US stock indexes decline before the publication of the Fed minutes

According to Wednesday's trading data, US stock indexes are significantly declining in anticipation of the publication of the minutes of the March meeting of the US Federal Reserve System.

In particular, the Dow Jones industrial index fell by 0.73% to 34,389.69 points, the NASDAQ index of high–tech companies – by 2.11% to 13,903.61 points, and the S&P 500 broad market index fell by 1.15% to 4,472.18 points.

Tonight, the Fed will publish the minutes of its March meeting, following which the regulator raised its base rate to 0.25-0.5% per annum. Market participants hope to get hints on further actions of the regulator within its monetary policy.

Most analysts expect the Fed to raise the rate at the May meeting to 0.75-1%, by two steps at once, in order to contain record high inflation. At the same time, traders fear that in conditions of slowing economic growth, a sharp increase may have negative consequences.