Stocks Slump on Reduced Fed Rate Cut Chances

Economic Policy and Market Reactions - President Trump signed legislation to end the longest US government shutdown, providing full-year funding for some departments and resuming federal payments to states and localities [1] - Boston Fed President Susan Collins indicated that it may be appropriate to maintain current policy rates to balance inflation and employment risks, while Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack expressed opposition to further rate cuts due to persistent high inflation [2][6] - The market is currently pricing in a 51% chance of a -25 basis point rate cut at the next FOMC meeting, down from 70% the previous week [6] Stock Market Performance - US stock indexes experienced significant declines, with the S&P 500 Index down -1.66%, the Dow Jones down -1.65%, and the Nasdaq 100 down -2.05% [4] - Concerns over upcoming economic reports, delayed by the government shutdown, contributed to the market sell-off, particularly affecting chipmakers and major technology stocks [3][12][13] Corporate Earnings and Forecasts - Q3 earnings season showed strong results, with 82% of S&P 500 companies exceeding forecasts, leading to a +14.6% increase in earnings compared to expectations of +7.2% [7] - Ardent Health cut its full-year adjusted EBITDA forecast, leading to a more than -34% drop in its stock price [14] - Walt Disney reported Q4 revenue below consensus, resulting in a more than -7% decline in its stock price [15] International Market Trends - Overseas stock markets showed mixed results, with the Euro Stoxx 50 down -0.77% and China's Shanghai Composite up +0.73% [8] - European government bond yields increased, with the 10-year German bund yield rising to 2.688% [10]