US Treasury Yield Curve

How Interest rates affect stock market

The relationship between interest rates and stocks is generally inverse. While changes in interest rates may take time to manifest throughout the economy, stock market movements are prompt in response. The reason for this is that interest rate fluctuations alter the value of a future dollar, which impacts the current value of a company’s future profits. In a rising rate environment, future dollars are worth less and in turn, future profits are worth less, so today’s company value must decline to reflect that drop in future value. This decline is not because the company is doing worse, but solely because interest rates have changed.

A rise in interest rates means a reduction in spending power for consumers. The higher credit rates discourage consumers from taking loans with their limited funds and they often must pay more on existing debt. This trickles down to businesses where the cost of borrowing becomes more expensive, including higher debt repayments. This shift in repayment plans leads to decreased profit, lower investment spending, and potentially lower stock prices as a result. The faster and more aggressive the rate increases, the more impact they will have on these factors.