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Zelensky Urges Stronger U.S. Pressure After Strikes Freeze Kyiv

  People take shelter inside a metro station during a Russian missile and drone attack, in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling for intensified U.S. pressure on Russia after a new wave of missile and drone strikes left parts of Kyiv without heat, electricity, and water. The attacks, which targeted critical infrastructure during freezing winter temperatures, plunged several districts into darkness and disrupted essential services. Emergency crews worked through the night to contain fires and restore power, while city officials warned residents to brace for further outages. The strikes are part of Russia’s ongoing campaign against Ukraine’s energy grid, a strategy that has repeatedly exposed civilians to dangerous winter conditions. Zelensky urged Washington and other Western partners to respond with a unified and forceful message to Moscow, arguing that only increased diplomatic and economic pressure can deter further attacks. He emphasized that the latest stri...
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Anticipation and Reaction to Fed’s Rate Decision

 


As investors braced for the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision, North American stock markets experienced a mixed close. The Fed maintained its key interest rate at 5.25%-5.50%, leaving the future of rate cuts uncertain. Despite this, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dipped, while the Dow Jones and S&P/TSX Composite saw modest gains.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference offered a glimmer of hope as he dismissed the likelihood of an immediate rate hike, causing a surge in market optimism. He acknowledged the persistent issue of inflation but expressed confidence in the progress towards the 2% target.

The labor market showed signs of normalization, with job openings at a three-year low2. Meanwhile, the earnings season is more than halfway through, with a majority of S&P 500 companies surpassing consensus expectations.

In the corporate landscape, AMD’s AI chip sales forecast led to a 9% drop in its shares, while Amazon’s AI-driven cloud growth pushed its stock up by 2.2%. Johnson & Johnson plans to proceed with a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit settlement, and Starbucks faced a significant sales forecast cut.

The energy sector took a hit due to falling oil prices and a potential Middle East ceasefire, while uranium miners saw a boost from a U.S. ban on Russian imports. Canadian manufacturing activity continued to contract, reflecting ongoing economic challenges.

In summary, the market’s response to the Fed’s decision was a complex interplay of anticipation, relief, and sector-specific movements, highlighting the intricate dynamics of financial markets.

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