Stocks rally as investors bet on US rate cuts

bullish Exchange Listed While Global Markets Hit Record Highs

Wall Street surged on Wednesday as the newly listed cryptocurrency exchange bullish opened on the New York Stock Exchange the same day the S&P 500 and Nasdaq capped fresh all‑time highs. Global equities echoed the rally, with the Nikkei 225 closing 1.3 percent higher and London’s FTSE 100 posting a modest 0.2 percent uptick.

Market Drivers

• Investor optimism was buoyed by a steady U.S. consumer price index at 2.7 percent, unchanged from June.
• Core CPI accelerated to 3.1 percent, the fastest pace in six months, yet markets reassured that tariff inflation pressure appeared muted.
• Analysts noted that the Fed’s next rate decision in September could see a sharper easing expectation as imported goods inflation stayed below forecasts.

Currency Movements

The dollar weakened against major currencies, with the Euro/dollar pair rising to $1.1704 from $1.1675 earlier in the session. The pound/dollar climbed to $1.3577, while the dollar/yen fell to 147.40 yen from 147.84 yen.

Oil and Energy Outlook

Oil prices retreated as the International Energy Agency forecasted a surplus supply in 2025 and 2026, following OPEC+’s decision to lift production. WTI slipped 0.8 percent to $62.65 per barrel, Brent dropped 0.7 percent to $65.63 per barrel.

Key Global Indexes (Close)

• Dow Jones: +1.0 % at 44,922.27
• S&P 500: +0.3 % at 6,466.58
• Nasdaq: +0.1 % at 21,713.14
• FTSE 100: +0.2 % at 9,165.23
• CAC 40: +0.7 % at 7,804.97
• DAX: +0.7 % at 24,185.59
• Nikkei 225: +1.3 % at 43,274.67
• Hang Seng: +2.6 % at 25,613.67
• Shanghai Composite: +0.5 % at 3,683.46