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Federal Reserve 21 August 2025 - 25 September 2025

Nasdaq Rally Hits Speed Bump as Tech Stocks Wobble – Fed Warning and AI Jitters Shake Markets (Sept 24–25, 2025)

Nasdaq Rally Hits Speed Bump as Tech Stocks Wobble – Fed Warning and AI Jitters Shake Markets (Sept 24–25, 2025)

Wall Street’s momentum in tech stocks paused mid-week after an extended rally. On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the Nasdaq Composite index slipped 0.33% – its second straight daily decline investopedia.com. This dip ended a three-session streak of record closing highs. The Nasdaq-100 likewise pulled back from recent peaks. Major indices were relatively flat through Wednesday morning, but turned lower around midday after fresh remarks from the Federal Reserve stirred concerns reuters.com investopedia.com.
25 September 2025
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Fed Warning and AI ‘Bubble’ Fears Hit Wall Street: NYSE Roundup (Sept 24–25, 2025)

Fed Warning and AI ‘Bubble’ Fears Hit Wall Street: NYSE Roundup (Sept 24–25, 2025)

After a blistering summer rally, Wall Street’s momentum hit a speed bump mid-week. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 fell about 0.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.3% smdailyjournal.com. It was the second straight down day after all three indices had notched record highs on Monday. By Thursday, stocks continued to drift in search of direction – trading was choppier and largely flat, as investors digested the week’s events and awaited fresh catalysts. Profit-taking was a major theme: with indexes still near all-time highs, many traders chose to lock in gains, especially in the recent high-flyers. “Equities have trended lower on anxiety over whether or not the Fed cuts rates at each meeting for the balance of this year,” explained Gene Goldman, chief investment officer at Cetera Investment Management reuters.com. In other words, the market was taking a breather to gauge if the Federal Reserve will indeed keep delivering the rate relief that fueled the rally.
25 September 2025
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Precious Metals Skyrocket as Gold Hits Record High, Silver & Platinum Soar – Fed Bets and Geopolitics Fuel Rally

Precious Metals Skyrocket as Gold Hits Record High, Silver & Platinum Soar – Fed Bets and Geopolitics Fuel Rally

Precious metals prices soared to multi-year highs in the past 48 hours, capping a dramatic two-week run-up. Gold set a fresh all-time high near $3,790/oz on September 23, punctuating a rally that has nearly doubled its price since late 2022 reuters.com. Silver likewise vaulted to ~$44/oz, a level last seen 14 years ago, while platinum broke above $1,480/oz – its strongest in over a decade reuters.com reuters.com. Even palladium, which has lagged this year, rebounded above $1,200. Lesser-known precious metals like rhodium and iridium remained elevated and in tight supply. This broad surge has been fueled by a potent mix of economic shifts and global events. Investors seeking safety from uncertainty, and positioning for a more dovish Fed, poured into hard assets en masse. Below, we break down the developments for each major metal and the forces driving them.
24 September 2025
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Asian Markets on an AI High then Jolt as Powell Strikes Caution (Sept 23–24, 2025)

Asian Markets on an AI High then Jolt as Powell Strikes Caution (Sept 23–24, 2025)

Asian equities extended their stunning September run on Sept 23, riding a wave of AI optimism and Wall Street’s record highs. Tech euphoria swept the region after Nvidia’s blockbuster plan to invest $100 billion in OpenAI, which turbocharged chip stocks globally business-standard.com business-standard.com. Momentum funds poured into Asian tech plays, fueling almost self-fulfilling gains. South Korea’s KOSPI, heavy with chipmakers, rose about 0.2% on Tuesday and was up nearly 9% for September business-standard.com business-standard.com. Taiwan’s TAIEX soared to an unprecedented peak, closing 1.4% higher at 26,247 points b2bnews.co.nz. Investors cheered advances in AI and data centers – Taiwan Semiconductor touched fresh highs, and peers like UMC and Compal Electronics hit limit-up on huge AI server orders focustaiwan.tw focustaiwan.tw. Even with Japan’s Tokyo market shut for a holiday, the region’s momentum was evident: MSCI’s Asia-Pacific ex-Japan index climbed ~0.3% to four-year highs, up ~5.5% this month business-standard.com business-standard.com.
24 September 2025
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Luxury Boom vs. Fed Gloom: European Markets Whipsaw (Sept 23–24, 2025)

Luxury Boom vs. Fed Gloom: European Markets Whipsaw (Sept 23–24, 2025)

European stocks kicked off the week’s second session with a broad rally on Tuesday, Sept. 23, driven by upbeat corporate news and a rebound in global risk appetite. The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed up 0.4% – its best level since mid-September reuters.com – as virtually all major country bourses advanced. Frankfurt’s DAX 40 and Paris’s CAC 40 climbed 0.36% and 0.54% respectively, Madrid’s IBEX 35 added 0.5%, and Milan’s FTSE MIB rose 0.13% aa.com.tr. London’s FTSE 100 was the lone laggard, ending essentially flat aa.com.tr despite strength in exporters, as a stronger pound and some downbeat UK corporate updates kept the index in check.
24 September 2025
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Nasdaq’s 48-Hour Whiplash: AI Mega-Deals, Fed Curveballs & Record Highs

Nasdaq’s 48-Hour Whiplash: AI Mega-Deals, Fed Curveballs & Record Highs

Wall Street began the week in celebration mode – by Monday’s close, the Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and Dow had all notched record-high closes, extending a rally fueled by hopes of looser monetary policy and tech sector strength. The Nasdaq ended that session at 22,788.98, its third straight record, as investors piled into big tech nasdaq.com. The spark came from the Federal Reserve’s surprise pivot: on Sept. 17 the Fed delivered its first interest rate cut of the year, a 25 bps trim to 4.00–4.25% nasdaq.com. Hopes for easier borrowing costs – and hints of further cuts likely in 2025 – had injected fresh optimism into equities reuters.com. “The rate cut is expected to add to Wall Street’s recent rally,” noted CFRA strategist Sam Stovall, as lower rates boost the net present value of stocks, especially high-growth tech reuters.com.
24 September 2025
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Wall Street Roiled: Fed Warning Cools Rally as AI Frenzy Ignites Stocks and Crash Fears

Wall Street Roiled: Fed Warning Cools Rally as AI Frenzy Ignites Stocks and Crash Fears

Wall Street’s rally hit a speed bump as the Federal Reserve signaled it won’t rush to ease policy. On Tuesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell struck a delicate balance: he noted the central bank must “balance inflation concerns with a weakening job market” when considering future rate moves reuters.com. Importantly for investors, Powell offered no clues on the timing or size of the next interest-rate cut reuters.com. His cautious stance – and his remark that equity valuations are “fairly highly valued” – immediately cooled the market’s exuberance reuters.com. The major indexes, which had all notched record highs in the prior three sessions, pulled back modestly on Tuesday reuters.com.
24 September 2025
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Nasdaq’s Wild 48 Hours: Fed Jitters, Tech Tumbles & Surprise Rallies – Sept 23–24 Roundup

Nasdaq’s Wild 48 Hours: Fed Jitters, Tech Tumbles & Surprise Rallies – Sept 23–24 Roundup

Wall Street’s bull run hit turbulence on Tuesday, Sept. 23, after Fed Chair Jerome Powell struck a balanced but cautious tone in his remarks. Speaking six days after the Fed’s first rate cut of 2025, Powell emphasized the “no risk-free path”forward – the central bank must tame inflation without unduly harming the now-weakening job market. Notably, he warned that equity valuations appeared “fairly highly valued,” a signal that the recent surge in stocks may have outpaced fundamentals. This lack of a clear green light on further rate relief rattled investors who had been banking on more easy money. Powell “left the door open for another rate cut” but gave “really no hint of when and how much” it might be, explained Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital. That ambiguity “began to sell off” the overheated market, which was “ripe for some sort of a pullback,” Cardillo noted.
24 September 2025
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Asia Markets Rollercoaster: Nikkei Smashes Records as Hang Seng Rebounds – Fed Jitters and Tech Rally Whipsaw Stocks

Asia Markets Rollercoaster: Nikkei Smashes Records as Hang Seng Rebounds – Fed Jitters and Tech Rally Whipsaw Stocks

Japan: Japan’s stock market has been a standout performer. The Nikkei 225 index, propelled by robotics and semiconductor names, broke above its 1980s bubble peak to set a new all-time closing high of 45,630.31on Sept 24 economictimes.indiatimes.com. This marked a recovery from early-session losses that day, as investors piled into AI and data-center stocks like SoftBank and IHI, which led the gains economictimes.indiatimes.com. The broader Topix index also ticked up +0.2% economictimes.indiatimes.com. Analysts noted that recent momentum in Tokyo has been fueled by outsized optimism around tech investments and hopes of corporate reforms cryptorank.io. Even with such exuberance, economic undercurrents are mixed: fresh data showed Japan’s manufacturing activity remained in contraction, underscoring a “challenging situation” as the Bank of Japan balances inflation and growth icmarkets.com. Still, the mood in Tokyo is bullish, with investors “front and center” on Japan after this historic rally cryptorank.io.
24 September 2025
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Global Markets on Edge as Fed Rate Decision Nears: Asia Optimistic, West Cautious

Fed’s First Rate Cut Since 2024 Sparks Market Whiplash – Dow Rallies as Tech Stocks Tumble

Wall Street wrapped up September 17 with a split decision. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.56% to close around 46,013 reuters.com, extending its uptrend thanks in part to strength in financial and industrial stocks. The S&P 500 eased 0.1% to ~6,600 reuters.com, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.33% to ~22,261 reuters.com. Earlier in the session, all three indices seesawed between gains and losses as traders reacted in real-time to the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision and Powell’s commentary. Notably, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq had been at record highs just a day or two prior, buoyed by optimism around a potential Fed pivot and booming AI-driven stocks nasdaq.com nasdaq.com. That set the stage for some profit-taking once the news hit.
17 September 2025
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Global Markets on Edge as Fed Rate Decision Nears: Asia Optimistic, West Cautious

Global Markets on Edge as Fed Rate Decision Nears: Asia Optimistic, West Cautious

The world’s financial markets are fixated on the Federal Reserve’s upcoming rate decision, which is shaping up to be one of the most consequential of the year. Investors across Asia, Europe, and the Americas are bracing for the Fed’s policy announcement on Wednesday, widely expected to deliver the first U.S. rate cut of 2025 reuters.com. This anticipated shift in U.S. monetary policy comes amid a complex global economic backdrop – one marked by moderating inflation, signs of slowing growth, and pockets of geopolitical tension. With stock indices recently at or near record highs and bond yields retreating, markets have been positioning for a more accommodative Fed, even as they remain wary of any surprises. Below, we provide a comprehensive overview of the economic landscape and market sentiment around the world, and what might lie ahead depending on how the Fed’s decision unfolds.
16 September 2025
Fed’s Dovish Pivot Sparks Crypto Frenzy: Ethereum Hits Record High, Bitcoin $117K Breakout, XRP ETF Moves & More (Aug 22-23, 2025)

Fed’s Dovish Pivot Sparks Crypto Frenzy: Ethereum Hits Record High, Bitcoin $117K Breakout, XRP ETF Moves & More (Aug 22-23, 2025)

Crypto markets went into overdrive over the past 48 hours as bullish news and dovish signals converged. From surging prices to major blockchain updates, DeFi and NFT revivals, and regulatory shake-ups across the globe, the blockchain sector saw a whirlwind of developments on August 22–23, 2025. Below is a comprehensive roundup of the biggest stories, with key sources and figures cited.
23 August 2025
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Fed Jitters, Mega-Deals & Oil Rebound: Global Business Shockwaves (Aug 21–22, 2025)

Fed Jitters, Mega-Deals & Oil Rebound: Global Business Shockwaves (Aug 21–22, 2025)

Fed in Focus: Global markets seesawed as investors braced for a pivotal speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at Jackson Hole. On Thursday, Wall Street’s main indexes fell amid fears of hawkish Fed remarks, with traders scaling back bets on a September rate cut reuters.com reuters.com. “Investors are saying, ‘You know what? Let’s take some profits right now,’” observed Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research, noting jitters ahead of Powell’s comments reuters.com. Thin August trading volumes magnified the moves reuters.com, and strategists warned of a selloff if Powell sounded more hawkish than expected reuters.com. Meanwhile, multiple Fed officials struck a cautious tone. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said she “[would] not see a case for reducing interest rates” if the meeting were held now, given persistent inflation risks reuters.com. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic still has a 2025 rate cut penciled in, but emphasized he’s “not stuck on anything” pending more data reuters.com. Futures are pricing around a 70–75% chance of a quarter-point cut in September reuters.com reuters.com, down from near-certainty a week ago.
22 August 2025
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