Alexandra Canal

1 week ago | aol.com | Alexandra Canal

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its June meeting, as expected, while reaffirming the possibility of two rate cuts later this year. It was a relatively predictable meeting, with the main updates coming from slight revisions to the Fed's forecasts for GDP, unemployment, and inflation. Markets had little reaction to the news. "Blah FOMC," Stuart Kaiser, head of US equity trading strategy at Citi, said in a note to clients.

1 week ago | aol.com | Alexandra Canal

The Federal Reserve's latest "dot plot" outlining future interest rate moves suggests the central bank will still cut rates twice this year, unchanged from its March outlook, though June's forecasts shows a more divided Fed weighing its next move on interest rates. The Fed announced Wednesday that it held its benchmark interest rate in a range of 4.25%-4.5%, as expected. This marked the fourth straight meeting the Fed kept rates unchanged since cutting rates by 0.25% back in December.

1 week ago | aol.com | Alexandra Canal

Stocks came under pressure Tuesday but continue to hover near record highs, staging a ferocious comeback since their April lows. But despite the rally, investor sentiment remains cautious as markets contend with a wave of uncertainty ranging from Trump’s tariff rollout and its inflationary ripple effects to the Fed’s murky rate-cutting path and, most recently, renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

1 week ago | aol.com | Alexandra Canal

A prolonged conflict between Israel and Iran may do more than rattle energy markets. One argument on Wall Street is that it could push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates sooner than expected. "A sustained rise in oil prices could cause the Fed to strike a more dovish tone," Oxford Economics chief US economist Ryan Sweet wrote in a recent note to clients, arguing that an extended oil shock could dent demand and potentially spill over into an otherwise resilient labor market.

1 week ago | aol.com | Alexandra Canal

It’s been an encouraging week for economic data, with inflation showing signs of moderation and consumer sentiment rebounding for the first time this year. The labor market remains broadly stable, with the unemployment rate holding at a healthy 4.2%, although a recent uptick in continuing jobless claims suggests some signs of cooling. Altogether, the backdrop appears supportive of the Federal Reserve’s path toward easing.