As expected, the Federal Reserve kept the target range for its policy rate—the federal funds rate —unchanged at 5.25% to 5.5% at its latest meeting. The decision was unanimous. While the decision to hold the fed funds rate steady was in line with expectations, the accompanying statement and projections point to a shift toward easing […]

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No change in rates at today’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, which was expected. It was a unanimous decision and represented the fourth consecutive meeting during which the Fed remained in pause mode. That keeps the fed funds rate in a range between 5.25% and 5.5%; with the most recent rate hike having been […]

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Key Takeaways Big banks begin reporting Friday as JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America kick off earnings season Consumer spending helped drive growth in Q4, but can it continue at current pace? Impact of expected rate cuts, loan-loss plans, and credit quality all on front burner as banks report The economic “hurricane” […]

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Key Takeaways February is front-loaded as Apple, Amazon kick off month followed by jobs data Retail earnings later in February could provide insight into consumer sentiment Credit conditions get an update February 5 when the Fed releases quarterly bankers’ survey Many people don’t realize it’s a leap year until February 29 dawns, as it will […]

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Key Takeaways Walmart and Home Depot are scheduled to report results February 20 Surprisingly weak January Retail Sales numbers could be a possible red flag  High interest rates, high credit card debt may burden consumers Solid holiday sales numbers were a gift to investors in the largest U.S. brick-and-mortar retailers like Costco Wholesale (COST), Target […]

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Key Takeaways Major indexes in the red again following end to five-week rally Walmart, Home Depot shares head different directions after reporting earnings Big day for mergers as Capital One says it plans to buy Discover Financial Services (Tuesday market open) After the long weekend, investors return today staring down earnings from the nation’s biggest retailers […]

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Key Takeaways With Nvidia earnings looming, chip market looks like it’s diverging Worries grow about traditional chip markets even as AI appears to take off Recent sector guidance raised caution, but expectations are high for Nvidia Mega-cap chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) is set to deliver earnings Wednesday, and considering how investors have treated its competitors so […]

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Key Takeaways Nvidia earnings loom after the close, and tech shares move lower amid pre-report jitters Volatility pops again, reflecting economic and interest rate concerns Fed minutes due this afternoon, 12 Fed speakers this week as inflation worries simmer (Wednesday market open) Double-barrel action brews this afternoon, starting with Fed minutes and followed by earnings from […]

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Key Takeaways Nvidia’s explosive earnings, outlook shift rally into higher gear as tech soars Jobless claims fall back toward historic lows and Treasury yields climb Fed minutes show little inclination toward near-term rate cuts as inflation concerns persist (Thursday market open) Nvidia (NVDA) believes AI demand has reached a “tipping point.” Its monster earnings report late […]

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Key Takeaways Tech shares pull back, though Nvidia remains higher, following chip-sparked rally Treasury yields remain near recent highs, but dollar, volatility and crude turn lower Next week features key inflation and GDP data, along with more retail earnings   (Friday market open) The weekend approaches with most major U.S. stock indexes at or near record […]

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