Friday

• US markets achieved new records following the Federal Reserve’s 25 basis point rate cut, with the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq reaching all-time highs. Intel surged over 22% after Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment partnership.
• The Bank of Japan held rates steady but announced plans to sell ETF holdings, sparking rate increase speculation. The Bank of England maintained rates unchanged while slowing quantitative tightening, and the EU imposed new sanctions on Russian cryptocurrency usage.
• Initial jobless claims fell more than anticipated, supporting the Fed’s economic outlook.

Thursday

• Wall Street headed for fresh records Thursday, driven by a technology rally following Nvidia’s $5 billion investment partnership with Intel and the Federal Reserve’s 25 basis point rate cut. Intel shares soared over 25% on the partnership announcement.
• Global markets showed mixed reactions, with European indices climbing over 1% while Asian markets ended lower amid trade tensions between the US and China. The Bank of England held rates steady at 4% as expected, while Norway’s central bank cut rates by 25 basis points.
• Jobless claims in the US fell sharply to 231,000, marking the largest drop in nearly four years. Indian markets extended gains for a third consecutive session, with the Sensex rising above 83,000 driven by IT and pharmaceutical stocks.
• Gold retreated slightly from record highs while oil prices remained volatile amid supply concerns. The dollar strengthened against most currencies despite the rate cut.

Wednesday

• The Federal Reserve is broadly anticipated to lower interest rates by 25 basis points later today, but investors are more focused on how many further reductions might follow this year. In other developments, the Financial Times reports that China has instructed its tech companies to halt purchases of Nvidia’s AI chips, while the UK and U.S. have finalized a $42 billion technology agreement coinciding with President Trump’s state visit.
• The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) climbed on Wednesday, while other European markets faltered as Donald Trump arrived in the UK for his second state visit.
• India-US bilateral trade negotiations showed progress after positive discussions between Indian officials and visiting US trade representatives. Both sides agreed to intensify efforts toward an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.

Tuesday

• Gold reached record highs above $3,730 per ounce amid expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts and geopolitical tensions. The Federal Reserve begins its two-day policy meeting with markets pricing in a 96% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut.
• US stock futures edged higher after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs in the previous session. The dollar weakened to multi-month lows against major currencies as investors positioned for monetary easing.
• Commodities across the board reached significant milestones with silver hitting 14-year highs, oil prices holding above $63, and copper surging past $10,100. Oracle shares jumped over 5% on speculation of involvement in a US-China TikTok deal framework.

Monday

• U.S. stock futures edged higher with the S&P 500 and Dow up 0.2% as markets anticipate a 25-basis point rate cut at Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting.
• Chinese industrial production and retail sales data missed forecasts, pressuring regional markets, while India’s Nifty and Sensex indices closed lower ahead of the Fed decision.