What stocks do well when interest rates go down?
Growth stocks are heavily reliant on capital for future business expansion. During periods of low interest rates, it's the golden age for growth stocks as capital can be obtained cheaply and growth easier to come by.
Utilities stocks are defensive dividend-payers. In terms of investment dollars, they compete with bonds. Bonds become less attractive when interest rates drop. That, in turn, increases the relative appeal of utilities and their dividend payments.
Falling interest rates often go hand-in-hand with rising earnings, which historically has particularly benefited cyclical sectors. The consumer discretionary, technology, real estate, and financial sectors have historically been especially likely to outperform the market when rates fall and earnings rise.
In other words, the market's anticipation that the Fed would lower rates had a positive effect stock prices, since it assumes that a company's earnings per share and profits will rise as borrowing costs decline. In effect, lower interest rates lead to higher price-to-earnings metrics and vice versa.
| Fund / Ticker | Assets (billion) | 1-Yr Total Return |
|---|---|---|
| Dodge & Cox Income Fund / DODIX | 73.1 | 3.6 |
| iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF / AGG | 102.4 | 0.8 |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF / BND | 105.3 | 0.8 |
| Vanguard Int.-Term Tax-Exempt Fund / VWITX | 71.9 | 4.0 |
As a general rule of thumb, when the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, it causes the stock market to go up; when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, it causes the stock market to go down.
Financials First. The financial sector has historically been among the most sensitive to changes in interest rates. With profit margins that actually expand as rates climb, entities like banks, insurance companies, brokerage firms, and money managers generally benefit from higher interest rates.
- Best safe stocks to buy.
- Berkshire Hathaway.
- The Walt Disney Company.
- Vanguard High-Dividend Yield ETF.
- Procter & Gamble.
- Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund.
- Starbucks.
- Apple.
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Money market funds.
- Short-term certificates of deposit.
- Series I savings bonds.
- Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS.
- Corporate bonds.
- Dividend-paying stocks.
- Preferred stocks.
The safest place to put your retirement funds is in low-risk investments and savings options with guaranteed growth. Low-risk investments and savings options include fixed annuities, savings accounts, CDs, treasury securities, and money market accounts. Of these, fixed annuities usually provide the best interest rates.
Will bank stocks go up when interest rates drop?
The lower interest rates signaled by the Fed this week will decrease the cost of borrowing for banks to fund loans and other transactions, KBW banking analyst Chris McGratty noted. This has helped trigger a surge in bank stocks that extended for a second day on Thursday following the Fed's latest meeting.
Secondly, rising rates decrease the present value of any business. As already outlined, interest rates are the discount rate on future cash flows. So, a higher discount rate lowers the present value of future earnings for stocks.
The market sees a greater than 80% chance of at least five rate cuts from current levels by the end of 2024. Investor optimism about the economic outlook has improved dramatically from a year ago, but there's still a risk that Fed policy tightening could tip the economy into a recession in 2024.
Rate cuts should help the stock market
For similar reasons, when interest rates are low, you also tend to see more GDP growth and more hiring.
You can capitalize on higher rates by purchasing real estate and selling off unneeded assets. Short-term and floating-rate bonds are also suitable investments during rising rates as they reduce portfolio volatility. Hedge your bets by investing in inflation-proof investments and instruments with credit-based yields.
- Corporate bonds. ...
- Dividend-paying ETFs. ...
- Mutual funds. ...
- Dividend stocks. ...
- Value stocks. ...
- Small-cap stocks. ...
- Real estate investment trusts (REITs) Best for: investors who want to invest in real estate without actually managing a property themselves. ...
- Real estate. Best for: investors who wish to manage a property.
Buy short-term bonds instead of long-term bonds
In a period of rising interest rates, the price of existing bonds will decline. Bonds with a longer time to mature will feel a greater impact from an increase in interest rates than a bond with a shorter maturity. This is also true with bond mutual funds and bond ETFs.
Unless you are set on holding your bonds until maturity despite the upcoming availability of more lucrative options, a looming interest rate hike should be a clear sell signal.
Tech Still Rules the Roost
Tech continues to dominate in 2024. As businesses expand digital capabilities, demand soars for everything from cybersecurity to cloud services and data analytics. 5G infrastructure is the backbone supporting much of this tech-fueled future, delivering internet speeds 10 times faster than 4G.
Do interest rate hikes hurt the stock market? If the Federal Reserve raises the short-term federal funds target rate it controls (as it did in 2022 and 2023), it can have a detrimental effect on stocks. A higher interest rate environment can present challenges for the economy, which may slow business activity.
Who benefits when yields or interest rates are low?
Both prospective lenders and borrowers benefit when yields or interest rates are low.
- British American Tobacco BTI.
- Imperial Brands IMBBY.
- Reckitt Benckiser Group RBGLY.
- Pfizer PFE.
- Anheuser-Busch InBev BUD.
- Polaris PII.
- Ambev ABEV.
- Estee Lauder EL.
Coca-Cola has a conensus rating of Moderate Buy which is based on 11 buy ratings, 4 hold ratings and 0 sell ratings. What is Coca-Cola's price target? The average price target for Coca-Cola is $65.80. This is based on 15 Wall Streets Analysts 12-month price targets, issued in the past 3 months.
Walmart stock is a Strong Buy, according to analysts, with 25 Buys and three Holds assigned in the past three months.
Conventional wisdom holds that when you hit your 70s, you should adjust your investment portfolio so it leans heavily toward low-risk bonds and cash accounts and away from higher-risk stocks and mutual funds. That strategy still has merit, according to many financial advisors.
