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Market Futures Slip as Geopolitical Tensions Weigh on Sentiment

  U.S. stock futures edged lower early Thursday as investors attempted to extend Wednesday’s rebound but remained cautious amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 0.4%, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures slipped roughly 0.2% each. The pullback followed a strong regular session in which all three major indexes posted gains, with the Dow snapping a three‑day losing streak.  The overnight weakness reflects persistent market sensitivity to geopolitical developments. Escalating tensions involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran continue to drive volatility across asset classes, with traders closely watching oil prices and inflation implications. Recent sessions have seen markets swing sharply as headlines shift, underscoring the fragile balance between economic fundamentals and geopolitical risk.  Despite the cautious tone, Wednesday’s rally showed that investors are still willing to buy into dips—particularl...

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U.S. Markets Tumble on Earnings, Bond Yields

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, as investors digested mixed earnings reports from Microsoft and Alphabet while Treasury yields pushed higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.32% to 33,035.93 points, the S&P 500 index slid 1.43% to 4,186.77 points, and the Nasdaq composite index plunged 2.43% to 12,821.22 points.

Alphabet shares slid more than 9% after the Google parent beat on earnings and revenue but fell short in its cloud business. Microsoft shares rose 3% after its own double beat showed its bets on AI were paying off for its cloud segment. Other tech giants such as Amazon and Meta also declined ahead of their earnings reports.

The earnings season also coincided with a surge in bond yields, as the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled their readiness to fight inflation by keeping interest rates high. The BoC held its key rate at 5.0%, but lowered its 2023 growth forecast to 1.2%. The Fed is expected to announce its tapering plans next week.

The higher yields weighed on rate-sensitive sectors such as technology and real estate, but boosted energy and financial stocks. The Canadian dollar traded for 79.23 cents US compared with 79.28 cents US on Tuesday.



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