Equity Alert
US indices end mixed; US FOMC guides for 50 bps of cuts in 2025
This story was originally published at 08:09 IST on 18 September 2025
Register to read our real-time news.Informist, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025 Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000
Equity Alert: US indices end mixed; US FOMC guides for 50 bps of cuts in 2025
MUMBAI--0730 IST--The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 closed slightly lower Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve met expectations of a 25-basis-point cut in the federal funds rate target range, the first cut after it reduced the policy rate by 100 basis points between September and December last year. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed higher. The Fed projected two more quarter-percentage-point cuts in the remaining part of 2025.
The US Federal Open Market Committee trimmed the fed funds range to 4.00-4.25% Wednesday, as expected, after holding it for five consecutive meetings. All the members barring Stephen I. Miran voted for a 25-bps cut. Miran voted to reduce the interest rate by 50 basis points.
US Fed Chair Powell termed the move a "risk management cut." The central bank indicated it would steadily cut rates for the rest of the year as there are concerns on weakness in the labour market.
"The one rate cut per meeting pace shows they no longer feel tariff-based inflation is a serious threat and that the economic growth slowdown with companies onboarding fewer new employees is increasingly the bigger risk," Christopher S. Rupkey, chief economist at FWD BONDS, was quoted as saying by CNBC. "Stagflation is out and labour market concerns are moved to the front-burner," he added.
This came against the backdrop of immense political pressure on the central bank, which has generally been allowed to operate with independence from direct political control. US President Donald Trump has criticised chair Powell for months for the central bank's reluctance to cut policy rates.
"He (Powell) noted the softness in the labour market, but reserves a larger cut for more serious conditions that are not present today," Michael Rosen, chief investment officer at Angeles Investments, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The S&P 500 index ended at 6600.35, down 6.41 points or 0.1%, falling for the second straight session. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 22261.32, down 72.63 points or 0.3%. Both the indices have closed at record highs in a couple of sessions recently. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.6% higher at 46018.32 points.
Following are the closing levels of US indices Wednesday:
|
INDEX |
LAST LEVEL |
CHANGE IN % |
|
Dow Jones Industrial Average |
46018.32 |
0.57 |
|
NASDAQ Composite |
22261.33 |
(-)0.33 |
|
S&P 500 |
6600.35 |
(-)0.1 |
(Gopika Balasubramanium)
US$1 = INR 87.8150
End
Edited by Subhojit Sarkar
All prices from National Stock Exchange, unless otherwise specified.
All percentage changes for share prices are rounded off to the nearest whole number; percentage changes for index values are rounded off to one decimal place.
All times are Indian Standard Time.
NSE: National Stock Exchange
NYSE: New York Stock Exchange
NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange
SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India
RBI: Reserve Bank of India
Internet links:
Securities and Exchange Board of India - http://www.sebi.gov.in
Bombay Stock Exchange - http://www.bseindia.com
National Stock Exchange of India - http://www.nseindia.com
Directory of Indian government websites - http://goidirectory.nic.in
Indian Ministry of Finance - http://www.finmin.nic.in
Reserve Bank of India - http://rbi.org.in
Controller General of Accounts, Government of India - http://www.cga.nic.in
Government's Press Information Bureau - http://www.pib.nic.in
For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.
Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt Ltd.
Informist Media Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000
Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com
© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2025. All rights reserved.
To read more please subscribe
Share this Story:
