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  U.S. stock futures climbed on Thursday, with the Nasdaq leading gains, after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points and signaled two more reductions could follow in 2025. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 0.7%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.8%, and Nasdaq 100 futures jumped 1.2%, buoyed by a sharp rally in tech stocks. Intel shares surged nearly 30% in premarket trading after Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in the struggling chipmaker, though the deal stops short of a manufacturing partnership. The Fed’s move, aimed at supporting a slowing economy amid high inflation and a weakening labor market, initially sparked caution, but optimism returned as investors bet on a more accommodative policy path. If gains hold, the S&P 500 is set to open above 6,700 for the first time, extending September’s unexpected rally. Traders are now watching weekly jobless claims for further clues on the labor market, while corporate earnings — including ...
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Why Higher Bond Yields May Not Stop the Bank of Canada from Raising Rates

                                                    


The Bank of Canada Governor, Tiff Macklem, recently spoke at an IMF meeting in Morocco, where he addressed the issue of surging bond yields and their implications for monetary policy. Bond yields are the interest rates that investors demand to lend money to governments or corporations. They reflect the market's expectations of future inflation and economic growth.

Macklem said that higher bond yields have indeed tightened financial conditions, meaning that borrowing costs for businesses and individuals have increased. This could potentially slow down the economic recovery process, as consumers and firms may reduce their spending and investment plans.

However, he also emphasized that higher bond yields are not a substitute for doing what needs to be done to get inflation back to the Bank's 2% target. He said that the Bank is looking for clear signs that underlying inflation pressures are easing before deciding whether to raise its overnight rate, which is currently at 5%.

The Bank has hiked its rate 10 times in 18 months, but it still does not see inflation slowing to its target until mid-2025. Macklem said that the Bank will weigh the trade-off between letting previous rate hikes work through the economy or raising again to counter sticky inflation.

The next interest rate decision will be announced on Oct. 25, along with an update of the Bank's economic forecasts. Macklem said that the Bank is not forecasting a serious recession, despite the unexpected contraction in the second quarter and the stagnation in the first two months of the third quarter.

He also expressed confidence in the strength of the labor market and the wage growth that will help households cope with higher mortgage rates when they renew their loans. The five-year yield on Canada's bonds has surged as high as 4.461% this month, its highest level in 16 years.

The Bank of Canada faces a delicate balancing act between supporting the economic recovery and containing inflation. Higher bond yields may make its job harder, but they may not deter it from raising rates if inflation remains stubbornly high.

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