The S&P 500 rose in choppy trading after the Federal Reserve signaled that the risks for an economic slowdown and higher prices are increasing.
The broad market index added 0.43% to close at 5,631.28, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.27% to end at 17,738.16. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 284.97 points, or 0.70%, and settled at 41,113.97. The 30-stock index was aided by a nearly 11% pop in Disney shares after the company reported a fiscal second-quarter earnings beat and a surprise jump in streaming subscribers.
As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee held its benchmark overnight borrowing rate in a range between 4.25% to 4.5%, where it has been since December.
"The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen," the post-meeting statement read.
Wednesday's announcement coincides with increasing worries that a global trade war could send prices higher, complicate the central bank's path toward bringing inflation down to its 2% goal.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said during his post-decision press conference that if the "large increases in tariffs" that have been announced remain at their current levels, they could lead to a slowdown in economic growth, an uptick in long-term inflation and an increase in unemployment.
The Fed announcement is "sending a shot across the bow to the administration, saying essentially if you read between the lines, ‘Your policies are leading to higher inflation, higher unemployment,'" said David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, in a CNBC "Power Lunch" interview. "This is a somewhat hawkish statement. It says, ‘We are not going to be in any hurry to cut rates because honestly there are risks to both sides of our mandate here and we are not sure which way we should be playing this.'"
A report from Bloomberg on Wednesday that the Trump administration plans to rescind Biden-era AI chip restrictions helped Nvidia
shares rise 3%.
President Donald Trump earlier Wednesday told reporters that he would not lower the steep tariffs on China as a condition to begin trade negotiations. His statement came ahead of meetings set to take place this weekend in Switzerland between Trump administration members and Chinese officials to discuss trade matters.
Also pressuring the market were declines in Alphabet
and Apple
, which dropped about 7% and 1%, respectively. Apple's services chief said the company is looking to add artificial intelligence services as search options in Apple's Safari browser in the future, per a Bloomberg report. That could signal the end of Apple's partnership with Google, according to the repor
Source: CNBC
Stocks in the US closed near the flatline on Friday as investors weighed President Trump's push for higher tariffs on the European Union against strong economic data and corporate earnings. The S&...
The S&P 500 briefly touched an all-time high before hovering flat in the afternoon session, while the Nasdaq dipped 0.2% as investors weighed strong economic data against latest batch of corporate...
The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq gained 0.4% on Friday (July 18), extending gains after both indexes closed at record highs the previous day. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovere...
The STOXX 50 gained 0.4% and the STOXX 600 rose 0.3% on Friday, as investors closely monitored corporate earnings and news, while staying on edge for any signs of progress in trade negotiations betwee...
Australian equities notched a record high as Asia-Pacific markets tracked Wall Street gains on the back of strong U.S. economic data reports and a slew of better-than-expected corporate earnings. Aus...
The EUYR/USD finished Friday's session with gains of over 0.26% amid a weaker US Dollar, following dovish comments by Fed Governor Christopher Waller, which weighed on US Treasury yields. Still, an improvement in Consumer Sentiment capped the...
The U.S. dollar slipped against the euro on Friday but held on to weekly gains, as investors weighed expected Federal Reserve policy amid signs that tariffs may be starting to increase some inflation pressures and as U.S. President Donald Trump...
Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on members of the BRICS group of nations on Friday, warning the alliance would quickly collapse if it ever becomes a significant economic force. "When I heard about this group from...
Unemployment claims fell 7,000 to 221,000 in the week ending July 12, compared with the median estimate of 233,000, according to Labor Department...
The United States Commerce Department is set to impose preliminary anti-dumping duties of 93.5% on graphite imported from China after concluding the...
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to send a single letter to over 150 countries outlining the tariff rate they will face, saying, "It's...
US stocks advanced on Thursday, supported by upbeat earnings and solid economic data as markets brushed aside lingering concerns over President...