On Friday, U.S. stocks experienced a robust rally after dovish statements from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell strengthened expectations for reducing the central bank’s key policy rate this September.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced by 462.3 points, or 1.14%, closing at 41,175.08. The S&P 500 increased by 63.97 points, or 1.15%, to reach 5,634.61, while the Nasdaq Composite soared by 258.44 points, or 1.47%, ending at 17,877.79.
European markets also closed near session highs with widespread gains on Friday, as global investors reacted positively to Powell’s announcement that “the time has come” to reduce interest rates. The pan-European STOXX 600 index climbed 0.5% to close at 518.13, its highest level in over three weeks, marking the third consecutive week of advances.
In Asia, shares outside Japan dipped by 0.1%, while Japan’s Nikkei index gained 0.4% as investors processed inflation data and comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda indicating readiness to raise interest rates if economic conditions and inflation align with forecasts.
This week, Nvidia (NVDA) is set to release its earnings report on Wednesday, kicking off a busy week for corporate financial updates. Other tech companies, including Salesforce (CRM), Dell (DELL), HP (HPQ), and CrowdStrike (CRWD), are also scheduled to report their earnings. In the retail sector, Dollar General (DG), Five Below (FIVE), Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), and Ulta Beauty (ULTA) are among those expected to share their results.
On Friday, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report will be closely watched to determine if inflation continued to ease in July, which could influence the Federal Reserve’s next steps. Additionally, the second-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures will be released on Thursday, with investors also paying attention to housing market data and consumer sentiment surveys.
