Tech stocks lead Wall Street surge ahead of Federal Reserve meeting

March 19, 2024

On Monday, Wall Street experienced a positive shift, with stocks climbing as investors’ attentions were riveted by a major artificial intelligence conference and the anticipation of new guidance from the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all saw gains, buoyed by Nvidia’s promising outlook at its GTC Conference and Alphabet’s stock surge amid reports of Apple incorporating Google’s Gemini AI into iPhones. This optimism comes after a period of tech-led losses, suggesting a potential pivot towards tech investments as the market anticipates the Fed’s upcoming decisions on interest rates, amidst mixed signals from inflation readings and global economic indicators.

Stock Market Updates

On Monday, the stock market saw a positive uptick as investors’ attention turned towards a major artificial intelligence conference and anticipation built for new guidance from the Federal Reserve on monetary policy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a modest rise, gaining 75.66 points to close at 38,790.43, marking a 0.2% increase. Similarly, the S&P 500 rose by 32.33 points, ending the day up 0.63% at 5,149.42, while the Nasdaq Composite outperformed, climbing 0.82% to finish at 16,103.45.

The spotlight was on Nvidia as its shares went up by 0.7% with the commencement of the company’s GTC Conference. Expected to unveil the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, Nvidia’s stock received a positive response from analysts, with predictions of significant upside potential. Similarly, Alphabet’s stock surged by 4.6% following reports of Apple’s negotiations to integrate Google’s Gemini AI into its iPhones. These developments contributed to a positive market sentiment, especially after a period marked by tech-led declines in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, while the Dow Jones suffered losses for three consecutive weeks.

Investor focus is also heavily on the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting set to begin on Tuesday and conclude with an announcement on Wednesday. With the market pricing in a 99% likelihood of unchanged interest rates at this week’s meeting, attention is equally divided over potential rate cuts expected in June. However, recent hotter-than-expected inflation readings have raised concerns about the Fed maintaining higher interest rates for an extended period, complicating the market’s anticipation.

Currency Market Updates

In currency markets, the dollar index saw a slight increase as attention turned to key meetings of the world’s major central banks, including the Federal Reserve, with particular interest in any changes to monetary policy. This comes amid a complex backdrop of fluctuating expectations for rate cuts, resilient U.S. economic indicators, and varying forecasts for interest rate movements among the world’s central banks. As investors navigate through these uncertainties, the outcomes of these meetings are eagerly awaited for their potential impact on global financial markets.

Picks of the Day Analysis

EUR/USD (4 Hours)

EUR/USD faces downward pressure amid strengthening US dollar and divergent central bank paths

The EUR/USD pair has been experiencing a downward trend, largely influenced by the strengthening US Dollar, as indicated by its subdued trading levels below the 1.0900 mark and reaching multi-day lows around 1.0865-1.0870. This movement correlates with the US Dollar Index (DXY) approaching a key technical level, amid a backdrop of rising US yields and expectations of divergent monetary policies from the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank (ECB). Despite both central banks anticipated to start easing cycles, differences in their approaches could further impact the EUR/USD trajectory. With the euro area’s weaker fundamentals and a resilient US economy, the medium-term outlook suggests a potentially stronger Dollar, pushing EUR/USD towards its year-to-date lows and possibly lower, highlighting the significance of upcoming central bank decisions and their impact on currency dynamics.

Chart EUR/USD by TradingView

On Monday, the EUR/USD moved lower and moving near the support level. Currently, the price is moving between the middle and lower bands of the Bollinger bands, suggesting a potential lower movement, and may reach the lower band. Notably, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) maintains its position at 33, signaling a bearish outlook for this currency pair.

Resistance: 1.0917, 1.0984

Support: 1.0859, 1.0812

 Economic Data