According to final results, the Dow Jones index dropped 0.08% to 35,897.64 points.

The Nasdaq, with strong technological coloring, fell 2.47% to 15,180.43 points, largely losing the ground gained the day before.

The S&P 500 lost 0.87% to 4,668.67 points.

"Investors are a bit lost", explained Gregori Volokhine of Meeschaert Financial Services, while the day before, the market had strongly welcomed the change of course of the American central bank (Fed) which will end its monetary support in March which opens the door to rate hikes to fight inflation.

But on Thursday, "the market, which had so much faith in what Fed boss Jerome Powell said the day before, is now worried about the follow-up."

"Will his actions follow his words in the direction of controlling inflation?" Asked the analyst.

According to him, inflation continues to "scare".

"The market is starting to think that the Fed is late. It is still astonishing that Jerome Powell did not notice until November that inflation was not transient, whereas it was in all conversations since spring, ”added the portfolio manager.

Investors have also absorbed the decisions of several central banks, starting with that of England, the first of the major monetary institutions to raise interest rates since the Covid.

"It surprised by deciding to raise its key rate by 15 basis points to 0.25%," said Patrick O'Hare.

The European Central Bank (ECB) for its part has, as expected, left its rates unchanged and will continue its asset purchases until March, while inflation is expected to climb to 3.2% over one year in 2022, before falling. stabilize, according to his forecasts.

A rate hike in 2022 is "very unlikely," said Christine Lagarde, its president, even though the ECB says it is keeping its options open.

As for macroeconomic indicators, weekly jobless claims rose to 206,000, to the surprise of analysts, while industrial production in the United States improved for the second month in a row to reach its highest level. high level since September 2019.

Among equities, sector securities, which generally benefit from rate hike cycles, were on the rise, like materials (+ 1.04%) and financials (+ 1.21%).

Wells Fargo gained 2.78% to $ 50.30, Bank of America 2.41% to $ 45 and Goldman Sachs 1.91% to $ 397.37.

More sensitive to the prospect of inflation which would be countered by an increase in the cost of credit, so-called "growth" technological stocks have let go of all the ground gained the day before.

Apple accused its worst session since March (-3.93% to 172.26 dollars).

The other big names in tech have also dropped ballast like Tesla (-5.03% to 926.92 dollars), Amazon (-2.56% to 3,377.42 dollars) or Netflix (-2.31% to 591 , 06 dollars).

Software giant Adobe drank the cup, falling 10.19% to $ 566.09 after disappointing analysts with weaker-than-expected last quarter earnings forecasts.

In electronic exchanges after the close, the express carrier Fedex soared (+ 5.72%) after announcing better than expected results in the second quarter.

In the bond market, 2-year short rates as well as 10-year rates eased.

The yield on 10-year Treasury bills fell to 1.42% from 1.45% the day before.

© 2021 AFP