U.S. stocks decline amid Fed leadership uncertainty

Washington [US], January 17: U.S. stocks ended slightly lower on Friday, as the market grappled with heightened volatility in the bond market and renewed uncertainty regarding the future leadership of the Federal Reserve.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 83.11 points, or 0.17 percent, to 49,359.33. The S&P 500 slipped 4.46 points, or 0.06 percent, to 6,940.01, and the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 14.63 points, or 0.06 percent, to 23,515.39.
Performance across the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors was divided. Real estate and industrials were the top performers, advancing 1.2 percent and 0.65 percent, respectively. Healthcare and communication services sectors led the declines, falling 0.84 percent and 0.72 percent.
Intraday market pressure intensified following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, previously considered a top contender for the Fed chairmanship, might remain in his current role instead of succeeding Jerome Powell. This potential shift in the expected succession timeline triggered a dip across the three major benchmarks.
The announcement also sent ripples through the bond market. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes climbed to 4.23 percent, which marks the highest level since early September, reflecting investor anxiety over central bank independence and the implications of recent mixed inflation data.
Despite the volatility, some market analysts noted a degree of underlying resilience. Analysts at ING pointed out that fears of a radical shift in Fed policy have yet to materialize, noting that even Trump-appointed governors have not pushed for aggressive interest rate cuts. Investors are also closely watching a legal battle involving Fed Governor Lisa Cook, which is scheduled to go before the U.S. Supreme Court next week.
In corporate news, the first week of the fourth quarter earnings season concluded for regional lenders with divergent results. PNC Financial saw its shares climb 3.79 percent on the back of strong advisory fees and robust dealmaking activity. Conversely, Regions Financial fell 2.63 percent after the bank issued disappointing guidance and reported quarterly results that missed analyst expectations.
Source: Xinhua