Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Signals Policy Overhaul as Hawkish Rate Outlook Rattles Markets 
France Faces Long Road to Economic Rebalancing as Weak Demand and High Rates Weigh, Says Citi 
Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Truce Uncertainty and Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Asian Stocks Rally as Japan and South Korea Reach Record Highs on US-Iran Peace Deal 
Gold Price Rises as Investors Weigh U.S.-Iran Talks and Fed Policy Outlook 
BOJ Signals More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise Amid Energy Price Pressures 
Dollar Holds Firm as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Tensions, GBP/USD Slips Amid UK Political Uncertainty 
Dollar Hits One-Month High as Hawkish Fed Outlook Boosts Greenback 
China’s AI Manufacturing Boom Masks Weak Consumer Economy, Citi Says 
Trump Says No Hormuz Strait Tolls During 60-Day Iran Ceasefire 
Canada Imposes 10% Tariff on Canned Vegetable Imports to Protect Domestic Industry 
Russian Stocks End Flat as MOEX Index Hits New 52-Week Low 
Europe EV Demand Surges as Fuel Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict 
Asian Currencies Stabilize as Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High After Fed Hawkish Signal 
Canada, British Columbia Launch $5 Billion Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Housing, Transit, and Healthcare 
Trump Questions USMCA Renewal as Trade Talks Continue 
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.
