#us-equities

#us-equities

U.S. financial markets rallied this week as the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates for the first time since December 2024, cutting by a quarter of a percentage point. The move had been widely anticipated, but it reassured investors that the central bank is ready to support growth as the labour market shows signs of softening. The Fed's updated projections suggest that policymakers expect further cuts of up to half a percentage point

U.S. stocks have made furious rebounds, setting fresh record highs and eroding the outperformance that European markets have enjoyed for much of this year. The S&P 500 is now up 13% year to date and the Nasdaq is up 17%. As recently as late June, when the broad market index had retaken its prior all-time high, both were up 5%.

Wall Street traders drove stocks lower amid a selloff in tech shares that have powered the surge from April's meltdown. That's despite economic data that did little to alter bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts, with bonds and the dollar seeing small moves. Equities fell after a rally that drove the S&P 500 to all-time highs. The market is bracing for what has historically been the weakest month for US shares.

US equities advanced as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reached record levels, driven by hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts and soft consumer price data.

U.S. equities faced a notable decline, with the Dow falling 1.32% amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, reversing earlier market optimism.