Wall St climbs as easing oil prices offer reprieve after Fed rate hike

On September 17, US stock indexes experienced a significant rise, driven by a drop in oil prices and the Federal Reserve's first rate hike under Chair Kevin Warsh. Technology shares, including Nvidia and Amazon, gained nearly 2% each, highlighting the importance of these gains for investors heading into the historically weak second half of September.

The S&P 500 has lost 1.7% this month, according to Reuters. Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Northlight Asset Management, noted that while energy prices may temporarily be high due to Middle East disruption, inflation has remained above target for over five years. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh was praised for effectively managing the situation, with Kim Forrest, chief investment officer at Bokeh Capital Partners, suggesting the Fed would maintain a cautious approach.

The Federal Reserve warned that more rate hikes may be necessary to control prices, potentially keeping stocks and bonds volatile in the coming weeks. The CBOE Volatility Index fell, signaling reduced fear among investors. All 11 major S&P 500 sectors traded higher, with utilities leading gains, and the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury slipping, alleviating some pressure on equities.

Crypto-linked stocks rose following the US securities regulator's announcement of a five-year exemption for tokenized stock trading.