Major US stock indices closed in positive territory

The main US stock indexes rose slightly, which was facilitated by the results of the Fed meeting and the increase in the conglomerate sector.

The Federal Reserve System left interest rates unchanged and signaled that it did not plan to raise them in the near future. Fed officials in their accompanying statement continued to be optimistic about the economy. "The Committee considered that the current monetary policy is adequate to maintain a steady growth in economic activity," while there are favorable conditions for employment and price stability, the statement said. As a sign of a little more confidence in their position, managers excluded from the statement the phrase that “the uncertainty of prospects remains”, which they used in October. The statement still points to moderate inflationary pressures and the situation in the global economy as risks that should be monitored. New Fed forecasts have shown that, according to most executives, rates are low enough to spur economic growth. They expect rates to remain unchanged until the end of 2020 if the economic outlook does not change.

The focus was also on US data. A Labor Department report showed that the consumer price index rose 0.3% last month, as households paid more for gas. The consumer price index rose 0.4% in October. In the 12 months to November, the consumer price index rose 2.1% after rising 1.8% in October. Economists had forecast a consumer price index growth of 0.2% per month and an increase of 2.0% year on year. Excluding volatile food and energy components, the consumer price index rose 0.2%, which corresponds to an increase in October. In the 12 months to November, the base consumer price index rose 2.3% after a similar increase in October.

Investors also continued to closely monitor developments on the trade front, hoping to receive clear signals that the US and China had reached a trade agreement that could cancel or lower current tariff levels. On Sunday, Washington should introduce new tariffs on Chinese imports, including phones and toys.

Most DOW components completed trading in the red (16 out of 30). Outsider turned out to be the shares of The Home Depot Inc. (HD; -1.91%). The biggest gainers were United Technologies Corporation (UTX; + 1.07%).

Most S&P sectors recorded an increase. The conglomerate sector grew the most (+ 0.9%). The real estate sector (-0.3%) and the financial sector (-0.1%) showed a decrease.

At the time of closing:

Dow 27,911.30 +29.58 +0.11%

S&P 500 3,141.63 +9.11 +0.29%

Nasdaq 100 8,654.05 +37.87 +0.44%