European markets experienced significant losses on Wednesday as investors closely monitored key economic indicators in anticipation of potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index closed with a 0.9 percent downturn after a session marked by mixed trading. Among specific sectors, food and beverage stocks increased by a modest 0.2 percent, while construction and material stocks witnessed a 2.9 percent decline and the technology sector dipped by 1.9 percent.
Germany's DAX stumbled by 230.97 points, marking a 1.38 percent decrease to settle at 16,538.39. Siemens Energy saw a significant 6.39 percent drop, Infineon Technologies plunged by 3.82 percent, Zalando dipped by 3.58 percent and BASF experienced a 2.67 percent decline.
Other notable losses included Vonovia, which retreated by 2.14 percent, while Deutsche Bank and Volkswagen both lost 1.86 percent and 1.79 percent, respectively. On the positive side, Deutsche Telekom rallied by 1.46 percent and Bayer showed a modest increase of 0.23 percent.
Amid the market activity, Germany's employment data revealed that job growth at the end of the year was lower than anticipated. According to official data released on Wednesday by the Federal Labor Agency, unemployment in Germany increased by only 5,000 in December, compared to a rise of 21,000 in November and 29,000 in October.
This figure fell short of economists' expectations, who had predicted a monthly increase of 20,000 for December.
On the other hand, London's FTSE also dipped by 39.19 points or 0.51 percent decline to close at 7,682.33. London's market also fluctuated, with Rentokil stumbling by 4.95 percent while Antofagasta slipped by 3.57 percent. Prudential and Scottish Mortgage faced declines of 2.94 percent and 2.99 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, Centrica surged 3.15 percent and BAE Systems recorded a 1.61 percent jump. Tesco rallied by 1.60 percent and Shell added 0.68 percent, among others.
France's CAC 40 saw a substantial plunge of 119.00 points, or 1.58 percent, to finish at 7,411.86. In France, Worldline plunged by 6.66 percent and Atos tumbled by 5.75 percent. Societe Generale and BNP Paribas both saw decreases of 2.74 percent and 2.67 percent, respectively. Credit Agricole stumbled by 0.86 percent and Vivendi was down by 0.23 percent.
On the positive side, Danone climbed by 1.66 percent, while Orange and Sanofi gained 1.22 percent and 1.20 percent, respectively.
Fed to maintain restrictive stance
As the minutes were disclosed, Federal Reserve officials had collectively agreed on a prolonged restrictive monetary policy stance, with an inclination to maintain this stance until there is a clear and sustainable decline in inflation.
The minutes also conveyed an increased sense of optimism among participants, pointing to "clear progress" in the trajectory of inflation. If this positive trend persists, the committee signaled its intention to reduce the benchmark interest rate in 2024. However, the exact timing of such a move remains uncertain.
In summary, the document revealed that nearly all participants indicated a lower target range for interest rates would be appropriate by the end of 2024, based on improved inflation outlooks. The document refutes the likelihood of immediate rate cuts, a prospect the market has attributed to believing such cuts may commence as early as March.