The Bank of Japan is expected to keep interest rates steady on Thursday, as it awaits more clarity on how the deepening Middle East conflict could affect the trajectory of an import-reliant economy that had already seen inflationary pressure build up.
Wall Street sank and Treasury yields leaped on Wednesday as traders interpreted a spike in oil, hot U.S. producer prices, and underlying signals from the Federal Reserve - even as the central bank stood pat on policy - as signs that interest rates will not be cut again this year.
* BOJ ends 2-day meeting, decision expected 0330-0430 GMT. * Board likely to keep policy rate unchanged at 0.75% * Hawkish board member Takata may repeat proposal for hike. * Governor Ueda to hold press conference at 0630 GMT. By Leika Kihara.
The U.S. central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday and projected higher inflation, steady unemployment and a single reduction in borrowing costs this year, a path that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said was subject to unusually high uncertainty as policymakers take stock of the impact of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.
US equities retreated on Wednesday after a two-day advance as the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady and upgraded inflation estimates amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1.6% lower at 46,225.2, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.5% to 22,152.4. The S&P 500 fell 1.4% to 6,624.70. All sectors ended in the red, led by consumer staples.
* TSX down 1.87%, records worst day in two weeks. * BoC holds rates at 2.25%, opens door to hikes if required. * U.S. Fed leaves rate unchanged, warns of higher inflation. By Rashika Singh and Nivedita Balu.
* Fed maintains rate cut forecast for 2026 despite growth upgrade. * Yield curve steepens slightly post-Fed statement. * Rate futures show reduced easing bets for 2026. By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss. U.S. Treasury yields advanced on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, as widely expected, while maintaining its forecast for a single rate reduction in 2026.
* Brent crude futures jump to nearly $110 a barrel. * Stocks fall as oil turns higher, PPI hotter than expected. * Fed keeps rates unchanged. By Chuck Mikolajczak. Global stocks fell on Wednesday, extending declines after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, while a rise in crude prices and an earlier reading on U.S. inflation kept equities under pressure.
The Toronto Stock Exchange slumped Wednesday on mixed commodity prices, but also as updates from the Bank of Canada and then the U.S. Federal Reserve appear to have left investors across North America more dazed and confused than they were going in to today given the uncertainty around how long the Middle East war will continue.
The parent of New York's Metropolitan Opera fell deeper into junk-bond status this week, while the New School university has a lower investment-grade rating.
US equity indexes closed lower on Wednesday after economic data pointed to persistent inflation, while oil prices rose. * US producer price index for final demand increased 0.7% in February, up from 0.5% in January, and above the 0.3% forecast by analysts polled by Bloomberg.
Speakers include White House NEC Director Kevin Hassett, Anthropic Co-Founder Jack Clark, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, Senior White House AI Advisor Sriram Krishnan, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing, Bank of France Governor Fran?ois Villeroy de Galhau, Honeywell CEO Vimal Kapur, Barclays CEO C.S. Venkatakrishnan, Senator Mark Kelly, White House Cyber Director Sean Cairncross, Iberdrola CEO Pedro...
U.S. national debt will hit $39 trillion on March 25, 2026, growing at $7.23 billion per day as the Iran war added $12 billion in costs during the first two weeks. Total gross national debt will reach $39 trillion, equivalent to $113,638 per person or $288,283 per household.
U.S. national debt will hit $39 trillion on March 25, 2026, growing at $7.23 billion per day as the Iran war added $12 billion in costs during the first two weeks. Total gross national debt will reach $39 trillion, equivalent to $113,638 per person or $288,283 per household.
Currently, it's a Goldilocks market, said Kim Olsan, senior fixed income portfolio manager at NewSquare Capital: "Just right enough for just enough people, and steady [enough] that there doesn't seem to be any [big] price pressure at the moment."
* Crude prices reverse losses; Brent last up over 5% * Fed holds rates steady, as expected. * Micron climbs ahead of report. By Noel Randewich and Utkarsh Hathi. Wall Street ended lower on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve held U.S. interest rates steady and projected only a single rate cut for the year as officials took stock of economic risks from the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran.
Klarna Group PLC (KLAR) shares are trading lower on Wednesday afternoon after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% for a third straight meeting, while signaling that inflation could remain firmer than previously expected. The central bank said economic activity continues to expand at a solid pace, but noted job gains have stayed low and inflation remains somewhat elevated.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that the current U.S. economic situation, even with the Iran war-induced spike in energy prices was far removed from the "stagflation" of the 1970s, with current inflation only one percentage point above target and low unemployment. I would reserve the term stagflation for, you know, a much more serious set of circumstances.
Financial stocks fell in late Wednesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.8% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF shedding 1%. The Philadelphia Housing Index declined 2.2%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF lost 1.2%. Bitcoin dropped 3.5% to $71,374, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries rose 5.7 basis points to nearly 4.26%. I...
The impact of the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting oil price shock is unclear, and the Federal Open Market Committee is taking a "wait-and-see" approach, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday at a press conference.
Generative artificial intelligence tools will certainly contribute to productivity gains for years to come, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday but urged caution on whether AI's impact will be disinflationary.
XRP fell 4% while Cardano dropped 5% on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve held rates at 3.50%-3.75% and raised 2026 inflation expectations to 2.7% from 2.4%. XRP trades trapped between Supertrend resistance at $1.5890 and support near $1.20.? All four EMAs remain bearishly stacked above price, with the 20 EMA at $1.4285, 50 at $1.5068, 100 at $1.6978, and 200 at $1.9518. Price hasn?t tra...
Financial stocks fell in late Wednesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.8% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF shedding 1%. The Philadelphia Housing Index declined 2.2%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF lost 1.2%. Bitcoin dropped 3.5% to $71,374, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries rose 5.7 basis points to nearly 4.26%. I...
Affirm Holdings Inc (AFRM) shares are trading lower Wednesday afternoon as investors weigh a fresh Federal Reserve policy decision that kept interest rates unchanged and signaled inflation may remain stickier than previously expected.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that the current U.S. economic situation, even with the Iran war-induced spike in energy prices was far removed from the "stagflation" of the 1970s, with current inflation only one percentage point above target and low unemployment. I would reserve the term stagflation for, you know, a much more serious set of circumstances.
* Iran's huge Gulf gas field struck in major escalation. * Fed calls inflation somewhat elevated. * US producer prices surge in February. By Ashitha Shivaprasad.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that while there's an expectation the tariff impact on inflation will wane over time, there is a lot of uncertainty on how that will all play out.
The Federal Reserve kept its monetary policy steady amid uncertainty around the ongoing Middle East conflict, and left its interest rate guidance unchanged despite upgrading inflation estimates. The central bank's Federal Open Market Committee left interest rates unchanged in a range of 3.50% to 3.75%, in line with Wall Street's expectations and marking its second consecutive pause.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday pledged not to leave the central bank until a criminal investigation of him by the Justice Department is resolved, a prospect likely to stymie President Donald Trump's hopes of soon installing a central banker sympathetic to his demands for lower interest rates.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday the latest round of Fed forecasts are a bit of a shot in the dark given uncertainty created by the Iran war.
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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday the latest round of Fed forecasts are a bit of a shot in the dark given uncertainty created by the Iran war.
* Brent crude futures jump to nearly $110 a barrel. * Stocks fall as oil turns higher, PPI hotter than expected. * Fed keeps rates unchanged. By Chuck Mikolajczak. Global stocks fell on Wednesday, holding declines after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, while a rise in crude prices and an earlier reading on U.S. inflation kept equities under pressure.
U.S. retail sales are expected to rise 4.4% this year, up from 3.9% growth in 2025, industry body National Retail Federation said on Wednesday, pointing to resilient consumer spending despite persisting macroeconomic pressures.
For decades, investors have relied on a simple market correlation. But BlackRock (BLK) is now warning that this relationship is breaking down?and the reason lies in a mix of geopolitics, energy shocks, and stubborn inflation.
Editor?s Note: Article has been updated with additional information. The Federal Reserve held interest rates unchanged at 3.50%?3.75% for the third straight meeting on Wednesday, as widely expected by market participants. The FOMC statement noted that while economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace, job gains have remained low, and inflation remains somewhat elevated.
The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark lending rate steady Wednesday, saying the ongoing Middle East conflict poses uncertainty to the US economic outlook. The central bank's Federal Open Market Committee left interest rates unchanged in a range of 3.50% to 3.75%, in line with Wall Street's expectations and marking its second consecutive pause.
* Dollar index edges up in calmer trading. * Fed leaves interest rates unchanged. By Chibuike Oguh. The U.S. dollar strengthened against other major currencies on Wednesday, on track to claw back losses from the past two sessions after the U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged.
The Federal Open Market Committee kept the Federal Funds rate target unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75%, its statement Wednesday afternoon showed. The policy committee's vote was mostly unanimous, with Governor Stephen Miran being the lone dissenter, preferring to lower the target range for the Fed Funds rate by 25 basis points.
The Federal Reserve held its policy rate steady on Wednesday, as was widely expected, citing somewhat elevated inflation and giving little indication when it might next cut short-term borrowing costs.
After two-and-a-half years of consensus at the Federal Reserve that the central bank's next move on interest rates will be downward, one Fed policymaker on Wednesday penciled in a rate hike for next year. The forecast is in the minority: the bulk of Fed policymakers still see the next move as a cut this year, as they did in December.
The Federal Reserve held interest rates unchanged at 3.50%?3.75% for the third straight meeting on Wednesday, as widely expected by market participants. The FOMC statement noted that while economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace, job gains have remained low and inflation remains somewhat elevated.
Financial stocks fell in Wednesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.6% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF shedding 0.7%. The Philadelphia Housing Index declined 1.4%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF lost 0.7%. Bitcoin dropped 3.5% to $71,397, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was up 3 basis points to 4.23%. In economic...
After two-and-a-half years of consensus at the Federal Reserve that the central bank's next move on interest rates will be downward, one Fed policymaker on Wednesday penciled in a rate hike for next year. The forecast is in the minority: the bulk of Fed policymakers still see the next move as a cut this year, as they did in December.
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.
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