Fed Officials Hint That Rate Increases Are Over, and Investors Celebrate (2024)

FAQs

How do investors react to a raise in interest rates by the Fed? ›

Rising interest rates are generally not welcomed by stock investors, although there are certain sectors of the stock market that will benefit. A Fed interest rate hike may see the price of existing bonds fall.

The Fed raises interest rates to slow the amount of money circulating through the economy and drive down aggregate demand. With higher interest rates, there will be lower demand for goods and services, and the prices for those goods and services should fall.

Driving the news: The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to leave its target interest rate unchanged in a range of 5.25% to 5.5% following the meeting Wednesday afternoon. There will be no new release of economic projections at this meeting.

Higher rates from the Fed also make it harder for borrowers to get approved for new loans. One of the reasons higher interest rates slow demand: They cut off households from the never-ending credit spigot.

Higher interest rates tend to negatively affect earnings and stock prices (often with the exception of the financial sector). Changes in the interest rate tend to impact the stock market quickly but often have a lagged effect on other key economic sectors such as mortgages and auto loans.

Interest rates can affect stock markets in different ways. Frequently, when rates rise, equities are challenged because investors can choose to invest in bonds that pay more attractive yields than was previously the case, rather than stocks.

When interest rates rise, it's usually good news for banking sector profits since they can earn more money on the dollars that they loan out. But for the rest of the global business sector, a rate hike carves into profitability. That's because the cost of capital required to expand goes higher.

The Fed has repeatedly raised rates in an effort to corral rampant inflation that has reached 40-year highs. Higher interest rates may help curb soaring prices, but they also increase the cost of borrowing for mortgages, personal loans and credit cards.

A rise in interest rates automatically boosts a bank's earnings. It increases the amount of money that the bank earns by lending out its cash on hand at short-term interest rates.

Until inflation slows and the Fed is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to remain elevated. Most major forecasts believe that mortgage rates will ultimately trend down this year. Fannie Mae researchers recently predicted that rates would reach 6.4% by the end of 2024.

Will mortgage rates drop in 2024? ›

Mortgage rates are expected to decline when the Federal Open Market Committee cuts the benchmark interest rate, which is likely to happen in the second half of 2024. But as long as inflation runs hotter than the Fed would like, rates will remain elevated at their current levels.

Mortgage giant Fannie Mae likewise raised its outlook, now expecting 30-year mortgage rates to be at 6.4 percent by the end of 2024, compared to an earlier forecast of 5.8 percent.

As interest rates rise, the interest income from loans typically increases faster than the interest paid on deposits, leading to wider profit margins. Additionally, higher interest rates can boost the earnings of insurance companies and investment firms, as they often hold large portfolios of interest-sensitive assets.

Higher interest rates typically slow down the economy since it costs more for consumers and businesses to borrow money. But while higher interest rates can make it more expensive to borrow and could hamper overall economic growth, there are also some benefits.

Low interest rates mean more spending money in consumers' pockets. That also means they may be willing to make larger purchases and will borrow more, which spurs demand for household goods. This is an added benefit to financial institutions because banks are able to lend more.

As interest rates rise, the interest income from loans typically increases faster than the interest paid on deposits, leading to wider profit margins. Additionally, higher interest rates can boost the earnings of insurance companies and investment firms, as they often hold large portfolios of interest-sensitive assets.

A higher real interest rate results in less investment spending.

The degree and timing of rate increases as well as investors' expectations also play a role in driving the stock market's reaction to increasing rates. The Federal Reserve typically raises rates in periods of stronger economic activity, which is when stocks are also doing well.