Posted June 06, 2018 09:50:56Share Share this article Share The Federal Reserve is preparing to raise interest rates on June 30.
Here’s what to expect from the news.
Why are Fed rates likely to rise?
The US central bank has repeatedly said it would do so “as soon as possible”.
But what would a rate rise mean for investors?
Why is the stock market booming?
The Dow Jones industrial average has soared nearly 4,000 points since the Fed raised interest rates last Friday, and it’s been on an upswing ever since.
The benchmark is up more than 10,000 since the beginning of the year.
What’s the latest on the stock markets?
The Dow is up nearly 12,000 in the past week, while the S&P 500 is up 2,300.
What are the other major indexes?
Oil and gas stocks are up more as investors continue to buy oil and gas drilling rigs, as well as natural gas and oil production.
Oil prices have also risen in recent days, with the benchmark Brent crude oil futures up 2.5% so far this week.
What are the signs the Fed might increase interest rates?
The US central banker has been on the sidelines as markets have been buoyant this year, but it’s possible the Fed could lift rates in June, if markets continue to rise.
The US Federal Reserve raised interest rate rates last month after months of stagnant growth.
The central bank is expected to hold a rate meeting on June 25.
How is the US stock market performing?
Shares in the S &p 500 are up nearly 8,000 this year.
The Nasdaq Composite is up about 7,300, with tech stocks, tech services and financials all up.
What other indicators are up?
The S&am US industrial production index is up 10% this year and is up another 1% in 2017, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The US retail sales index is also up, and has jumped more than 8% this month.
What is the market outlook for June?
The Federal Reserve has raised interest-rate expectations on a regular basis in the months since the economy started recovering, and there’s been a slight upward trend in the Dow.
What’s causing the market to rise so fast?
The stock market has been a hot commodity, especially in recent months, and the Fed has been pushing its policy for some time now.
The Fed has kept rates near zero for longer than it’s allowed to, so there is some concern that it might start to move rates higher in the near future.
What would a Fed rate hike mean for stock investors?
A hike in interest rates will make it harder for investors to sell stocks in a bid to increase their earnings, but many analysts think the Fed will do so in response to rising stock market returns.
The Fed is also likely to raise its benchmark rate this month, which is a tool that can help the economy.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen has also signaled that she’s ready to raise rates more broadly.
The Federal Open Market Committee also is likely to lower interest rates more aggressively in coming months.
The key question for investors is whether investors will be able to make the leap to a full-on sell-off in the short term, or if the stock prices will continue to rally into the future.