yesterday, sales of newly-built US homes rose more than Wall Street expected last month to the highest rate since 2008 in the latest sign that the economy is growing – feeding into this week’s expectations that the Federal Reserve may hike rates before year end.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones closed 19 down at 18,473; the Nasdaq shed 12 to 5,110 and the S&P500 added 0.7 to 2,169.
Today, Dow futures are 33 ahead; the Nasdaq is 32 ahead and the S&P 500 is up three.
Among firms reporting earnings today are Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), Boeing (NYSE: BA), and Fiat Chrysler (NYSE: FCAM).
Also in focus will be the Fed meeting, where there will be an annoucement later on interest rates and the state of the world's largest economy.