Dow Jones Industrial Average flattens on Wednesday

• The Dow Jones rallied early Wednesday before dipping back to the open.
• US JOLTS data eased back more than expected in July.
• Markets have tilted further into bets of a double Fed cut in September.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) whipped on Wednesday, rising at the start of the US market session but falling back into the day’s opening bids after the opening volley of US labor data disappointed investors.

US JOLTS Job Openings in July missed the mark, adding 7.673 million available jobs compared to the forecast 8.1 million, compared to the previous month’s revised 7.91 million. With the Federal Reserve (Fed) broadly expected to begin cutting interest rates on September 18, markets are tilting further into bets of a 50 bps cut to kick off the next rate cutting cycle. Rate markets are still pricing in 100 bps in total cuts by the end of 2024, but there’s still a 57% chance of the Fed’s September rate call being a slimmer 25 bps, according to CME’s FedWatch Tool.

Friday's US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report looms large and represents the last round of key US labor data before the Fed’s first rate trim. Friday's NFP print is widely expected to set the tone for market expectations regarding the depth of a Fed rate cut, with investors fully priced in on the start of a new rate-cutting cycle this month.

Dow Jones news

The Dow Jones tilted into the low side on Wednesday, with two-thirds of the equity index testing into the red for the midweek market session. Travelers Companies (TRV) still managed to rise 1.4% to $231.12 per share, while Verizon Communications (VZ) stumbled to the bottom of the board, falling 3.7% to $19.34 per share.

Dow Jones price forecast

The Dow Jones couldn’t figure it out on Wednesday, rising early in the day to 41,160 before slumping back to the day’s opening prices just above 40,840. The DJIA is holding onto bullish chart paper near record highs approaching 41,600, but momentum has drained out of the bidders’ camp as price action shifts back down toward the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 40,253.

Dow Jones daily chart