US stocks waver amid Fed officials' comments, data

U.S. stocks fluctuated in the past week, as Wall Street digested Federal Reserve officials' remarks and a batch of economic data from the country.

With no major economic report due Monday and Tuesday, investors assessed the possibility of a September rate hike after highly-watched comments from Fed Chair Janet Yellen and Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer.

"In light of the continued solid performance of the labor market and our outlook for economic activity and inflation, I believe the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has strengthened in recent months," Yellen addressed central bankers at a conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Aug. 26.

Pointing to a solid growth in household spending and a strengthening job market, Yellen said the U.S. economy was "now nearing" the Fed's statutory goals of maximum employment and price stability.

Fischer said early Tuesday that it is impossible to say whether the next interest rate hike would be "one and done," according to media reports.

U.S. stocks retreated on Tuesday as the overall hawkish comments by Fed officials spurred market expectation for an interest-rate hike as early as September.

U.S. equities declined further Wednesday after the country's ADP employment report came out better than expected, which is watched closely as a pre-indicator for the non-farm payrolls report due on Friday.

If the U.S. labor market is robust enough, analysts said it is possible for the U.S. central bank to hike interest rates soon.

According to the August ADP National Employment Report released on Wednesday, U.S. private sector employment increased by 177,000 jobs from July to August, above the market consensus of 175,000.

However, U.S. total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 151,000 in August, well below market consensus of 175,000, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.9 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday.

In August, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 3 cents to 25.73 U.S. dollars.

U.S. stocks rallied Friday as a weaker-than-expected August jobs report eased fears that the Fed would begin its next rate hike soon, since the Federal Open Market Committee is set to meet on Sept. 20-21.

For the week, all three major indices posted modest gains, with the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq inching up 0.5 percent, 0.5 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

Source : XINHUA