Stock Market Today: Stocks Close Flat With Fed Meeting in Focus
A choppy session for stocks turned into a flat finish as investors looked ahead to Wednesday's Fed announcement.
It was a choppy start to the week as investors looked ahead to Wednesday afternoon's policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.
Focus is also on the latest slate of initial public offerings (IPOs) about to hit the market, especially in the wake of last week's blockbuster IPO from chipmaker Arm Holdings (ARM, -4.5%).
The Fed kicks off their two-day policy meeting tomorrow, wrapping up Wednesday afternoon. Even after last week's mixed inflation data, most are expecting the central bank to keep interest rates unchanged this time around. Investor attention is now shifting to the Fed's potential plans for its two remaining meetings of 2023, where expectations aren't as clear cut.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
This meeting "is key to understanding the Fed's future actions," says Brian Rehling, head of Global Fixed Income Strategy at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. In particular, Rehling will be watching the central bank's summary of economic projections, also known as the "dot plots," which summarize what each member expects monetary policy to be going forward.
"While the Fed is unlikely to commit to any action or non-action at future meetings, we anticipate that the summary of economic projections will suggest that another rate hike is possible before the end of the year," Rehling says.
Instacart, Klaviyo IPOs on deck
Meanwhile, following a red-hot IPO last Thursday for chipmaker Arm, all eyes are on this week's upcoming IPOs: Instacart and Klaviyo.
Grocery-delivery firm Instacart is expected to start trading tomorrow under the ticker "CART" on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Last Friday, the company priced its offering between $28 and $30 per share, which gives it a roughly $10 billion valuation.
David Trainer, CEO of New Constructs, a research firm powered by artificial intelligence, thinks investors should pass on the Instacart IPO. "The stock's valuation implies the company will grow revenue by 24% each year for the next decade, a feat that is unlikely," Trainer says. "It's okay for investors to be excited about the thawing IPO market, but that doesn't mean they need to invest in every company that Wall Street offers to the public."
Also in focus is Klaviyo, with the marketing automation company on Monday priced its IPO in the $27 to $29 per-share range. This works out to a valuation of about $9 billion. It will start trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "KVYO."
Nikola stock soars on C-suite news
In non-IPO news, Nikola (NKLA) stock soared 33.6% today after the electric vehicle maker said it tapped Mary Chan as its new chief operating officer. Chan previously worked as the managing director at VectoIQ Acquisition Corp, the special acquisition company (SPAC) Nikola merged with, and will start next month.
As for the major indexes, they all three finished marginally higher, with the Nasdaq Composite closing at 13,710, the S&P 500 landing at 4,453, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending at 36,624.
Related content
To continue reading this article
please register for free
This is different from signing in to your print subscription
Why am I seeing this? Find out more here
With over a decade of experience writing about the stock market, Karee Venema is the senior investing editor at Kiplinger.com. She joined the publication in April 2021 after 10 years of working as an investing writer and columnist at Schaeffer's Investment Research. In her previous role, Karee focused primarily on options trading, as well as technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis.
-
Costco Auto Program: Up to $2K off Hybrid and Electric Car Models
Costco members can get up to $2,000 off new models of Volvo, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Polestar brand cars.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
-
Six of the Worst Assets to Inherit
inheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
By David Rodeck Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Sizzle Ahead of Apple Earnings, Jobs Report
The Nasdaq outperformed in a strong day for stocks thanks to Qualcomm's post-earnings pop.
By Karee Venema Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Pop Then Drop After Fed Meeting
Stocks went on a roller-coaster ride after Fed Chair Powell said interest rates were likely at a sufficiently restrictive level.
By Karee Venema Published
-
Fed Holds Rates Steady at 23-Year High: What the Experts Are Saying
Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve struck a dovish pose even as it kept interest rates unchanged for a sixth straight meeting.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Sell Off Ahead of Fed Decision
Stocks sold off sharply Tuesday as anxiety set in ahead of Wednesday's policy statement from the Federal Reserve.
By Karee Venema Published
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Post Broad-Based Gains Thanks to Mega-Cap Tech
Stocks get help from a couple of laggard Magnificent 7 stocks.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Soar Amid Strong Earnings for Big Tech
Equities ended the week on an up note thanks to some of the market's biggest names.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Tumble Amid Slower Economic Growth and Rising Prices
Disappointing readings on GDP and inflation helped tank equities.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Run Out of Steam Ahead of Meta Earnings
The Dow Jones Industrial Average snapped a four-day winning streak after Boeing's first-quarter results.
By Karee Venema Published