Materials Down After Fed Minutes -- Materials Roundup

Shares of commodities producers ticked down after the Federal Reserve's minutes hinted at a December rate increase.

In notes from the meeting that concluded Nov. 1, Fed officials indicated they were preparing for a rate increase in the "near term," which market participants interpreted as next month's meeting.

An increase in rates would likely drive the relative value of the dollar higher, which could be an issue for currency-sensitive sectors such as raw materials, according to one money manager.

"The dollar, though, remains the potential fly in the ointment," said Tim Shirata, executive vice president for money manager Guild Investment Management, in a note to clients. "Should the dollar strengthen rapidly, it could spell trouble--especially for stocks in emerging market countries."

-Rob Curran, rob.curran@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 22, 2017 16:32 ET (21:32 GMT)