| Ticker | Status | Jurisdiction | Filing Date | CP Start | CP End | CP Loss | Deadline |
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| Ticker | Case Name | Status | CP Start | CP End | Deadline | Settlement Amt |
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| Ticker | Name | Date | Analyst Firm | Up/Down | Target ($) | Rating Change | Rating Current |
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(Editor’s note: The future prices of benchmark tracking ETFs, the lede, and the headline were updated in the story.)
U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday following Tuesday's advances. Futures of major benchmark indices were higher as the Dow Jones pared earlier losses to trade higher.
President Donald Trump hinted that he expects to lower fentanyl-linked tariffs on China, a potential major concession ahead of a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea this week.
Investors await the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday afternoon. The CME Group's FedWatch tool’s projections show markets pricing a 99.9% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting the current interest rates later today.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) are slated to report quarterly earnings after the closing bell today.
Additionally, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 3.99% and the two-year bond was at 3.50%.
| Futures | Change (+/-) |
| Dow Jones | -0.25% |
| S&P 500 | 0.16% |
| Nasdaq 100 | 0.39% |
| Russell 2000 | -0.18% |
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Wednesday. The SPY was up 0.28% at $688.99while the QQQ advanced 0.46% to $4635.85, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Sectors gaining on Tuesday included consumer discretionary and information technology, which bucked an otherwise negative market trend. Real estate, utilities, and energy stocks recorded the biggest losses as most S&P 500 sectors fell.
| Index | Performance (+/-) | Value |
| Nasdaq Composite | 0.80% | 23,827.49 |
| S&P 500 | 0.23% | 6,890.89 |
| Dow Jones | 0.34% | 47,706.37 |
| Russell 2000 | -0.55% | 2,506.65 |
Analysts at BlackRock maintain a generally positive forward-looking stance on the economy and stock market, centered on expectations of Federal Reserve policy.
The firm’s base case scenario assumes that “a softer labor market allowing Fed rate cuts and supporting risk assets – is playing out”. This view is reinforced by cooling inflation and rising jobless claims, which BlackRock believes give the Fed a “data-backed path to keep cutting”.
Tactically, BlackRock is overweight U.S. equities. The firm notes that “rate cuts amid a notable slowing of activity without recession should support U.S. stocks and the AI theme”. Artificial intelligence is a key factor in this positive outlook, as BlackRock states, “we see AI supporting corporate earnings”.
However, the firm is also “keeping our macro scenarios fresh” by weighing alternative outcomes. A key risk scenario involves “hiring rebounds amid ongoing labor supply constraints,” which could create stagflationary pressure and cause stocks to fall.
Conversely, an upside scenario exists where “the AI buildout and the resulting productivity gains” lead to strong growth, lower inflation, and “big stock gains”.
See Also: How to Trade Futures
Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on Wednesday;
Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 0.70% to hover around $59.73 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar rose 1.62% to hover around $4,016.71 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $4,381.6 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.26% higher at the 98.9230 level.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was trading 1.16% lower at $113,085.98 per coin.
Asian markets closed higher on Wednesday except Australia's ASX 200 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng indices. India’s NIFTY 50, South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, and China’s CSI 300 indices rose. European markets were mostly lower in early trade.
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