Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday he continues to believe the U.S. central bank should cut interest rates at the end of this month amid mounting risks to the economy and the strong likelihood that tariff-induced inflation will not drive a persistent rise in price pressures. "It makes sense to cut the FOMC's policy rate by 25 basis points two weeks from now," Waller told a gathering of the Money Marketeers of New York University. "I see the hard and soft data on economic activity and the labor market as consistent: The economy is still growing, but its momentum...
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq rallied on Wednesday, rising 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively, with the S&P 500 closing at a new record high while the Dow ended flat. The market was lifted by strong technology gains and news of a U.S.-Vietnam trade deal that includes 20% tariffs on certain Vietnamese imports. Investor sentiment was further buoyed by renewed trade optimism and weak labor market data, which reinforced expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. Apple (+2.2%), Nvidia (+2.6%) and Tesla (+5%) led the rally, helping the Nasdaq rise. However, ADP data showed private-sector...
European stocks rose on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.7% and the STOXX 600 up 0.2%, as investors weighed progress in trade talks between the U.S. and its major trading partners, while looking to the ECB forum for signals on the central bank's policy outlook for the rest of the year. U.S. President Trump reiterated that he would not delay a July 9 deadline for resuming higher tariffs, reiterating his threat to end talks and impose new duties on several countries, including Japan. Also, a deal was announced with 20% tariffs on Vietnam. Meanwhile, recent comments from several ECB...
US stocks mostly rose on Wednesday (02/07) as the market assessed the latest economic data, trade deals and corporate developments. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to a new record, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.6% and the Dow was flat. President Trump announced a trade deal that will impose 20% tariffs on Vietnam instead of the 46% tariffs he had on "Liberation Day." However, reports of stalled negotiations with Japan and a delayed deal with the EU kept uncertainty ahead of a resumption of aggressive tariffs next week. Meanwhile, data from ADP showed an unexpected decline in private sector jobs,...
European shares nudged higher on Wednesday, led by industrial miners, while investors tracked signs of any progress on U.S. trade talks as the July tariff deadline nears. The pan-European STOXX 600 index advanced 0.3% at 542.03 points, as of 0710 GMT. Other major regional indexes also traded higher. U.S. President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, said he was not considering an extension of the July 9 deadline for countries to negotiate trade deals. He expressed optimism about a potential trade deal with India but was skeptical about reaching a similar agreement with Japan. EU's trade chief is...
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.56% to close at 39,762, while the broader Topix Index slipped 0.21% to 2,826 on Wednesday, paring earlier losses after Japanese authorities signaled continued efforts to secure a "win-win" trade agreement with Washington, though they offered no details on potential concessions. US President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Tokyo, calling negotiations "really hard" and threatening to raise tariffs on Japanese imports to as much as 35%, citing frustration over Japan's limited purchases of American rice and automobiles. His remarks deepened investor unease, especially...
According to a statement by the Federal Reserve (Fed), Fed Chair Jerome Powell met with United States (US) President Donald Trump on Thursday, where the head of the Fed reiterated that the Fed's...
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained its cash rate at 4.1% during its April meeting, holding borrowing costs unchanged after slashing 25 bps in the February meeting, aligning with market...