U.S. and Canadian stock indexes ended the second session of the year down again in extended profit-taking on Wednesday after a strong finish to 2023, with minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting failing to shake off the funk hanging over markets.
It was the first time the benchmark S&P 500 index has started the year with two straight declines since it kicked off 2015 with a three-session skid. It is also its worst two-day performance, on a percentage basis, since late-October.
The decline contrasts with the blistering run for all three major Wall Street benchmarks in the final two months of the year. The S&P 500 came within striking distance of its all-time closing high last week as signs of cooling inflation spurred investors to bet on an aggressive rate-cutting schedule.
However, investors have been cautious so far in 2024, wary of the U.S. central bank’s expected pivot to rate cuts this year and how quickly these…
