US Equity Markets Mixed After Fed Reserve Chairman's Comments on Lowering Rates

04:33 PM EDT, 09/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes were mixed on Tuesday after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said during a speech that the Fed sees no "risk-free path" to lowering rates.

* The US Federal Reserve sees no "risk-free path" to cutting interest rates, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday, warning of a difficult balancing act between curbing inflation and protecting the labor market. Speaking at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce's 2025 Economic Outlook Luncheon in Rhode Island, Powell said the central bank faces a "challenging situation," adding that easing policy too quickly could leave inflation above target, while keeping rates high for too long could weaken employment more than necessary.

* The preliminary September flash reading from S&P Global indicated a slowdown in US manufacturing and services activity compared to August. The manufacturing PMI index dropped to 52, below the 53 recorded in August and the 52.2 expected in a Bloomberg survey. Similarly, the US services PMI index fell to 53.9 from 54.5 in August, also missing the 54 predicted by Bloomberg.

* November West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $1.41 to settle at $63.69 per barrel, while November Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $1.36 to $67.93.

* Super League Enterprise (SLE) said late Monday that it secured a $10 million strategic equity investment from Evo Fund. The company's stock was up nearly 159% in recent trading.

* Firefly Aerospace (FLY) shares dropped roughly 15% Tuesday following the company's late Monday report of a larger year-over-year loss and a decline in Q2 revenue.

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