Global Currencies Steady Ahead of Key Central Bank Decisions 
Vietnam’s November Trade Sees Monthly Decline but Strong Year-on-Year Growth 
Oil Prices Hold Steady as Markets Track Ukraine Peace Talks and U.S. Rate Decision 
U.S. Stocks Rise as Cooler Inflation Boosts Hopes for Fed Rate Cut 
RBA Holds Rates but Warns of Rising Inflation Pressures 
Oil Prices Hold Near Two-Week Highs as Markets Await Fed Rate Cut and Monitor Geopolitical Risks 
Australian Dollar Rises as RBA Holds Rates and Signals Persistent Inflation Risks 
Holiday Economic Questions: What Bank of America Says You Should Expect 
Fed Meeting Sparks Division as Markets Brace for Possible Rate Cut 
U.S. Stocks End Week Higher as Markets Anticipate Fed Rate Cut 
UK Job Market Shows Persistent Weakness Ahead of November Budget 
Gold Prices Inch Higher as Fed Rate-Cut Expectations Strengthen 
Russia Stocks Close Flat as MOEX Hits 1-Month High 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Traders Await Fed Decision; Aussie Dollar Edges Higher 
U.S. Defense Bill Sets Record $901 Billion Budget, Includes Ukraine Aid 
U.S. stock index futures edged lower Wednesday evening as investors awaited key inflation data and monetary policy signals from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The dip followed a mixed day on Wall Street, where tech stocks outperformed amid ongoing optimism around artificial intelligence, while broader sectors showed weakness.
S&P 500 futures slipped 0.1% to 5,896.25, Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.1% to 21,372.25, and Dow Jones futures led declines, down 0.5% to 41,929.0 as of 8:00 p.m. ET.
Markets are now focused on Thursday’s U.S. producer price index (PPI) release, expected to show moderating factory-level inflation for April. The report comes on the heels of softer-than-expected consumer price index (CPI) data, which sparked hopes of potential interest rate cuts if inflation continues to cool.
All eyes are also on Jerome Powell’s speech Thursday, where he will review the Fed’s policy framework. Investors are looking for hints on future rate decisions, especially after the Fed recently held rates steady and signaled caution due to economic uncertainty.
On Wednesday, Wall Street indexes saw varied performance. The Nasdaq climbed 0.7% to 19,146.81, lifted by gains in AI-linked tech stocks like SuperMicro, which surged over 15%, and CoreWeave, up 6.6% during the session before tumbling nearly 8% after hours on margin concerns. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 5,892.58, while the Dow fell 0.2% to 42,051.06.
In after-hours trading, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) dropped more than 7% following a Wall Street Journal report that the company is under DOJ investigation for alleged Medicare fraud. The stock is now down nearly 39% year-to-date, amid rising regulatory pressure and leadership changes.
