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

On Thursday, September 17, major US stock indexes surged as falling oil prices lifted investor confidence. The Federal Reserve's first rate hike under chair Kevin Warsh offered reassurance about the central bank's dedication to combating inflation. Technology stocks, including Nvidia and Amazon, climbed nearly 2% each. This positive momentum comes at a critical time, as September is typically a weak month for equities.

The S&P 500 has dropped 1.7% this month. Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Northlight Asset Management, noted that while rising energy prices may be temporary, inflation has remained above target for over five years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.59%, the S&P 500 gained 0.94%, and the Nasdaq Composite increased 1.25%.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures market fear, fell to 15.70. The Fed indicated that more rate hikes might be necessary to control inflation, leading to potential volatility in stocks and bonds. Traders estimate a 49% chance of another hike at the next Fed meeting in October. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury fell, slightly alleviating some pressure on equities.

All 11 S&P 500 sectors were higher, with utilities leading gains. Oil prices continued to decline, with Brent crude futures dropping nearly 3% to $102.90, and West Texas Intermediate crude futures falling 1.8% to $100.62. Crypto-related stocks benefited from a five-year exemption for tokenized stock trading announced by the US securities regulator.

Robinhood and Circle Internet Group rose about 3.5% each, while Coinbase advanced 1.2%. Neocloud firms saw gains, with Nebius and Iren up about 1.4% each. Conversely, CoreWeave dropped 2.9% after announcing plans to raise capital through stock and convertible bond offerings. Fluence Energy plummeted more than 16% after reducing its revenue forecast for fiscal year 2026.