US Equity Markets End Lower After Federal Reserve Increases Policy Rate

04:27 PM EDT, 09/16/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes ended lower Wednesday after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates, citing persistent inflation. * In a unanimous decision, the Fed raised the policy rate by a quarter percentage point to between 3.75% and 4%, the first hike from the central bank since July 2023. The Fed also signaled that another hike could come later this year if inflation continues to persist. * According to the Census Bureau, Retail sales grew 1.2% in August following a 0.5% decline the month before, compared with 0.8% increase in a Bloomberg-compiled survey. * October West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $3.72 to settle at $102.11 per barrel, while November Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $3.28 at $105.47. * Axon Enterprise (AXON) shares rose about 6%, among the top performers on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after the company priced an offering of $1 billion of convertible senior notes due 2031. * J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) expects earnings from Q2 to Q3 to fall 5% to 10%, Chief Financial Officer Brad Delco said Tuesday on a conference call. Shares were down roughly 13%, among the worst performers on the S&P 500.