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Trump–Powell Showdown Intensifies as White House Floats Criminal Charges

                                                       Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell A dramatic escalation in the long‑running tension between President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has thrust the independence of the U.S. central bank into the spotlight. The conflict deepened after Powell disclosed that the Department of Justice had issued grand jury subpoenas to the Federal Reserve—an action he suggested was politically motivated. The inquiry centers on Powell’s congressional testimony about cost overruns tied to a Federal Reserve building renovation. Powell has dismissed the investigation as a pretext, arguing that the administration’s real aim is to pressure the Fed into cutting interest rates more aggressively, a move Trump has repeatedly demanded. The threat of potential...

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Premarket: Nasdaq and S&P 500 Poised for a Dip After Record Highs



The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are expected to open lower today, following robust gains in the previous session. Investors celebrated the Federal Reserve’s commitment to its rate-easing stance, eagerly awaiting commentary from Chair Jerome Powell later in the day.

Market Highlights:

  • Record Highs: All three major U.S. indexes achieved fresh record closing highs on Thursday. Chip stocks rallied after Micron Technology’s optimistic forecast, and the Fed signaled its intention to proceed with three interest-rate cuts this year.
  • Rate Cut Expectations: Traders now anticipate a 70% chance of the first rate cut occurring in June, up from 56% earlier this week, according to the CME’s FedWatch Tool.
  • Bull Market Momentum: Policymakers’ commitment to summer rate cuts and limited bond yield recovery has injected fresh impetus into the bull market, according to Raffi Boyadjian, lead investment analyst at XM.
  • Dow’s Milestone: The blue-chip Dow index ended Thursday less than 1% away from the historic 40,000-mark for the first time.
  • Weekly Performance: Both the S&P 500 and the Dow are on track for their best weekly performance so far this year. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq is set to notch its best week since mid-January.

Pre-Market Numbers:

  • At 08:21 a.m. ET:
    • Dow e-minis were up 4 points (0.01%).
    • S&P 500 e-minis were down 5.25 points (0.1%).
    • Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 48.25 points (0.26%).
  • Most rate-sensitive megacap growth and technology stocks eased in premarket trading.
    • Tesla led losses, down 4.0%, following a report of reduced car production at its China plant.
    • Nike fell after a disappointing revenue forecast.
    • Lululemon Athletica also forecasted lower revenue and profit.
    • Reddit (RDDT.N) lost 2.3% a day after its strong market debut.
    • FedEx jumped 11.5% after beating Wall Street expectations for quarterly profit.

As we await further cues from central bankers, the market remains dynamic and full of surprises. Keep an eye on earnings reports and policy updates as we navigate this exciting landscape.


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