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Stock Market Falls on Inflation Worries Ahead of Fed Meeting

The stock market closed lower on Friday, marking the second week of losses, in a row. This decline comes as investors remain concerned about inflation, with key data points earlier this week raising doubts about the Federal Reserve’s plans to loosen monetary policy.

Market Recap

• The S&P 500 dropped 0.65%, closing at 5,117.09.

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.49% to 38,714.77.

• The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.96%, ending at 15,973.17.

Inflation Pressures:

• Recent economic data, including higher-than-expected producer price index numbers, has caused jitters among investors.

• This data pushed the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield higher, raising concerns that the Fed might not loosen interest rates as anticipated.

• The Federal Reserve’s policy meeting next week (March 19th) will be crucial in determining the future direction of interest rates.

• Investors are unsure if the recent economic data indicates inflation has cooled enough for the Fed to start lowering rates later this year.

Fed Meeting in Focus:

Tech Sector Leads Decline:

• Technology stocks have been under pressure for the past four days, with an additional 1.3% drop on Friday.

Dow Jones Performance

• Most Dow Jones stocks closed lower, with Salesforce leading the decline.

• 3M and Caterpillar were the bright spots, managing to close in positive territory.

Overall, the market is cautious ahead of the Fed meeting. Investors are waiting to see if the central bank will maintain its current stance on interest rates or signal a potential shift due to ongoing inflation concerns.

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