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US markets end lower on Wednesday amid inflation concerns
Mar-19-2026

The US markets ended in red on Wednesday amid inflation concerns. Traders took a note of report that Fed left the federal funds rate steady at the 3.5%-3.75% target range for a second consecutive meeting in March 2026, in line with expectations. Policymakers noted that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace, job gains have remained low while inflation remains somewhat elevated. The implications of the war with Iran are uncertain. Against this backdrop, policymakers still expect one reduction in the fed funds rate this year and another in 2027, the same as in the December projections, though the timing remains unclear. Besides, sentiments were downbeat as US producer prices rose 0.7% month-over-month in February 2026, above 0.5% in January and much higher than forecasts of 0.3%. It is the biggest increase in producer prices in seven months, with goods prices soaring 1.1% the most since August 2023, led by a 48.9% jump in prices for fresh and dry vegetables.  

Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 768.11 points or 1.63 percent to 46,225.15, S&P 500 fell 91.39 points or 1.36 percent to 6,624.7 and Nasdaq decreased 327.10 points or 1.46 percent to 22,152.42.


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