Stocks wrap up strong January as Fed decision looms | January 31, 2023

#stockstowatch #inflation #YahooFinance #recession #bitcoin #Biden #Stockmarket #coronavirus #memestocks #Fed #YahooFinance #investing #stockmarket #bitcoin #crypto

To get the latest market news check out finance.yahoo.com

U.S. stocks rose Tuesday, closing out a strong January amid a continued flurry of corporate earnings and the start of the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting.

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose 1.5%, as it gained over 5% for the month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) moved up 1.1%. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) added roughly 1.7%, ending the month with an 11% gain. It marked the Nasdaq's best month since July and best January since 2001.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note ticked down to 3.511% from 3.546% on Monday. The dollar index ticked down 0.21% to $102.06.

The major U.S. stock averages rebounded after tumbling on Monday, kicking off a week packed with macro events and major tech earnings.

The biggest item on the macroeconomic calendar is the FOMC’s policy meeting, which commenced on Tuesday ahead of an anticipated Wednesday decision to hike rates by quarter percentage point, bringing the federal funds to a target range of 4.5% to 4.75%. Yet It's unclear what could come next.

“[We] expect Powell to be quite hawkish in the press conference,” Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JP Morgan, wrote in a note. “We look for him to stress two themes: (i) slowing is not stopping, and (ii) don’t expect rate cuts in ’23.”

It's also a significant week for the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, as it’s widely expected for officials to raise benchmark interest rates by 50 basis points on Thursday. Such a move would mark a slowdown from last year’s aggressive hikes, as inflation cools and unemployment levels remain low.

Elsewhere on the economic data front, consumer confidence fell to 107.1 compared to 109.0 in the prior month but remains above July 2022 levels, according to The Conference Board. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecasted a range of 105.0 to 112.5.

Earnings season in full force
The busiest week of the fourth-quarter earnings season kicked off, with more than 100 companies representing nearly one-third of the S&P 500's market value reporting results.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) shares rose more than 2% Tuesday after the company reported earnings that beat expectations in the fourth quarter, while revenue came in short. The oil giant posted adjusted quarterly earnings per share of $3.40 compared to analyst forecasts of $3.29. Revenue in the quarter was $95.43 billion, lower than expectations of $97.3 billion.

McDonald’s (MCD) shares dipped after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday morning that beat expectations as more customers visited the fast-food chain amid higher menu prices. Revenue for the quarter came in at $5.93 billion compared to $5.75 billion expected, while the company posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.59 compared to analysts forecasts of $2.44.

General Motors (GM) shares rallied Tuesday, gaining more than 8%. The car maker reported a 15% rise in net income in the fourth quarter amid weak consumer spending.

United Parcel Service (UPS) posted a decline in revenue for the fourth quarter as the company delivered fewer items during the holiday season. Revenue for the quarter fell 2.7% to $27.0 billion, missing analyst expectations of $28.09 billion. UPS reported an adjusted profit of $3.62 per share for the quarter ended Dec. 31, higher than expectations of $3.59 per share.

For more on this article, please visit:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-news-live-updates-january-31-2023-130611137.html