The week began on a down note with Energy stocks leading the decline alongside a dip in crude oil prices; however, the slip was reversed Tuesday, as Energy stocks rallied ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting. In other economic news, U.S. retail sales ticked up 0.2% in August from a 0.7% gain in July. Discounting cars and gas, sales climbed 0.4%. The rally continued Wednesday as crude oil experienced strong gains. The Consumer Price Index showed inflation retreated in August with a 0.1% dip in headline inflation versus expectations of no change. Energy prices slipped 2% last month, while food prices edged up 0.2%. Thursday’s big news came by way of the highly anticipated comments from the Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The Federal Reserve kept its interest rate unchanged. Stocks retreated after Fed Chair Janet Yellen said that global developments overshadowed signs of strength in America. Additionally, housing starts fell by 3% to 1.13 million units in August, missing expectations of a lesser dip to 1.16 million. Friday’s down market pushed the week into the red zone with the Materials and Telecommunications sectors leading the decline.
