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* Prison operator GEO tumbles on dividend suspension
* Fed minutes to be release at 2 p.m. ET
* Indexes: Dow down 0.1%, S&P down 0.03%, Nasdaq down 0.1%
(Adds comment, details; updates prices)
By Shivani Kumaresan and Medha Singh
April 7 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes dipped in
choppy trading on Wednesday as investors cautiously awaited
minutes from the Federal Reserve's meeting last month that could
offer clues on the central bank's views on inflation and an
economic recovery.
The industrials .SPLRCI , materials .SPLRCM and
healthcare .SPXHC sectors weighed the most on the S&P 500.
Massive fiscal stimulus and swift vaccinations prompted
several Fed officials at the meeting last month to project
interest rate increases as early as next year, opening up a gap
with those who do not see rates rising until 2024 at the
earliest. "The Fed leadership has generally not been concerned with
the recent rise in interest rates, suggesting it reflects a
pickup in growth rather than inflation. Any signs of inflation
is ... generally expected to be transitory," said Jason
Benowitz, senior portfolio manager at the Roosevelt Investment
Group in New York.
"It will be interesting to see if the Fed held uniformly to
this view in its meeting, or if members at least discussed
actions the committee might take if rising rates posed a risk to
economic growth."
Value stocks, which include economically sensitive sectors,
maintain a strong lead this year over their growth counterparts,
dominantly tech-related firms.
However, a resurgence in demand for tech stocks in recent
sessions amid renewed restrictions in Canada and parts of Europe
has raised questions over the longevity of value trade.
Growth stocks .RLG outperformed value shares .RLV on
Wednesday.
"We do not believe the reopening trade has run its course.
The Biden administration's infrastructure stimulus plans would
only add fuel to this fire," Benowitz said.
The upcoming earnings season and progress in a
multi-trillion infrastructure proposal could decide the path
forward for markets.
Analysts have raised their expectations for first-quarter
S&P 500 profit increase to a 24.2%, according to Refinitiv IBES
data as of April 1, versus 21% forecast on Feb. 5.
The sharp run up in earnings expectations could set up for
disappointment, a market expert said. JPMorgan Chase & Co JPM.N Chief Executive Officer Jamie
Dimon said the United States could be in store for an economic
boom through 2023 if more adults get vaccinated and federal
spending continues. At 11:47 a.m. EDT the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI
fell 52.86 points, or 0.16% , to 33,377.38, the S&P 500 .SPX
lost 1.02 points, or 0.03 %, to 4,072.92 and the Nasdaq
Composite .IXIC lost 15.45 points, or 0.11 %, to 13,682.93.
Prison operator GEO Group GEO.N fell about 19% after
suspending quarterly dividend payments. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.7-to-1 ratio
on the NYSE and by a 2.4-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P 500 posted 28 new 52-week highs and no new lows,
while the Nasdaq recorded 93 new highs and 20 new lows.
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1-year spread between growth and value stocks https://tmsnrt.rs/38Kf52d
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