Skip to main content

Featured

New Diplomacy on the Horizon: U.S. and Russia Push Ahead Without Ukraine

  In a bold shift from previous diplomatic efforts, top U.S. and Russian officials have agreed to advance negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine—even as Ukrainian representatives remain notably absent. High-level talks held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saw U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussing the framework for future peace negotiations and steps toward restoring bilateral relations. The Trump administration’s approach, which prioritizes direct engagement with Moscow, marks a departure from longstanding principles that insisted on “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” Critics in Kyiv have voiced strong opposition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that any agreement reached without Ukraine’s participation would be unacceptable and would undermine the nation’s sovereignty. European leaders echoed these concerns, with several officials labeling the move as a dangerous precedent that could lead to a “dirty deal...

Stock Market Update: S&P 500 and Nasdaq Futures Rise Ahead of Fed Minutes and Jobs Review

 

US stocks are poised for small gains today after snapping their longest win streak this year. Investors are closely watching the Federal Reserve minutes and jobs data, which are likely to shape bets for interest-rate cuts.

  • S&P 500 Futures (ES=F): Up roughly 0.2% after closing slightly lower to end an eight-day winning streak.
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures (YM=F) and Nasdaq 100 Futures (NQ=F): Both up about 0.2%.

Key Points:

  1. Labor Market Focus: Investors are eyeing a return to recovery from an early August sell-off, with focus intensifying on the labor market as a factor in the Fed’s policy-making. Inflation seems to be subsiding.
  2. Earnings Reports: Target (TGT) and Macy’s (M) quarterly reports shed light on the retail sector and consumer sentiment.
    • Target shares jumped after beating Wall Street targets.
    • Macy’s shares sank after posting a sales drop.
  3. Jackson Hole Symposium: Investors are treading cautiously ahead of Jerome Powell’s appearance at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday. Expectations for a September rate cut are high.
  4. Labor Data Revisions: The market is bracing for preliminary revisions to labor data for the year through March. Goldman Sachs expects significant downward moves in previously reported payrolls growth.
  5. Fed Minutes: The minutes from the Fed’s July meeting will be scrutinized for insight into the likelihood and magnitude of a rate cut next month.

Keep an eye on the markets as we await further developments!

 

Comments

Popular Posts