US market selloff stokes recession fears, trounces rate cut cheer
By
Naomi Rovnick
September 4, 20248:47 PM GMT+8Updated 2 days ago
A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 28, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
- Renewed recession risks batter stocks
- Volatility gauges on the rise
- Aggressive Fed rate cut forecasts no longer seen as good news
LONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Mounting unease over the U.S. economic outlook and a seasonally weak month for stocks have created another perfect storm of global market volatility, leaving investors scrambling for protection and fearing another round of currency chaos.
Following a rapid recovery for risky assets such as stocks and high yield bonds from a chaotic
early August selloff, traders have lost their short-lived
optimism that U.S. interest rate cuts would support growth.
U.S. stocks fell on Friday, weighed down by a jobs report that left traders uncertain about how far the Federal Reserve will go in cutting interest rates.
Instead, they appear to be already getting ahead of U.S. jobs data on Friday that may repeat last month's weak report, with Tuesday's weak U.S. manufacturing data triggering fresh selling.
Wall Street's S&P 500 share index
(.SPX), opens new tab fell over 2% on Tuesday, while Japan's broad Topix share gauge plunged 3.7% on Wednesday in its biggest daily drop since the Aug. 5 market rout and European stocks tumbled
(.STOXX), opens new tab.
Meanwhile, the VIX
(.VIX), opens new tab index of expected U.S. equity volatility has hit a one-month high, as choppy currency trading threatened the dollar and other haven currencies.
"Markets were dealing with uncertain inflation but growth was resilient," said Florian Ielpo, head of macro at Lombard Odier. "That situation seems to be changing, the new uncertainty is how deep will the slowdown be."