Shares Close Lower as Wall Street Checks Ukraine Strain
Shares on Wall Street fell earlier in the day and closed on Monday. The U.S. has moved in with the closure of its embassy in Ukraine amid tensions over the thousands of Russian soldiers who are gathering at the border. The U.S. said it would close its embassy in Ukraine and relocate its remaining staff to a town near the Polish border. Hence, the S&P 500 fell 0.4 percent. The move comes after diplomatic efforts continued on Monday to avoid what U.S. officials had warned. Russia’s attack on Ukraine may be imminent. Bond yields increased widely, and the price of gold and energy futures.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5 percent. The Nasdaq composite is essentially intact. Since rising by 1 percent in the early period. The three major stock indexes came in with weekly losses. The White House told the Americans to leave Ukraine within 48 hours; Because Russia may soon invade this country. Accordingly, the market decline is compounded by late Friday afternoon sales losses. Other governments, including Russia, have withdrawn diplomats and their nationals.
Wall Street is also trying to measure how these events will affect stocks. How fast and far will the Federal Reserve move to raise interest rates to stem rising inflation.
Wall Street and Russian-Ukraine Tension
The S&P 500 fell 4.971.67 points or 16.97 points. Nearly 80 percent of the shares in the benchmark index fell. Among the enormous weights on the market were healthcare, financial, and energy companies. Citigroup fell 1 percent. Moderna – down 11.7 percent. At the same time, Exxon Mobil fell 1.5 percent. The Dow dropped to 34,566.17 points, for a total of 171.89 points. The blue-chip index fell 433 points in the afternoon. The Nasdaq decreased to 13,790.92 and fell 0.24 points overall. Shares of small companies, which continued to grow, also fell. Russell 2000 fell to 2,020.79, or 0.5 percent, or 9.36 points. The potential escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has also significantly impacted European markets, which have fallen sharply. Nations are still looking for ways to resolve the situation diplomatically.
U.S. crude oil prices rose 2.5 percent. The cost of natural gas rose by 6.4 percent. Russia is a significant producer of energy. Any military action that disrupts supply could disrupt energy markets and the global industry. The price of gold increased by 1.5 percent. Bond yields also rose. The output on the 10-year Treasury gained to 1.99 percent.
Fed and Investors
The Ukraine crisis is another concern for investors. They are trying to figure out how inflation and the expected rise in interest rates will affect investment and the economy. Inflation is at a four-decade high. The Federal Reserve plans to raise interest rates to reduce inflation. The central bank should raise the benchmark interest rate in March. Wall Street expects a seven percent increase this year. Federal Reserve politicians agree that the central bank should raise interest rates next month. However, they have different opinions about how fast they have to do it.
It is worth noting that inflation in January increased by 7.5 percent compared to a year earlier. This is the fastest growth in four decades. Prices also grew 0.6 percent from December to January. This indicates that price increases have not yet slowed down. The Fed usually responds to high inflation by raising loans; Which slows down spending and price growth rates. Investors are also keeping an eye on the latest round of corporate earnings. Partly to better understand how companies deal with high inflation. Some of the more prominent companies making a profit this week include Airbnb,
DoorDash, and Walmart. Investors will also get more updates on inflation and how it might affect costs. On Tuesday, the Department of Labor will release its January report on wholesale price levels. The Commerce Department will launch its January retail sales information on Wednesday.
