Displaying items by tag: market commentary

The S&P 500 closed above 6,400 for the first time ever, driven by a broad stock market rally following fresh inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly 500 points, the S&P 500 gained 1.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.4%, with both indexes ending at record highs. 

Small-cap stocks surged as well, with the Russell 2000 jumping almost 3% on renewed optimism for a September Fed rate cut. The latest Consumer Price Index report showed core inflation rising 3.1% year over year in July, while headline inflation held steady at 2.7%, slightly below expectations. 

Markets now see a 94% probability of a rate cut, helping boost risk assets across the board. In corporate news, Intel shares rose over 5% after CEO Lip-Bu Tan met with President Trump, who praised Tan’s leadership despite having called for his resignation just a week earlier.

Finsum: Keep an eye out for multiple cuts this year, and surging equities despite a sluggish economy. 

U.S. stocks ended mostly flat after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady and signaled slower future cuts, while geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran pushed oil prices higher. 

Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized that future rate decisions will remain data-dependent and warned of rising consumer prices this summer due to Trump’s new tariffs. Despite earlier gains, markets lost momentum following the Fed’s cautious tone; the Dow slipped 0.10%, the S&P 500 dipped 0.03%, and the Nasdaq edged up 0.13%. 

Meanwhile, Brent and WTI crude rose slightly amid fears of broader Middle East conflict and supply disruptions. U.S. Treasury yields, initially lower on safe-haven demand, rebounded after Powell’s comments on inflation. 

Finsum: Economic data added to uncertainty, with retail sales declining sharply in May and jobless claims suggesting weakening labor market momentum.