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Wall Street closed flat on Wednesday, with little to no movement across sectors. Markets pared gains after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that inflation might go up soon based on President Trump’s tariff policies. One of the benchmark indexes closed in the green, one closed in red, while one remained virtually unchanged. The markets were closed on Thursday on account of the Juneteenth holiday.
How Did the Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) slid 0.1%, or 44.1 points, to close at 42,171.66. Fifteen components of the 30-stock index ended in negative territory, while 15 ended in positive.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 25.2 points, or 0.1%, to close at 19,546.27.
The S&P 500 fell 1.85 points, remaining virtually unchanged, to close at 5,980.87. Six of the 11 broad sectors of the benchmark index closed in the red. The Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE), the Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) and the Industrials Select Sector SPDR (XLI) declined 0.7%, 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, while the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) advanced 0.3%.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) increased 2.6% to 22.17. A total of 16.5 billion shares were traded on Wednesday, lower than the last 20-session average of 18 billion. Advancers outnumbered decliners by a 1.28-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.39-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
Powell’s Inflation Warnings Weigh on Markets
Markets ended Wednesday with mixed results, shaped by the Fed’s policy announcement, where officials opted to hold interest rates steady while maintaining projections for two rate cuts later this year. However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell delivered a cautious message, emphasizing persistent inflation pressures and the potential economic fallout from rising tariffs and energy costs. His remarks led traders to scale back expectations for immediate monetary easing, resulting in a slight uptick in Treasury yields and subdued enthusiasm in interest-sensitive sectors.
Investors remained wary of the potential economic consequences of Donald Trump’s newly proposed trade tariffs. Although these measures have yet to be implemented, Powell’s remarks highlighted their uncertain inflationary impact, reinforcing the Fed’s wait-and-see stance. As a result, markets remained in a holding pattern, caught between hopes for monetary easing and concerns over macroeconomic uncertainty. The day concluded with investors closely watching the intersection of policy, inflation and global risk.
The Middle East conflict continued to have an adverse impact. Although there was no direct escalation on the day, elevated oil prices driven by fears of regional instability kept inflation risks top of mind. Brent crude hovered around $76 per barrel during the session, contributing to broader inflation anxiety. Utilities, being a defensive sector, became the biggest winning sector of the day.
The Department of Labor also reported that for the week ended June 14, initial claims were 245,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 248,000 to 250,000. The four-week moving average was 245,500, an increase of 4,750 from the previous week's revised average. This is the highest level for this average since Aug. 19, 2023 when it was 246,000. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 240,250 to 240,750.
Continuing claims through the week ended June 7 were 1,945,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 5,000 from 1,956,000 to 1,951,000. The four-week moving average was 1,926,250, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the highest level for this average since Nov. 20, 2021, when it was 2,004,250. The previous week's average was revised down by 1,250 from 1,914,500 to 1,913,250.
Per a government report, for the week ended June 13, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 11.5 million barrels from the previous week. The number for the week prior remained unchanged at a decrease of 3.6 million barrels.
Per the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Building Permits for May decreased to 1,393,000. The number for April was revised up to 1,422,000 from the previously reported 1,412,000. Housing Starts for May came in at 1,256,000. The number for April was revised up to 1,392,000 from the previously reported 1,361,000.
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Stock Market News for Jun 20, 2025
Wall Street closed flat on Wednesday, with little to no movement across sectors. Markets pared gains after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that inflation might go up soon based on President Trump’s tariff policies. One of the benchmark indexes closed in the green, one closed in red, while one remained virtually unchanged. The markets were closed on Thursday on account of the Juneteenth holiday.
How Did the Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) slid 0.1%, or 44.1 points, to close at 42,171.66. Fifteen components of the 30-stock index ended in negative territory, while 15 ended in positive.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 25.2 points, or 0.1%, to close at 19,546.27.
The S&P 500 fell 1.85 points, remaining virtually unchanged, to close at 5,980.87. Six of the 11 broad sectors of the benchmark index closed in the red. The Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE), the Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) and the Industrials Select Sector SPDR (XLI) declined 0.7%, 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, while the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) advanced 0.3%.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) increased 2.6% to 22.17. A total of 16.5 billion shares were traded on Wednesday, lower than the last 20-session average of 18 billion. Advancers outnumbered decliners by a 1.28-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.39-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
Powell’s Inflation Warnings Weigh on Markets
Markets ended Wednesday with mixed results, shaped by the Fed’s policy announcement, where officials opted to hold interest rates steady while maintaining projections for two rate cuts later this year. However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell delivered a cautious message, emphasizing persistent inflation pressures and the potential economic fallout from rising tariffs and energy costs. His remarks led traders to scale back expectations for immediate monetary easing, resulting in a slight uptick in Treasury yields and subdued enthusiasm in interest-sensitive sectors.
Investors remained wary of the potential economic consequences of Donald Trump’s newly proposed trade tariffs. Although these measures have yet to be implemented, Powell’s remarks highlighted their uncertain inflationary impact, reinforcing the Fed’s wait-and-see stance. As a result, markets remained in a holding pattern, caught between hopes for monetary easing and concerns over macroeconomic uncertainty. The day concluded with investors closely watching the intersection of policy, inflation and global risk.
The Middle East conflict continued to have an adverse impact. Although there was no direct escalation on the day, elevated oil prices driven by fears of regional instability kept inflation risks top of mind. Brent crude hovered around $76 per barrel during the session, contributing to broader inflation anxiety. Utilities, being a defensive sector, became the biggest winning sector of the day.
Consequently, shares of Vistra Corp. (VST - Free Report) and PG&E Corporation (PCG - Free Report) rose 1.9% and 3.8%, respectively. Both currently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Economic Data
The Department of Labor also reported that for the week ended June 14, initial claims were 245,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 248,000 to 250,000. The four-week moving average was 245,500, an increase of 4,750 from the previous week's revised average. This is the highest level for this average since Aug. 19, 2023 when it was 246,000. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 240,250 to 240,750.
Continuing claims through the week ended June 7 were 1,945,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 5,000 from 1,956,000 to 1,951,000. The four-week moving average was 1,926,250, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the highest level for this average since Nov. 20, 2021, when it was 2,004,250. The previous week's average was revised down by 1,250 from 1,914,500 to 1,913,250.
Per a government report, for the week ended June 13, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 11.5 million barrels from the previous week. The number for the week prior remained unchanged at a decrease of 3.6 million barrels.
Per the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Building Permits for May decreased to 1,393,000. The number for April was revised up to 1,422,000 from the previously reported 1,412,000. Housing Starts for May came in at 1,256,000. The number for April was revised up to 1,392,000 from the previously reported 1,361,000.