Following Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s news conference, it was clear that the markets were pleased with his more dovish stance. Despite signaling that two more 0.25% key interest rate hikes may be forthcoming, Powell also stated that inflation has begun to decelerate and that caution should be taken when making further assessments. As a result of his words, Treasury yields fell slightly while the stock and bond markets both experienced a rally––a very good sign indeed. It appears that his message resonated well with Wall Street, as they have been looking for reassurances that key interest rates will not continue to rise drastically in the near future.
The U.S. economy appears to be on a solid footing, with the Federal Reserve particularly fixated on the tight labor market. On Friday’s non-farm payrolls data, an impressive 517,000 workers were added to payrolls and the unemployment rate dropped to 3.4%, thus further affirming that the Fed is likely to remain firm on hiking rates and could keep them higher for longer than investors initially thought. This position was articulated by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell recently, who made it clear he wanted to avoid falling short of its employment goals in six or twelve months’ time, thus necessitating additional monetary policy action which carries associated risks. Conversely, he emphasized there was no interest in overtightening either – thereby striking a balance between recent gains and any potential headwinds down the line.
This stabilization of the international stock market, which has seen a considerable spike in sentiment over the past two months, is an encouraging sign that we could be entering a period of renewed economic prosperity. Increasing optimism that earnings will improve off the back of better-than-expected sales and earnings figures reported by 50% of stocks recently is driving this stability, with The Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 each gaining at least 15% since October’s low point and being in close proximity to their respective 200-day moving averages. Small-to-mid capitalization stocks are also providing investors with notable niche returns when compared to traditional large-cap stocks, giving them another opportunity to yield investment profits. As such, all signs indicate that we are likely on the path toward further economic stability worldwide.
It’s been clear that investors have been on a buying spree since the beginning of this year, with reports of extraordinary demand in the seven biggest markets. Small and mid-cap stocks have especially seen an explosive surge in buying, as value hunters are snapping up some of the most attractive bargain stock prices from the tech, discretionary, materials, and industrial industries. This kind of trading is far from bearish; rather it shows that investors remain confident that now is the best time to buy in before these small-and mid-cap stocks appreciate substantially in value. It’s a great sign for long-term economic growth and a healthy shakeup of investor strategies.
The stock market has seen an impressive surge in recent months, with The Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 each gaining at least 15% since October’s low point. Furthermore, small-to-mid-cap stocks have provided investors with notable returns when compared to large-cap stocks. This trend is being largely driven by increasing optimism that the current environment is perfect for promising mid-cap companies to scale up and eventually emerge as future large caps.
All in all, the stock market surge is a positive sign for the economy. However, it is important to consider the underlying factors that may be contributing to this optimism. These include cooling inflation, China’s reopening, and central banks halting their rate hikes. Earnings season and economic data will be key for determining whether bearish forces are keeping a lid on progress or if a bullish outlook should prevail. For equity markets to take real steps forward, consolidation of leading stocks should materialize in tandem with decreasing volatility of high-beta stocks, along with an evaluation of the rate hike policy that produces effective measures towards strengthening the foundation for further gains.
Traders have reason to be cautiously optimistic as both technical and fundamental analyses suggest the recent rally of the market will endure. It appears that a strong base is forming, which could easily reignite an ongoing bull run. To make a substantial confirmation, investors must pay attention to macroeconomic developments in favor of bullish trends, such as sustained employment growth and low inflation. At this critical moment, it’s important to put recent performance in context and actively monitor if any shifts in positioning are warranted based on how industry-specific catalysts shape the landscape.