00:00The Fed just cut rates again, and the Nasdaq shot up more than 100 points in response.
00:05On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by 25 basis points for the
00:09second straight meeting, bringing the federal funds rate down to a range of 3.75% to 4%.
00:15But Jerome Powell made one thing clear, another cut isn't guaranteed.
00:19The Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.55%, closing near 23,958,
00:25while the Dow Jones slipped 74 points and the S&P 500 barely moved.
00:30Powell's cautious tone cooled off some euphoria,
00:33but investors still saw the move as a step toward easier policy.
00:37Caterpillar's stock surged 12% after a strong earnings beat,
00:41while Boeing fell 4% on a wider loss.
00:43Verizon delivered mixed results, but reaffirmed its 2025 outlook.
00:47Meanwhile, now all eyes are shifting to earnings from Amazon, Apple, and MasterCard.
00:52According to the CNN Fear and Greed Index, market sentiment improved slightly to 42.3% up from 39.3%.
00:59Still in the fear zone, but trending towards neutral.
01:02That means investors are nervous, but no longer panicking.
01:06Most S&P sectors finished lower, led by real estate and consumer staples,
01:10but tech stocks and communication services kept markets in the green.
01:14The bottom line, Powell just walked a fine line between relief and restraint.
01:19So what do you think? Did the Fed just pull off the soft landing, or is this the calm before the storm?
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