Skip to main content

Featured

scalating Violence: Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Lebanon and Gaza

  Palestinian children amid the rubble of destroyed buildings, during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip. Israeli air strikes have intensified across Lebanon and Gaza, leaving dozens dead and further destabilizing fragile ceasefires in the region. In southern Lebanon , an Israeli drone strike on the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon killed at least 13 people and wounded several others. The attack targeted a car parked near a mosque, with Lebanese officials reporting that ambulances rushed victims to nearby hospitals. Hours later, another strike in the village of Tiri killed one person and injured 11, including students aboard a bus. Meanwhile, in Gaza , hospitals reported at least 25 Palestinians killed in multiple strikes across Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah. Medics confirmed that casualties included families caught in residential areas, underscoring the human toll of the renewed bombardments. Israel’s military claimed...

article

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.

Comments