market posted a seesaw session before closing marginally lower, as investors felt confused somewhat about when the Fed would start tightening its highly accommodative monetary policy.
Wall Street was once spooked in the morning session by hawkish remarks from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard who reaffirmed that federal funds rate may be hiked in early 2015. In an interview with FOX Business Thursday, he also said that inflation seemed likely to move back to the Fed's long-term target of 2 percent later this year.
However, the stock market recovered most of its earlier losses in the afternoon session Scott Hartnell Womens Jersey , as investors continued to ponder the possibility of an earlier-than-expected interest rate increase.
On the previous trading day, the stock market rose, as official revision data showed that the U.S. economy contracted at a deeper- than-expected pace in the first quarter of 2014, which prompted market speculations that the U.S. central bank may keep ultra-low interest rates for a longer time in a response to the disappointing growth number.
Economic data came out lackluster in the day, giving no reasons for investors to make a big move on stocks.
In the week ending June 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 312,000 Craig Smith Womens Jersey , a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level, said the Labor Department. The reading was slightly above market consensus.
Meanwhile, the four-week moving average, which helps smooth out week-to-week volatility, was 314,250 Mattias Ekholm Womens Jersey , an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average, the department added.