Wall Street’s main indexes inched higher in choppy trading on Monday, with some heavyweight tech stocks rebounding from last week’s rout, while investors braced for a barrage of economic data that could set the course for interest rates.

Traders also got more clarity on candidates for the post of Federal Reserve chair next year as U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a report, said he narrowed his search to former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh or National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.

Expectations for a dovish Fed chair have fueled hopes for interest rate cuts next year, even as inflation remains above the 2% target and persistent price pressures in other developed markets strengthen calls for a rate hike.

At 09:35 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 108.61 points, or 0.20%, to 48,557.21. The S&P 500 gained 22.44 points, or 0.33%, to 6,849.85, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 91.15 points, or 0.39%, to 23,286.32.

Of the 11 S&P 500 sectors, 10 were trading higher, with consumer discretionary up 1%, boosted by a 4.5% jump in Tesla.

AI chip giant Nvidia rose 1.1% and is set to snap a four-day losing streak, if gains hold. A broader index of chip stocks climbed 1.2%.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq had logged their steepest daily declines in more than three weeks on Friday, as worries of sticky inflation and debt-fueled AI investments pulled the indexes further away from record highs.These concerns have weighed on U.S. equities several times over the past three months, helping Europe’s STOXX 600 outperform the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 on a quarterly basis.

PLETHORA OF DATA THIS WEEK

The nonfarm payrolls figures for October and November are due on Tuesday. The October data was delayed by the government shutdown earlier this quarter.

Reports on business activity, weekly jobless claims and inflation, due later this week, will also be monitored as investors seek fresh clues on the economy’s resilience and the Fed’s next policy moves. Rate calls from Europe, the UK and Japan will add to a crowded central-bank calendar.

“With the Fed still appearing to be more focused on labor-market weakness than inflation, we’re likely facing a ‘bad news is good’ scenario for the jobs report,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing at E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley.

A string of Fed officials are due to make remarks throughout the week, starting with Fed Governor Stephen Miran. The permanent voting member, as seen as on the dovish side, argued that current inflation does not reflect true supply-demand dynamics.

Among other stocks, ServiceNow slid 7.9% after a report said the cybersecurity company is in advanced talks to buy startup Armis.

IRobot slumped 68.5% after the Roomba vacuum-cleaner maker filed for bankruptcy protection.

Investors also monitored developments around plans to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.59-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.57-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 18 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 65 new highs and 42 new lows.

Wall Street’s tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped to a one-week low on Thursday as fresh worries over Oracle’s hefty AI spending plans overshadowed optimism over a less hawkish tone from the Federal Reserve.

Oracle plunged 14% after its quarterly forecasts fell short of analysts’ estimates and the company raised its annual spending forecasts, reigniting worries that the pace of profitability for artificial intelligence companies was not as fast as expected.

The cost of insuring against the cloud company defaulting surged, with shares on track for their biggest quarterly loss since mid-2002 on worries that heavy reliance on debt financing could fuel an AI bubble similar to the dotcom bust of the early 2000s.

“Oracle has been the poster child for volatility and that will continue. The spending itself is a stand-alone issue and part of the CapEx is a bit opaque,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth.

Technology led declines among S&P 500 sectors with a 1.6% drop, while an index tracking chips fell 2% as heavyweight Nvidia slid 3.1%.

Other AI infrastructure companies such as CoreWeave fell 5.7%, while Applied Digital and Nebius lost 3.6% and 4.4%, respectively.

At 9:48 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 291.76 points, or 0.61%, to 48,350.89, the S&P 500 lost 30.79 points, or 0.45%, to 6,855.89 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 233.46 points, or 0.99%, to 23,421.95.Wall Street’s fear gauge, the CBOE volatility index, rose 0.33 points to 16.1.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve lowered borrowing costs by 25 basis points as expected on Wednesday. Although Chair Jerome Powell signaled a pause on further easing, investors were relieved that rate hikes were not on the horizon, at a time when markets expect higher interest rates in other developed economies by the end of 2026.

Traders see at least 50 bps of monetary easing next year on expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump’s appointee to the Fed Chair will likely be a policy dove. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett is the front-runner for the job.

The Russell 2000 index tracking rate-sensitive small caps outperformed broader markets and was up 0.6%, while the price-weighted blue-chip Dow got a lift from a 1.4% rise in shares of Goldman Sachs.

Data from the Labor Department showed jobless claims rose 236,000 for the week ending December 6, compared to estimates of 220,000.

Among others, Walt Disney gained 2% after the streaming firm said it will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. AI bubble concerns also hurt crypto stocks such as Strategy , which lost 3.3%, and Bit Digital, which fell 3.1% as bitcoin briefly slipped below $90,000.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.98-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.12-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 32 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 83 new highs and 38 new lows.

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell U.S. central bank interest rate policy is well positioned to wait and watch and respond accordingly to how the economy evolves, in what may be seen as an indication of a pause in rate cut at the upcoming FOMC meeting.

“We are well positioned to determine the extent and timing of additional adjustments based on the incoming data, the evolving outlook and the balance of risks,” Powell said at a press conference.

The Fed cut rates by 25bps a third time this year to 3.5%-3.75%.

Declining to provide a clear guidance on whether another interest rate cut lies in the near future, Powell said, “I would note that having reduced our policy rate by 75 basis points since September and 175 basis points since last September, the fed funds rate is now within a broad range of estimates of its neutral value and we are well positioned to wait to see how the economy evolves.”

He added, “monetary policy is not on a preset course, and we will make our decisions on a meeting by meeting basis.”

Powell however clarified that the Fed’s next move is unlikely to be a rate hike, given that is not the base case reflected in new projections from central bank policymakers.

“I don’t think a rate hike is anyone’s base case,” he said.The decision of the US Federal Reserve to lower interest rates was not an easy one, Powell said, noting the competing tensions between inflation risks and a weakening jobs market. “It’s a close call. We have to make decisions,” he told reporters.

(With inputs from agencies)

Wall Street stocks were little changed early Wednesday as markets traded cautiously ahead of a US Federal Reserve decision expected to showcase the central bank’s expectations for 2026 monetary policy.

While the Fed is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third straight time, some investors are girding for a “hawkish cut” in which Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggests the central bank will pause at upcoming meetings.

A hawkish posture “would be disappointing to the markets,” said Spartan Capital’s Peter Cardillo.

About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1 percent at 47,593.14.

The broad-based S&P 500 was flat at 6,842.85, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.1 percent to 23,557.73.

Among individual companies, GE Vernova shot up more than 15 percent after lifting its financial forecast and its share repurchase authorization.

Oracle dipped 0.4 percent ahead of its earnings report later Wednesday. The company’s prior earnings statement showed a huge increase in artificial intelligence-related work.

Wall Street’s main indexes fluctuated between small gains and losses on Thursday as investors analyzed a fresh round of labor market data to fine-tune expectations for a much-anticipated Federal Reserve rate cut next week.

With November’s official payrolls report due after the Fed’s December meeting, traders have turned to a patchwork of secondary indicators that offer a conflicting read on the jobs market.

A weekly Labor Department report showed new jobless claims fell to their lowest level in more than three years, even as a Chicago Fed estimate suggested the unemployment rate held near 4.4% in November.

Fed funds futures point to a nearly 90% chance that the central bank will cut rates by 25 basis points this month, up from around 60% last month, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

“Today the data is a little bit better, but there’s no catalyst there to the upside,” said Thomas Hayes, chairman at Great Hill Capital LLC.

“Good data is not going to encourage the Fed to cut more. So this one is a little better than expectations, but not so much better that you get nervous about them following through with the cut next week.”Investors were also exercising caution ahead of Friday’s September Personal Consumption Expenditures report, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge and the first PCE release since the recent U.S. government shutdown left markets and policymakers with limited visibility on the economy.At 9:49 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 21.23 points, or 0.04%, at 47,861.43, the S&P 500 rose 0.27 points, or less than 0.1%, at 6,849.41 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 16.45 points, or 0.07%, at 23,434.05.

The consumer services sector outpaced the S&P’s 10 other sub-sectors, buoyed by a 3.6% rise in Meta after a report said the tech giant planned to cut up to 30% from its Metaverse budget.

Traders were also watching developments around U.S. President Donald Trump’s selection of the next Federal Reserve chair, in a year of heightened concern over potential political interference in monetary policy.

A report said bond investors have expressed concerns to the U.S. Treasury that Kevin Hassett, a leading contender for the role, might pursue aggressive rate cuts to align monetary policy more closely with President Donald Trump’s preferences.

Snowflake fell 11% after the cloud data analytics company’s fourth-quarter product revenue forecast came in below lofty investor expectations for stronger growth.

Hormel Foods climbed 4.7% after the Skippy peanut butter maker forecast annual profit above estimates, while Dollar General rose 7% after the discount retailer raised its annual profit forecast.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.06-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, while declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.21-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 15 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 26 new highs and 15 new lows.

U.S. stocks opened with gains on the final trading day of November.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and needs a slightly larger gain to avoid its first down month since April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 138 points, and the Nasdaq gained 0.3%.

Coinbase Global added 3.6% as bitcoin rose above $92,000 after dropping to around $81,000 last week. The world’s most popular cryptocurrency is still well below its all-time high of around $125,000 set in early October.

Most tech stocks posted gains, with Meta Platforms rising 1.4% and Micron Technology adding 2.8%. But Nvidia, the market’s most valuable stock, fell 1% and is headed for a double-digit loss for the month. Oracle another high-flyer that struggled this month, fell 2.3%.

Wall Street is operating on an abbreviated schedule Friday after being closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Stock trading closes at 1 p.m. ET.

Earlier, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq were halted for hours due to a technical issue at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. CME said the problem was tied to an outage at a CyrusOne data center.After slumping earlier this month as investors worried that many of the tech stocks that were propelled higher by the frenzy over artificial intelligence, stocks have risen for four straight trading sessions on hopes the Federal Reserve will again cut interest rates at its meeting next month.Recent comments from Federal Reserve officials have given traders more confidence the central bank will again cut interest rates at its meeting that ends Dec. 10. Traders are betting on a nearly 87% probability that the Fed will cut next month, according to data from CME Group.

The central bank, which has already cut rates twice this year in hopes of shoring up the slowing job market, is facing an increasingly difficult decision on interest rates as inflation rises and the job market slows. Cutting interest rates further could help support the economy as employment weakens, but it could also fuel inflation. The latest round of corporate earnings reports was mostly positive, but economic data has been mixed.

The minutes of the Fed’s most recent meeting in October indicate there are likely to be strong divisions among policymakers about the Fed’s next step.

Treasury yields held mostly steady, with the 10-year yield at 4.01%.

Wall Street’s main indexes opened higher on Monday, with risk sentiment aided by signs of progress in Washington to end a record U.S. government shutdown that has stalled economic data releases and intensified concerns over the state of the economy.The Dow Jones gained 237.58 points or 0.51% to close at 47,224.68, the S&P 500 rose 68.62 points or 1.02% to 6,797.43, while the Nasdaq advanced 382.25 points or 1.66% to 23,386.79.

Wall Street’s main indexes opened flat on Tuesday, as investors assessed a wave of quarterly earnings from corporate majors.At 09:30 a.m., the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 13.17 points, or 0.03%, to 46,719.75. The S&P 500 gained 2.85 points, or 0.04%, to 6,737.98, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 9.71 points, or 0.04%, to 22,980.83.

Wall Street advanced on Monday as investor concerns over the stability of regional banks eased, turning focus to a wave of corporate earnings and a closely watched inflation report.

Earnings season shifts into high gear this week, with Wall Street heavyweights, including Tesla, Ford, GM , Netflix, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola , IBM and Intel, set to report. Their results will offer a fresh stress test for equities trading near lofty valuations.

Upcoming U.S. regional bank results will also be monitored to get a read of the sector’s health, after renewed fears of systemic credit stress triggered a flight to safety last week.

S&P 500 companies are expected to post a 9.3% year-on-year growth in third-quarter earnings, according to LSEG IBES data. But with expectations running high, investors will look for strong beats to justify the market’s recent rally.

“Renewed credit concerns and concerns over trade policy are indicative of just how vulnerable the market conditions are,” said Jordan Rizzuto, chief investment officer at GammaRoad Capital Partners.

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested easing tariffs on China if Beijing resumes key agricultural purchases such as soybeans. He, however, blamed the latest breakdown in talks on China’s tightening control over rare earth exports.Meanwhile, Trump vowed to keep “massive” duties on India unless it halts Russian oil imports, and considered raising levies on Colombia amid a feud over its role in illicit drug trade.At 09:51 a.m., the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 254.07 points, or 0.55%, to 46,452.52. The S&P 500 gained 50.26 points, or 0.75%, to 6,713.77, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 234.19 points, or 1.03%, to 22,914.16.

AI-driven optimism continued to boost markets, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index hitting an all-time high. It was last up 1.8%.

Micron shares rose 3.2% and hit a record high after Barclays raised its price target on the stock. ON Semiconductor and KLA added 4.4% and 3.7%, respectively.

S&P Energy index gained 0.7%, while industrials added almost 1%.

DELAYED CPI

A U.S. government shutdown, which began on October 1, has halted key economic data releases, leaving investors without crucial indicators. That places Friday’s consumer price report, a pivotal inflation gauge, firmly in the spotlight ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on October 28-29.

While September’s core inflation is expected to hold steady at 3.1%, markets widely expect a quarter-point rate cut this month, with another reduction likely in December.

“The reports that come out, not just this one, but also in the coming months, still will not answer how trade policy over the longer term is going to influence inflationary pressures,” Rizzuto said.

Among other stocks, Applovin dropped 5.1% after Fuzzy Panda disclosed a short position in the company.

Boeing rose 1.3% after the planemaker won approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to raise 737 MAX production to 42 planes per month.

WeightWatchers climbed 11.2% after the company partnered with Amazon for weight-loss drug delivery.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 6.13-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 4.24-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 10 new 52-week highs and three new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 43 new highs and 33 new lows.

Washington, Oct 14, 2025 -US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Tuesday that risks to employment had risen in recent months, noting there had been a sharp slowdown of job creation in the world’s leading economy.

“While the unemployment rate remained low through August, payroll gains have slowed sharply, likely in part due to a decline in labor force growth due to lower immigration and labor force participation,” he told a conference in Philadelphia.

Economic growth appears to be holding up well, he added.

No official jobs data has been published for September due to the ongoing US government shutdown, but private sector figures point to a marked slowdown in hiring last month.

In mid-September, Fed officials voted to cut interest rates for the first time this year, voting overwhelmingly for a quarter-point rate reduction to help support the flagging labor market.

At the September meeting, Fed policymakers penciled in an additional 50 basis points of cuts this year, on average, which suggests additional moves at the bank’s two remaining rate decisions this year, in October and December.”In this less dynamic and somewhat softer labor market, the downside risks to employment appear to have risen,” Powell said, noting that longer-term inflation expectations remained aligned with the Fed’s target of two percent. “Rising downside risks to employment have shifted our assessment of the balance of risks,” he said, adding there was “no risk-free path for policy as we navigate the tension between our employment and inflation goals.”

The bank has a dual mandate from Congress to act independently to tackle both inflation and employment.

Futures traders currently see a more than 95-percent chance that the Fed will cut rates by an additional half percentage point this year, according to data from CME Group.

Powell also hinted Tuesday that the Fed could soon stop reducing the size of its balance sheet, which ballooned in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic as the US central bank piled into Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) to support the economy.

“Our long-stated plan is to stop balance sheet runoff when reserves are somewhat above the level we judge consistent with ample reserve conditions,” he said. “We may approach that point in coming months.”