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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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US Futures Fall as Rate-Cut Bets Get a Reality Check

 


US stock futures fell on Wednesday, signaling no let-up in a rough January. Investors’ optimism for interest rate cuts got a reality check, and worries about China’s economy grew. Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI) futures fell 0.4%, while S&P 500 ( ^GSPC) futures slid 0.4%, set to build on Tuesday’s losing start to the holiday-shortened week. 

Futures on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 ( ^NDX) were down roughly 0.5%. Stocks have struggled as policymakers push back against persistent bets that central banks will cut rates early and often in 2024. ECB president Christine Lagarde on Wednesday joined the likes of Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller in warning that expectations of imminent loosening are too high. Another knockback came from disappointing GDP data suggesting that China’s growth is flagging despite stimulus measures. 

Oil prices fell amid fears of a pullback in demand from the world’s second biggest economy. Hopes now rest on quarterly earnings, with the season set to pick up pace, and the release of the December retail sales report later Wednesday. 

Fed officials have been keen to stress that their policy decision making will be driven by incoming economic data. Regional bank fourth-quarter results are in focus in the morning after earnings from Wall Street’s big lenders got a mixed reception.

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