Traders were on guard after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that the central bank is in no hurry to lower interest rates further.Traders were on guard after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that the central bank is in no hurry to lower interest rates further.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
S&P 500 futures were near the flatline Tuesday evening as investors awaited January’s consumer inflation report.
Futures tied to the broad market index ticked up 0.03%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures added just 10 points. Nasdaq 100 futures were 0.1% higher.
Traders were on guard Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told the Senate Banking Committee that policymakers were in no hurry to make further interest rate cuts. It was the first of two appearances for Powell on Capitol Hill this week, and it occurs at a time when President Donald Trump has been willing to issue tariffs against U.S. trading partners. Indeed, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Monday.
These trade tensions have kept the market in check, with the S&P 500 ending Tuesday near the flatline, while the Nasdaq Composite fell nearly 0.4%. The Dow outperformed, adding about 0.3%.
Traders get another piece of data — and another market catalyst — on Wednesday morning with January’s consumer price index reading. Headline inflation is expected to have grown 0.3% from the prior month and 2.9% from 12 months earlier, according to Dow Jones. Some economists on Wall Street have raised concerns that even as certain categories may see disinflation going forward, Trump’s tariffs could offset that.
Even with these concerns, the economy remains resilient and investors should bear that in mind, said Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research.
“We tend to focus on the macroeconomic policies … but the reality is that the rest of us working stiffs are doing an amazing job of keeping the economy going despite Washington,” he said Tuesday on CNBC’s “Power Lunch.” “My conclusion is first of all, when it comes to investing, don’t let your politics get in the way.”
In addition to Wednesday’s CPI report, investors will watch Powell’s testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services. They will also watch for fresh quarterly results from CVS Health, Robinhood, Cisco Systems and MGM Resorts on Wednesday.
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