Traders await this evening’s Fed decision with some trepidation, but Wall Street has managed to make gains so far today, says Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at online trading platform IG.
US stocks rise ahead of Fed meeting
Stock markets have found their footing after a mixed morning, but all eyes are on the Fed meeting tonight and the accompanying statement. The first half of the month has seen US markets struggle, but there is still plenty of space for the usual second half rally to develop, should we avoid any nasty surprises from Powell and co tonight.
Oil prices rise for a second day
The first part of the week seemed to suggest that oil markets were set to turn lower, but a drop in crude inventories and hopes of more concrete signs of Chinese stimulus have helped prices to rally today. Yesterday’s API data also showed a fall in stockpiles, providing hope of at least a short-term bump in demand.
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