The Federal Reserve has significantly raised its median future interest rate expectations, with only two rate cuts anticipated next year. Fed Chairman Powell stated that we are closer to a neutral interest rate. U.S. stocks, bonds, Gold, and Bitcoin all suffered significant downturns, with the Dow experiencing ten consecutive declines, and the dollar rising sharply. After the FOMC statement, the trends of major Assets were intense and volatile, either continuously falling or rising.
On Wednesday, December 18, the Federal Reserve's December interest rate decision is coming. This meeting has caused a huge shock in the market.
Before the Federal Reserve's decision is announced.
Before the announcement of the Federal Reserve's decision, U.S. stocks rose during the day, U.S. Treasury yields fell during the day, and Gold decreased:
- The S&P 500 Index rose 0.19%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 170 points, an increase of 0.39%, and the NASDAQ rose 0.19%.
- The U.S. 10-Year Treasury Notes Yield fell by 0.99 basis points, reported at 4.3889%; the two-year U.S. Treasury yield fell by 2.12 basis points, reported at 4.2236%.
- The USD fell below 107 points, approaching the flat position near 106.950 points.
- Spot Gold fell by 0.43%, approaching a daily low of $2633.14.
After the Federal Reserve's decision was announced.
The latest released dot plot shows that Federal Reserve officials have significantly raised the median target range for future policy interest rates and have also notably increased inflation expectations for next year and the year after.
Specifically, the median target range for the policy interest rate at the end of 2025 is projected to be 3.9%, up from 3.4% in September; the expected median for the end of 2026 is 3.4%, up from 2.9% in September; the estimate for the end of 2027 is 3.1%, revised up from 2.9%; the long-term federal funds rate is anticipated to be 3.0%, up from a previous estimate of 2.9%.
Regarding inflation, the core PCE inflation for 2025 is expected to be 2.5%, revised from a previous estimate of 2.2%; the core PCE inflation for 2026 is projected at 2.2%, up from a previous estimate of 2.0%.
Federal Reserve officials are hawkish in their forward guidance, suggesting only two interest rate cuts next year, leading to a short-term spike in U.S. Treasury yields and the USD, while gold prices and U.S. stocks sharply declined:
- All three major U.S. stock indices fell, with the NASDAQ 100 Index down 0.8%, the biotechnology index down 1.5%, and the bank index down 0.7%.
- The two-year U.S. Treasury yield rebounded nearly 8 basis points in the short term, instead rising about 4 basis points on the day, approaching 4.29%. The U.S. 10-Year Treasury Notes Yield short-term rebounded 4 basis points, rising from the day's low near 4.38% to a daily high of 4.4245%.
- The Bloomberg Dollar Index short-term rose from around 1290 points to above 1295.40 points, an overall increase of about 0.5% for the day.
- Gold fell sharply by $15, hitting a daily low of $2,621.15, down about 1% for the day.
Powell's press conference.
Federal Reserve Chairman Powell stated at a press conference that the December decision statement means that the pace of interest rate cuts is slowing or pausing. We are closer to a neutral interest rate. The rate adjustment process is in a new phase. Future inflation progress needs to be observed, and there will not be an excessive reaction to a few months of inflation data. According to existing legislation on Capitol Hill, the Federal Reserve is not allowed to hold Bitcoin, and it does not seek to modify laws in order to control Bitcoin.
During Powell's press conference, the declines in U.S. stocks, U.S. bonds, Gold, and Bitcoin have all expanded to varying degrees, while the USD has strengthened:
- The S&P 500 Index fell about 1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped around 400 points, with a decline of 0.9%, the NASDAQ dropped 1.1%, the NASDAQ 100 Index fell 1.3%, the Russell Small Cap Index declined 1.2%, the Biotech Index fell 2.6%, the Semiconductors Index dropped 0.8%, and the Banks Index decreased by 1.8%. Tesla fell 2.8%, and Apple dropped 0.67%.
- The yields on U.S. 2-, 3-, and 5-Year Treasury Notes expanded by 10 basis points.
- The Bloomberg USD Index rose by about 0.8%, breaking through the 1300-point mark. The euro fell 1.1% against the dollar, reported at 1.0376. The British Pound fell 1% against the dollar, reported at 1.2582.
- Spot Gold dropped 1.4%, hitting a new daily low below $2,610 during Federal Reserve Chairman Powell's speech.
- Bitcoin fell over 5%, dropping below $0.101 million.
After the press conference.
After Powell's press conference, U.S. stocks expanded their declines, although there was a brief rebound before closing, they ultimately near the day's low.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by a thousand points, marking the tenth consecutive trading day of decline, the longest losing streak since 1974. According to FactSet, the Dow experienced 11 consecutive days of decline in 1974; aside from that, the Dow Jones Index has never suffered a decline for ten days or longer.
At the close, the Dow fell over 1,100 points, a decline of nearly 2.6%, with component stocks Goldman Sachs and Amazon dropping over 4%, the worst performers, while NVIDIA retraced all its intraday gains, closing down over 1%. The S&P 500 Index fell nearly 3%, and the NASDAQ index dropped over 3.5%. Popular stock Tesla at one point fell by 10% and closed down over 8%, while Broadcom dropped over 6.9%.
The following is the performance of U.S. stocks on that day, which showed a nearly straight down trend following the Federal Reserve's statement:
The following is the trend of U.S. Treasury yield on Wednesday:
The following is the USD trend for Wednesday:
The following is the Gold trend for Wednesday:
The following is the Bitcoin trend for Wednesday: