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Tech Giants Lift Markets as Investors Brace for Fed Decision

Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit their highest levels in more than a week on Monday. Wall Street finished the day on a strong note, with major U.S. indexes advancing as investors positioned themselves for a pivotal week of corporate earnings and a closely watched Federal Reserve meeting. Market Momentum The S&P 500 and Nasdaq extended their recent winning streak, marking their longest run of gains in weeks. Confidence was fueled largely by heavyweight technology stocks, which continued to attract buyers ahead of their upcoming earnings reports. What’s Driving the Optimism Companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Broadcom, and Meta helped propel the market higher. Their performance has been central to the broader rally, especially as enthusiasm around artificial intelligence remains a dominant theme in tech valuations. Eyes on Earnings and the Fed Investors are now turning their attention to earnings guidance from these major firms, which could determine whether t...

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TSX rises as energy and consumer staples lead




The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended up 71.66 points, or 0.3%, at 21,061.88 on Monday, approaching its 20-month high of 21,074.91 reached last week. The energy and consumer staples sectors were the main drivers of the gains, as oil prices recovered some of their losses and investors digested a Bank of Canada business survey.

The survey showed that Canadian firms saw their order books decline as interest rates crimped consumer spending, and they expected inflation to ease despite increased concerns over wages for the next year. The report could keep the door open for interest rate cuts in the first half of the year, according to some economists.

The energy sector rose 0.9% as U.S. crude oil futures settled at $72.50 a barrel, down 0.3%. The consumer staples sector added 0.8%, boosted by shares of Saputo Inc and Loblaw Co, which climbed about 1.6% and 1.5%, respectively. The utilities sector also ended 1.1% higher.

Trading volumes were lower than usual, with U.S. markets closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. On Tuesday, Canada will release its consumer price index report for December, which could offer more clues on the central bank’s policy outlook. Economists expect inflation to rise to 3.4% from 3.1% in November.

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