Economist Peter Schiff issued warnings about America?s economic trajectory during Wednesday?s Federal Reserve meeting, predicting the central bank?s decade-long policies will trigger an unavoidable crisis worse than 2008.
More than 200 Central banks and foreign entities have withdrawn a substantial amount of U.S. Treasuries from the New York Federal Reserve, signaling potential concerns over the stability of the U.S. dollar. What Happened: The New York Fed?s custody holdings of U.S. Treasuries and other assets have seen a significant decline.
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark rate unchanged at 4.25%-4.50% for a sixth straight meeting and Chair Jerome Powell signaled no near-term cuts despite mounting White House pressure. While traders still price in two quarter-point reductions later this year, the Fed's pause keeps borrowing costs and deposit payouts locked near current levels across the economy.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell defended the decision to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, saying inflation has eased but not enough to warrant cuts, especially with trade and geopolitical risks clouding the outlook.
JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM) shares are trading higher Wednesday afternoon. What To Know: According to Bloomberg, the Federal Reserve, FDIC and OCC are set to lower the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio, a key capital buffer. This easing of regulations, which Bloomberg reports will be discussed at a Federal Reserve meeting on June 25, is seen as a major victory for Wall Street.
Homebuilder ETFs posted modest gains Wednesday after a slight uptick in housing starts, but the rally may prove short-lived. During Wednesday afternoon trading, both the iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) and the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF gained over 1%. Markets are possibly applauding May?s 0.4% increase in single-family housing starts.
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 4.25%-4.50% for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, aligning with market expectations, while signaling slower growth and hotter inflation ahead compared to its March forecast.
Wells Fargo & Co (WFC) shares are trading higher Wednesday morning following reports that top U.S. regulators are planning to ease capital requirements for the nation?s largest banks. What To Know: Bloomberg reported that the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and OCC are considering a proposal to lower the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has criticized China for its export restrictions on vital raw materials used in the production of cars, batteries, and wind turbines. What Happened:?Von der Leyen, during?a session on the global?economy at the G7 summit?in Kananaskis, Canada, on Monday, condemned China for using subsidies to bolster its companies,?Politico?reported.
A former Bank of England economist is raising red flags over the growing role of stablecoins in the U.S. financial system, with major implications for banks, as well as the U.S. Dollar.
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold rates steady at 4.25%-4.50% on Wednesday as President Donald Trump's volatile tariff policy clouds the economic outlook. The decision will mark the fourth straight pause in the rate-cutting cycle that began in September. Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues have consistently repeated since May that monetary policy is "in a good place."
U.S. consumers showed signs of strain in May, as a key spending gauge contracted for the second time this year, fueling concerns of a demand slowdown amid tariff-related trade uncertainty. Headline retail sales slumped 0.9% month-over-month in May 2025, a sharp drop from April's downwardly revised 0.1% decline, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
U.S. consumers showed signs of strain in May, as a key spending gauge contracted for the second time this year, fueling concerns of a demand slowdown amid tariff-related trade uncertainty. Headline retail sales slumped 0.9% month-over-month in May 2025, a sharp drop from April's downwardly revised 0.1% decline, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday.
The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the ?Greed? zone on Friday. U.S. stocks settled lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 700 points during the session following Israel?s surprise airstrike on Iranian nuclear sites.
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to maintain its benchmark interest rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range at next week?s policy meeting, as policymakers weigh recent soft inflation data against ongoing uncertainty from President Donald Trump?s trade policies and demands for aggressive rate cuts.
The 2025 Global Gender Gap Index, released by the World Economic Forum, shows that gender parity worldwide is still a distant fantasy, with 68.8% of the gap closed across 148 economies, an improvement of only 0.3 percentage points from last year. What Happened: At the current pace, the report says, it will take 123 years to achieve full global gender parity.
The greenback hasn?t been this weak in over two years, as mounting evidence of disinflation and cracks in the labor market stripped away its appeal, prompting a louder call from economists for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
Editor?s Note: This article has been updated with additional content. Producer prices snapped back in May after an April decline, but the rebound fell short of sparking inflation concerns, suggesting tariffs and supply frictions have yet to bleed broadly into the economy.
Producer prices snapped back in May after an April decline, but the rebound fell short of sparking inflation concerns, suggesting tariffs and supply frictions have yet to bleed broadly into the economy. The Producer Price Index rose 2.6% on a year-over-year basis, up from April's upwardly revised 2.5%, according to Thursday's report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Inflation resumed its climb in May, snapping a four-month streak of easing price pressures, yet rising input costs from tariffs failed to significantly spill into consumer prices. The annual rate of increase in the Consumer Price Index was 2.4% last month, marking a slight acceleration compared to the 2.3% surge in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Wednesday.
The World Bank has significantly reduced?its 2025 global growth forecast, pointing to the escalating trade tensions and policy uncertainty, particularly due to the wide-ranging tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
After months of cooling U.S. inflation easing investor concerns, the trend could reverse when the May report drops Wednesday, as rising tariff-driven costs threaten to push consumer prices higher. The annual rate of gains in the Consumer Price Index has been on a steady retreat this year, falling from 3% in January to 2.3% in April ? the lowest reading in over four years.
After Sen. Ted Cruz pushed for abolishing the interest paid by banks on their deposits with the Federal Reserve, senior economist Jeremy Siegel supported his arguments, whereas the JPMorgan Chase & Co. strategists opposed the idea, warning of serious implications.
Grant Cardone,?the CEO of Cardone Capital,?accused Federal Reserve Chairman?Jerome Powell?of causing the country?s ?housing crisis. What Happened:?Cardone, in an interview during ?Mornings with Maria? with Fox Business on Monday, stated that Powell?s decisions have had a detrimental effect on the middle class and the housing market.
As global growth forecasts dim and trade tensions rattle markets, high-dividend stocks are stealing the spotlight. That's prompted investors to sharply pivot toward dividend payers?names that offer predictable income when price action gets erratic. In an environment where the S&P 500 yields a tepid 1.28%, cash-generating stalwarts with robust balance sheets and fat dividends are in high demand.
The U.S. labor market showed surprising resilience in May, as job creation outpaced forecasts and wage growth accelerated, defying concerns that mounting tariffs and trade friction would drag down economic momentum. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 139,000 in May, beating consensus expectations of 130,000, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Jerome Powell is scheduled to be the Federal Reserve Chairman through May 2028, but an ongoing conflict with President Donald Trump has put his time in the role into question. A new Benzinga poll shows whether readers think Powell should step down from the position.
Brown-Forman Corp , the parent of Jack Daniel?s whiskey, Old Foster and other popular brands, saw its stock drop Thursday after it reported a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter fiscal 2025. The spirits maker posted quarterly net sales of $894 million, down 7% from a year ago and 3% lower on an organic basis.
The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index moved to the ?Neutral? zone on Wednesday. U.S. stocks settled mixed on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones index snapping a four-session winning streak. Yext Inc. (YEXT) shares jumped 32% on Wednesday after the company raised its FY26 adjusted EPS guidance above estimates.
Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) just got a green light from the Federal Reserve to break free from a major regulatory handcuff, with Wall Street analysts saying the move could unlock double-digit earnings growth and rising confidence in the stock. On June 3, the Federal Reserve removed the asset cap provision from its 2018 consent order against Wells Fargo.
Clear signs of a slowing labor market echoed through Wall Street on Wednesday, after private-sector job growth plunged to a more than two-year low, stoking investor concerns that trade headwinds are starting to bite while fueling President Donald Trump?s pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has expressed concerns about the path of inflation, cautioning that new tariffs might reverse recent gains and bring uncertainty into future interest rate decisions.
The manufacturing sector in China has slipped into contraction in May, marking its?lowest level since September 2022, as the impact of tariffs continues to weigh heavily on the industry despite a temporary?trade truce with the U.S. What Happened: Data released on Tuesday by?Caixin Media Co.?and?S&P Global?revealed that the?Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers index?dropped to 48.3 in May fr...
President Donald Trump had promised a manufacturing renaissance, but after a hopeful start to his new term, sentiment in the sector is now sliding fast, with data showing another contraction in factory activity in May. The Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index edged down to 48.5% in May from 48.7% in April, signaling the fastest pace of contraction since late...
April?s Personal Consumption Expenditures data presented a complex picture for Jerome Powell, with economists suggesting the persistent cloud of tariff uncertainty compels the central bank to ?wait and see? policy stance even as ?disinflation? has set in. What Happened: The April PCE report, the Federal Reserve?s preferred inflation gauge, revealed a decelera...
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller warned that tariff-induced inflation could temporarily push prices higher while signaling potential rate cuts later in 2025, contingent on trade policy clarity and economic stability.
U.S. consumer sentiment stayed at 3-year lows in May 2025, while short-term inflation expectations surged to their highest level since 1981, according to the final report released by the University of Michigan. The Consumer Sentiment Index for May 2025 came in at 52.2 points, upwardly revised from a preliminary 50.8 but unchanged from April, the survey showed.
The U.S. unemployment rate is officially stuck at 4.2%, yet a lesser-known yardstick called "functional unemployment" now says roughly one in four American adults is effectively out of luck in the labor market, its highest reading in three months.
Rising tariffs could reignite inflation while shifts in global investor confidence may undermine the U.S. dollar's safe-haven status, according to the Federal Reserve's May meeting minutes, which reflect growing concern over lasting economic headwinds. Participants agreed inflation had eased since its 2022 peak but remains "somewhat elevated" and could accelerate due to new trade barriers.
After five straight months of erosion, U.S. consumer confidence posted a strong rebound in May, fueled by a recovering stock market, hopes tied to easing U.S.-China trade tensions, and signs of moderating inflation?yet many consumers remain cautious and are increasing savings.
Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari called for maintaining current interest rates until greater clarity emerges on how President Donald Trump?s tariff policies will impact inflation, signaling continued monetary policy caution amid trade tensions.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered Princeton University?s baccalaureate address on May 25, offering the Class of 2025 his blueprint for success while defending the central bank?s independence amid ongoing political pressure. What Happened: Powell told graduates that success requires ?a combination of luck, the courage to make mistakes, and a little initiative.
Austan Goolsbee, President of the Chicago Federal Reserve, says that recent tariff threats from President Donald Trump have complicated the Federal Reserve?s policy, potentially delaying?changes to interest rates.
Mark Yusko, the founder and CIO of Morgan Creek Capital, believes the ongoing Bitcoin rally is far from over. What Happened: Speaking as Bitcoin surpassed a new all-time high near $111,000, Yusko said the asset's upward trajectory is backed by deep structural forces and a fundamental shift in how the global economy treats money.
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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