Market Update

The latest meeting minutes from the Federal Reserve reveal a clear preference among most policymakers to keep interest rates unchanged for now, reflecting persistent uncertainty over the inflation outlook and the underlying strength of the US economy. Officials agreed that holding rates steady at this stage allows the central bank …

The Federal Reserve’s January 2026 policy minutes confirm a central bank committed to patience, flexibility, and data dependence. Policymakers voted 10–2 to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5%–3.75%, with two dissenters favoring a 25 basis point cut. The decision reflected a desire to evaluate the cumulative impact of …

Crude oil prices jumped more than 4% on Wednesday as traders reacted to heightened risks of conflict between the United States and Iran. The surge followed the conclusion of Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Geneva, which ended without progress, adding to uncertainty across global energy markets. Brent crude rose $2.80 to …

Wall Street closed modestly higher by the evening of February 18, 2026, as investors balanced strong corporate earnings and a revival in merger activity against lingering concerns over the rising costs of artificial intelligence. The rebound was led by technology stocks, helping markets recover from recent pullbacks and stabilizing sentiment …

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed roughly 300 points, or 0.65%, on Wednesday, marking the third consecutive session of gains as investors stepped back into equities following last week’s AI-driven selloff. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and the Nasdaq Composite gained about 0.5%, led by semiconductor stocks and beaten-down mega-cap …

Markets are turning their attention to the release of the latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes, which are expected to provide deeper insight into the discussions behind the decision to keep interest rates unchanged at the last policy meeting. Investors are closely watching for clues about how policymakers view inflation, employment …

U.S. stock index futures traded higher on Wednesday, as investors positioned themselves ahead of the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting and a new round of quarterly corporate earnings. At 05:15 ET (10:15 GMT), Dow Jones futures climbed 260 points, or 0.5%, S&P 500 futures advanced …

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is planning to step down from her role ahead of schedule, potentially before the end of her term in October 2027, in a move that would allow French President Emmanuel Macron to influence the selection of her successor, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. …

Minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s January 16–17 policy meeting, due for release at 2:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, are expected to shed further light on why policymakers opted to keep interest rates unchanged last month and what conditions may be required to justify future rate cuts. At its January …

Bitcoin slipped further on Wednesday, extending recent losses as investors remained cautious ahead of key U.S. economic data and comments from the Federal Reserve, dampening appetite for speculative assets such as cryptocurrencies. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell nearly 1% to $67,746.6 by 01:19 ET (06:19 GMT), offering little reaction to …