On Wednesday, January 3rd, the U.S. stock markets closed lower amid profit-taking and lackluster response to the Federal Reserve's December meeting minutes.
The Federal Reserve's latest minutes from the December meeting showed that policymakers acknowledged that interest rates are likely at or near the cycle's peak, indicating a potential shift in monetary policy as the economic landscape evolves.
The minutes reflect an uneven progression in inflation control, particularly noting that "core services prices are still rising at an elevated pace."
The economic data showed a drop of 62,000 in job openings to 8.79 million and an increase in the ISM manufacturing PMI to 47.4 in December from 46.7 in the prior month.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased ...