Fed signals potential rate cut pause amid sticky inflation data: Officials hint at holding rates steady in January, citing resilient job market; bearish for growth stocks but bullish for banks as net interest margins stabilize[1].
Congress advances $1.2T spending bill with crypto tax tweaks: Bipartisan deal averts shutdown, includes favorable stablecoin regs; bullish for fintech and blockchain sectors, lifting Coinbase futures 2% premarket.
Trump team floats 25% tariffs on Mexican imports: Proposal tied to border security escalates trade war fears; bearish for autos and retail, pressuring Ford and Walmart shares down 1-3% in after-hours.
Key International News
EU imposes fresh sanctions on Russian energy exports: Targets LNG amid Ukraine conflict escalation; bearish for European energy firms like Shell (-1.5%), bullish for U.S. LNG exporters.
China stimulus package disappoints, GDP growth revised to 4.5%: PBOC cuts rates but skips major fiscal spend; bearish across global tech supply chains, dragging Apple suppliers lower in Asia session.
Israel-Hamas truce talks collapse in Qatar: Rocket exchanges resume; bullish for defense stocks like Lockheed (+0.8%), but heightens oil risk premium.
Global Stock Market Trends
U.S. futures mixed: Dow futures -0.2%, S&P 500 flat, Nasdaq +0.1% on AI optimism despite Fed caution; tech-heavy indices resilient[1].
Europe opens lower: FTSE -0.5%, DAX -0.7%, CAC -0.4% on ECB hawkishness and energy sanctions.
Asia session fades: Nikkei -1.1%, Hang Seng -0.8%, Shanghai -0.6% post-China data miss.
Commodity and Currency Movements
Oil climbs on Mideast tensions: WTI $73.50 (+1.2%), Brent $77.20 (+1.1%); bullish for energy sector amid supply disruption fears.
Gold safe-haven rally: Spot gold $2,650/oz (+0.8%) as USD softens; bullish for miners like Newmont.
USD weakens broadly: DXY -0.3% to 104.2 on Fed pause bets; EUR/USD +0.4% to 1.045, bullish for EM currencies.