Wall Street stocks fall as weak GDP growth spreads rate-cut gloom

Wall Street stocks closed lower on Thursday as markets were stunned by data showing slower-than-expected U.S. economic growth and persistent inflation, coupled with a sell-off in large cap stocks triggered by disappointing results from Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab.

Data on Thursday showed that the U.S. economy grew at its slowest pace in nearly two years in the first quarter while inflation accelerated, dampening hopes that the Federal Reserve would begin cutting interest rates this year.

Disappointing results from Meta, whose shares plunged, also weighed on market sentiment. Three other Magnificent Seven stocks, including Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab, Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab and Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, finished lower.

“The GDP numbers definitely puts a ding in the paradigm that markets were hanging onto for equities in terms of high growth; and if you don’t have high growth that will translate to lower-than-expected earnings,” said James St. Aubin, chief investment officer at Sierra Mutual Funds in California.

 

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