U.S. markets and stock exchange traded funds were mixed Tuesday, with the technology sector falling behind, after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that the economic recovery process still has some ways to go.
On Tuesday, the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ) fell 0.3%, SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSEArca: DIA) was up 0.4% and iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEArca: IVV) rose 0.3%.
Powell cautioned that the domestic recovery could falter into a downward trend if the coronavirus pandemic is not properly contained and broader growth is not sustained, Reuters reports.
“Markets are worried about what the Fed knows that we don’t know,” John Augustine, chief investment officer at Huntington National Bank, told Reuters. “The things that are obvious to us are that small businesses are closing and unemployment remains high in the services sector. The Fed aggressively wants to address both of those with more fiscal stimulus.”
Meanwhile, hopes of a forthcoming coronavirus relief package has helped support markets, despite the recent uncertainty surrounding the health of President Donald Trump whom has contracted Covid-19. Trump he felt “real good” when returning to the White House after a three-day hospital stay.
“When you’re in bubble territory with higher volatility, the market is very much driven by sentiment,” Matt Hanna, portfolio manager at Summit Global Investments, told Reuters. “The sentiment has shifted a little bit, it’s not nearly as bullish as it was just a couple months ago.”
Investors are also looking at former Vice President Joe Biden’s lead in the polls and and the potential implications of a divisive presidential election.
“People are waiting for the vote to pass, and expect volatility to increase,” Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors, told the Wall Street Journal. “This is not the right time to be making rash decisions about your positioning.”
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