Wall Street’s three main indexes weakened last week even though the U.S. job market confirmed that the economy is on solid footing as the country reported that nonfarm payrolls rose more than expected in May.
The U.S. released the Nonfarm Payrolls report on Friday, which showed that the country added 390,000 jobs in May. The job report surpassed economists’ estimate of 325,000 for May, but the prospect of more Fed rate hikes continues to keep investors in a negative mood.
The report also showed solid wage gains last month, sketching a picture of a U.S. economy that continues to expand, albeit at a moderate pace. Ed Moya, the senior market analyst at OANDA, said:
Softer hiring and cooler wage data suggest that economic growth moderation is happening, but not fast enough to signal a change in course by the Fed.
The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.6%, which is also encouraging, but it is uncertain if this will continue.
Several financial institutes have downwardly revised the U.S. growth, and according to JP Morgan and Wells Fargo, the economy should grow at a slower pace than previously estimated.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that risk-aversion persists as growth and inflation data become more worrisome, while the tensions between Russia and western nations also negatively influence financial markets.
The U.S. Federal Reserve raised the interest rate by 50 bps in May, which was the first such increase in over twenty years, and investors currently expect 50-basis point rate hikes when policymakers meet this month and in July.
JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned about an economic “hurricane” on the horizon, while Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said that he has a “super bad feeling” about the economy and he is worried that the Fed’s policies might lead to a recession.
S&P 500 down -1.2% on a weekly basis
For the week, S&P 500 (SPX ) weakened by -1.2% and closed at 4,108 points.
Data source: tradingview.com
The upside potential remains limited for the week ahead, and if the price falls below 4,000 points, it would be a “sell” signal.
DJIA down -0.94% on a weekly basis
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) weakened by -0.94% for the week and closed at 32,899 points.
Data source: tradingview.com
The current support level stands at 32,000 points, and if the price falls below this level, the next target could be 31,500 points. If the price jumps above 33,500 points, the next target could be resistance at 34,000 points.
Nasdaq Composite down -0.98% on a weekly basis
Nasdaq Composite (COMP) has lost -0.98% on a weekly basis and closed at 12,012 points.
Data source: tradingview.com
A solid jobs report gave the Federal Reserve the green light to continue on an aggressive policy-tightening path to fight against high inflation, and the upside potential for Nasdaq Composite remains limited.
Summary
The Dow Jones, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq ended lower last week even though the U.S. job market confirmed that the economy is on solid footing. The U.S. added 390,000 jobs in May, but the prospect of more Fed rate hikes continues to keep investors in a negative mood.
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