Better-Than-Expected GDP, Strong Meta Earnings Propel Stocks Despite Rate Hike

(Thursday market open) Major indexes turned green in premarket trading on Thursday following solid earnings from Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) and McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), accompanied by a host of price target increases from Wall Street analysts. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has climbed 13 straight sessions—the longest streak since 1987.

U.S. interest rates are a quarter-point higher today than they were 24 hours ago and at a level last seen in 2001. The Federal Reserve’s rate hike on Wednesday wasn’t unexpected, but many economists believe it’s likely to be the last in a cycle that began in March 2022 and which raised borrowing costs more dramatically than in four decades.

That said, the Fed isn’t revealing its hand. Future rate decisions will be made on a meeting-by-meeting basis, said Fed Chairman Jerome Powell in his post-meeting press conference, pushing back on reporters who asked whether the Fed was now ready to take a “one-off” approach with a pause following a hike. As expected, the Fed’s statement left the door open for an additional hike in September, but it will largely depend on what the economic data show between now and then.

Wall Street wavered after the Fed decision and during Powell’s press conference, with major indexes finishing mixed on Wednesday. Small-cap stocks showed some vigor, but info tech lagged. Financials stocks, which have a big influence on both the Dow and the Russell 2000 (RUT) small-cap index, had another solid day.

• The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose 2 basis points to 3.87%.
• The U.S. Dollar Index ($DXY) dropped to 100.69.
• Cboe Volatility Index® (VIX) futures fell sharply to 12.98, near the 2023 low.
• WTI Crude Oil (/CL) climbed to $79.54 per barrel.

Q2 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) posted a 2.4% annualized gain, up from 2% in Q1. The consensus was for a slight pullback to 1.8%, according to Trading Economics. Other data out this morning also showed the economy in good shape, including better-than-expected personal consumption and business investment, as well as Initial Jobless Claims falling to 221,000—the lowest in more than a month. Durable Goods Orders also looked robust.

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The GDP deflator, which measures inflation in the price of goods and services produced in the U.S., fell to a 2.2% annualized rate, the lowest since Q2 2020 and a sign that prices appear to be softening. It peaked at 9% in Q2 of 2022.

To little surprise, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised rates 25 basis points this morning, citing continued inflation.

Futures trading indicates a 20% probability that the FOMC will raise rates at its September meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. The probability for November is close to 30%.

During his press conference, Powell expressed satisfaction with recent economic progress, including cooling in the labor market and the positive June Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading. Still, he sounded determined to keep rates elevated as long as necessary to get inflation down to the Fed’s 2% goal. Rate cuts aren’t on the near horizon.

“We have to be ready to follow the data, and given how far we’ve come, we can afford to be a little patient, as well as resolute,” Powell said. “What our eyes are telling us is that policy has not been restrictive enough for long enough to have its full desired effects. It’s certainly possible that we will raise funds again at the September meeting if the data warranted. And I would also say it’s possible that we would choose to hold steady, and we’re going to be making careful assessments, as I said, meeting by meeting.”

Meta shares flew higher in premarket trading after the Facebook (NASDAQ:META) parent reported better-than-expected earnings results lifted by improved metrics in digital ads. Revenue climbed 11% in fiscal Q2.

Company watchers had seen signs of an advertising rebound even back in June, and Alphabet’s (GOOGL) earnings results yesterday offered yet more evidence. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called it “a good quarter” in the company’s press release, citing “strong engagement across our apps” and new artificial intelligence (AI) products in the pipeline.

On the less favorable side, Meta’s expenses appear to be growing faster than the company had previously hoped. This didn’t appear to hurt shares, but it’s a disappointment considering all the cost-cutting measures the company committed to over recent months.

In other corporate news, Boeing (NYSE:BA) shares climbed in premarket trading following yesterday’s 8% rally. The company reported narrower-than-expected losses, and then got an upgrade from Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), which said it “appears as though the worst may be behind” for the jet builder after years of both internal and pandemic-related turmoil.

Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) prices take center stage before tomorrow’s open, and investors should be prepared for possible volatility, depending on the results of this closely watched inflation indicator.

Analysts expect both PCE prices and core PCE prices to rise 0.2% in June, compared with 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively, in May, according to Briefing.com. The core data, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, is the one the Fed watches most closely. It’s been “sticky” at 4.6% to 4.7% on an annual basis most of the year, so any sign of easing there might be welcomed—though it’s likely to remain well above the Fed’s goal of 2%.

Core PCE is expected to rise 4.2% year-over-year in June, but if the first digit is a “3,” that could raise optimism that inflation is on the run and therefore that the Fed might stop raising rates. However, no single data point tells the entire story, as Powell reminded media and investors yesterday in referring to the cooler June CPI reading.

The government will publish June Personal Income and Personal Spending figures at the same time on Friday as PCE. Analysts expect them to climb 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively. Both would reflect what appears to be continued job market strength. Any sign of weakness in either might trigger new recession worries, especially following soft housing data yesterday and reports of rising delinquencies on auto and credit card loans.