Powell’s Hawkish U-Turn and Trump–Xi ‘Mini-Deal’ Leave S&P 500 Futures on Edge
The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points to 3.75–4.00% on Oct 29, but Chair Powell warned a December cut is “not a foregone conclusion.” Nasdaq closed at a record 23,958, while S&P 500 was flat and Dow slipped. Trump announced a one-year “mini-deal” with China, easing some tariffs. Big Tech earnings were mixed: Nvidia rose, Microsoft and Meta fell, Alphabet surged.