The Hang Seng Index on Monday was affected by worldwide signals, especially the soon-to-be-held U.S. Federal Reserve meeting and the announcement of Hong Kong?s February 2025 unemployment rate.?The index closed nearly 1% higher. The Hang Seng TECH Index also?increased?by?over 2% on March 14th,?and remained largely flat Monday, reflecting the strength in the?tech?sector.
The Federal Reserve is set to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, reinforcing its ?not-in-a-hurry? stance on rate cuts while possibly raising inflation forecasts to account for the economic impact of new trade tariffs. The decision will mark the second consecutive meeting at which rates remain unchanged.
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The broader equity market sell-off continued last week, propping up safe-haven assets. Not even the better-than-anticipated CPI print of 2.8% on Wednesday stopped the trend, which eventually showed signs of exhaustion by Friday. The Australian dollar, a commodity currency, gained ground against most currencies except New Zealand?s Dollar.
Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, has raised alarms about the United States? national debt, predicting an imminent crisis. What Happened:?According to?a report by Fortune, Dalio expressed his concerns during his speech at the CONVERGE LIVE event in Singapore on Thursday.
The University of Michigan?s March consumer confidence survey showed a rapid decrease in consumer confidence amid historically high inflation expectations. The Report: The report, released Friday, showed an 11% month-over-month drop and a 22% decline from December 2024.
Consumer confidence in the U.S. plunged to its lowest level in four months, raising concerns about a slowing economy and persistent inflation, according to data released Friday by the University of Michigan. With inflation expectations jumping to their highest level in decades, fears of a stagflationary environment?where growth stagnates while inflation remains elevated?are mounting.
J.P. Morgan analyst Christopher Horvers said the Consumer Price Index in February rose by 2.8% year-over-year, with core CPI increasing by 3.1%. This marked a slight moderation compared to January's inflation figures of 3% and 3.3%, respectively. In February, significant pricing changes were observed across several categories.
U.S. producer prices unexpectedly stagnated in February, while core inflation posted a rare contraction, reinforcing hopes that cost pressures may be easing despite lingering concerns over trade tariffs. The Producer Price Index remained flat on a monthly basis in February, a sharp deceleration from January's upwardly revised 0.6% gain and below expectations of a 0.3% increase.
The Japanese economy is set for moderate growth, helping the Bank of Japan continue with a tightening monetary policy that would otherwise choke the economy. Daiwa Securities predicts Japan?s real GDP growth of 0.7% for the fiscal year 2024, 1.3% in 2025, and 1.1% in 2026. Private consumption remains at the forefront of Japan's economy.
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Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio warned on Wednesday that the United States faces a ?very severe? supply-demand problem that could lead to ?shocking developments? in the near future.
Editor?s Note: This article has been updated to improve relevance and clarity. Bank of America Corp (BAC) shares are down 2.6% to $40.33 in Monday?s session and have fallen 10% over the past five sessions. The financial sector, which has been under pressure from rising Treasury yields and investor uncertainty, saw significant losses, with Bank of America (BAC) among the hardest hit.
Bank of America Corp (BAC) shares are down 2.6% to $40.33 in Monday?s session and have fallen 10% over the past five sessions. The financial sector, which has been under pressure from rising Treasury yields and investor uncertainty, saw significant losses, with Bank of America (BAC) among the hardest hit.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is taking a measured approach, carefully assessing the impact of President Donald Trump's shifting trade policies on economic stability before making any adjustments to monetary policy while evolving trade policies contribute to economic uncertainty.
Macquarie Asset Management has introduced the Macquarie National High-Yield Municipal Bond ETF (HTAX) , an actively managed fund that aims to maximize returns through an income-driven, risk-controlled approach.
The February jobs report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, released Friday, showed a moderate increase in employment and also a slight increase in the unemployment rate. The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs in February, up from a downwardly revised 125,000 in January, but below expectations of 160,000, as tracked by Trading Economics.
Federal Reserve officials may need to wait until summer before gaining enough clarity to adjust interest rates, as policy changes under the Trump administration create significant economic uncertainty, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Raphael Bostic said Thursday.
IonQ, Inc. (IONQ) shares are trading lower on Thursday. In fact, shares of companies with the broader tech sector are trading lower amid overall market weakness following a rise in Treasury yields. Investors may be evaluating ongoing global tension related to tariffs and conflict. According to?Benzinga Pro, IONQ (IONQ) stock has gained over 111% in the past year.
Seaport Global analyst Kenneth Zener upgraded PulteGroup (PHM) from Sell to Neutral and announced a price forecast of?$100. The analyst writes that his ratings begin with long-term investors? benchmark relative weighting decisions, analyzing past cycle stock performance by quartiles.
Mortgage rates have experienced a notable decline as the spring home-buying season begins, according to the latest data from Freddie Mac. What To Know: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 6.63% as of Tuesday, down from 6.76% the previous week, marking the largest weekly decrease since mid-September 2024.
The European Central Bank on Thursday cut interest rates as expected and acknowledged that monetary policy is becoming "meaningfully less restrictive."
Best Buy Co Inc (BBY) shares were rising on Wednesday, after the company reported upbeat fourth-quarter sales. The results came in amid an exciting earnings season. Here are some key analyst takeaways. Analyst Kate McShane reaffirmed a Buy rating while reducing the price target from $106 to $101. Best Buy (BBY) reported mostly better-than-expected fourth-quarter results, McShane said in a note.
Croatia, the newest member of the European Union, has outpaced most other economies in the 27-member bloc. The Balkan country, with a population under 4 million, reported a GDP growth of 3.6% in 2024?well above the EU?s average of 0.9%. Strong household consumption, wage increases, and foreign investments?particularly those from EU funding?drove this growth.
Private employers created 77,000 new jobs in February, the smallest number in seven months and well below forecasts of 140,000. The ADP National Employment Report, released Wednesday by Automatic Data Processing Inc., showed a significant slowdown in hiring ahead of Friday?s non-farm payrolls report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On Tuesday, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a freshman lawmaker, delivered the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's address to Congress. She is the youngest Democratic woman elected to the Senate. What Happened: Slotkin, who is a former CIA analyst, started the rebuttal by giving her introduction and saying, ?there is a responsible way to make change, and a reckless way.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York president John Williams warned that tariffs will likely contribute to inflation but stressed that uncertainty remains over their broader economic impact, per a Bloomberg report.
U.S. stocks were trading lower on Tuesday following the worst trading session of 2025, as investor anxiety over impending tariffs weighed on sentiment. Treasury yields also declined, with the 10-year yield at 4.16%, while markets overwhelmingly expect the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates steady in March.
The U.S. manufacturing sector expanded for the second consecutive month in February 2025, following 26 months of contraction. The Details: According to the Institute for Supply Management, February's?Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.3%, down from 50.9% in January, below market expectations of 50.5% as tracked by Trading Economics.
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Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Commerce Secretary, has expressed his intent to exclude?government spending from the gross?domestic product calculations. What Happened: Lutnick argued that government spending has historically distorted GDP figures.
Rocket Companies, Inc. (RKT) reported its fourth-quarter results after Thursday's closing bell. The Details:?Rocket Companies (RKT) reported quarterly earnings of four cents?per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of?three cents. Read Next: Q4 GDP Holds At 2.3% After Minor Revision In Second Estimate? For the fourth quarter: ?2024 was a foundational year for the next chapter of Rocket.
The Federal Reserve is expected to maintain its current interest rate policy for the foreseeable future, according to Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, as policymakers continue to evaluate inflation trends and labor market conditions. What Happened: The Federal Reserve, following its latest policy discussions, signaled that interest rates are likely to remain unchanged for an extended period.
Wall Street is digesting a slew of economic data Thursday following updates on pending home sales, jobless claims and fourth quarter GDP estimates. GDP: The second estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis revised fourth quarter 2024 real GDP up by less than 0.1 percentage point, due mainly to higher-than-expected increases in government spending and exports.
The second estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis revised the real GDP up by less than 0.1 percentage point from the previous month?s advance estimate. The slight upward revision was due mainly to higher-than-expected increases in government spending and exports, which were partially balanced by lower-than-expected adjustments in consumer spending and investment.
NVIDIA Corp CEO Jensen Huang said during the company?s fourth-quarter?earnings call that ?No technology has ever had the opportunity to address a larger part of the world?s GDP than AI.
In the week ended Feb. 21, U.S. mortgage rates declined to their lowest levels this year, Bloomberg reported, presenting potential opportunities for investors in mortgage-backed securities ETFs.
Recently, Benzinga Insights conducted an overview of analysts' assessment of e-commerce and technology juggernaut Amazon.com (AMZN). From a top-down perspective, the overwhelming majority of Wall Street experts are at least somewhat bullish on AMZN stock, with the worst rating being one of indifference. To be sure, AMZN stock has demonstrated resilience.
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell sharply in February, declining 7.0 points to 98.3, marking the steepest drop since August 2021. What To Know: The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index is a widely watched economic indicator that measures consumer sentiment regarding the current and future state of the economy.
NIO, Inc. (NIO) stock is moving lower on Monday after Wall Street saw its worst session of the year on Friday, fueled by concerns over the economy. What To Know: These concerns stem from inflation worries and mixed economic data, including a 10% decline in the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, which fell to 64.7 in February, according to CNBC.
The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index moved to the ?Fear? zone on Friday. U.S. stocks settled lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones index dipping more than 700 points during the session. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to 64.7 in January, a decline of 10% and a steeper drop than expected.
Wall Street eased from record highs after Walmart's weak outlook raised concerns about consumer spending and economic growth, while investors also assessed signals from the Federal Reserve and trade policy uncertainties. Minutes from the latest Fed meeting confirmed a cautious stance.
Japan's core consumer inflation climbed to 3.2% in January, marking its fastest pace in 19 months, according to a Reuters report. iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund is one of the largest Japan-focused ETFs. JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan ETF (BBJP) seeks to track the performance of the Morningstar Japan Target Market Exposure Index.
Did you know there's a way to predict the S&P 500 with an ~85% correlation? Sounds insane, but it's true. Here's the surprising logic behind my claim: When investors look for long-term bullish S&P 500 signals, they look at: U.S CPI. U.S. interest rates. U.S. M2 supply. This is a mistake. Although these metrics matter, there's something we commonly forget.
VanEck's Head of Digital Assets Research, Matthew Sigel, has laid out a vision for how the U.S. Treasury could use Bitcoin to strengthen its balance sheet. What Happened: In a post on X on Friday, Sigel highlighted VanEck's estimates that if Bitcoin appreciates at 25% annually?rising from $100,000 today to $21 million per BTC by 2049?the reserve could offset 18% of the projected U.S. debt.
Did you know there's a way to predict the S&P 500 with an ~85% correlation? Sounds insane, but it's true. Here's the surprising logic behind my claim: When investors look for long-term bullish S&P 500 signals, they look at: U.S CPI. U.S. interest rates. U.S. M2 supply. This is a mistake. Although these metrics matter, there's something we commonly forget.
Did you know there's a way to predict the S&P 500 with an ~85% correlation? Sounds insane, but it's true. Here's the surprising logic behind my claim: When investors look for long-term bullish S&P 500 signals, they look at: U.S CPI. U.S. interest rates. U.S. M2 supply. This is a mistake. Although these metrics matter, there's something we commonly forget.
Homebuyers received some good news this week: Mortgage rates declined for a fifth week to their lowest level since last year and the median U.S. home-sale price rose by the smallest increase since last September. What To Know: According to Freddie Mac, the average rate for 30-year loans was 6.85%, down from 6.87% last week, reaching the lowest level since December 2024.
In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.
Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.
Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.
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