FX.co ★ US Stocks Rise on US-UK Trade Deal

On Thursday, U.S. stock markets experienced gains with the S&P 500 climbing 0.6%, the Nasdaq increasing by 0.9%, and the Dow Jones surging 230 points. This positive movement was largely driven by President Trump's announcement of a trade agreement between the U.S. and the U.K. Additionally, investor confidence was bolstered by news that the current administration is considering easing certain restrictions from the Biden era on chip manufacturers. The consumer discretionary, energy, and communication services sectors led the charge, whereas health and utilities underperformed. Among the noteworthy performers, major companies such as Apple (up 0.6%), Microsoft (up 1.6%), Nvidia (up 0.5%), Amazon (up 1.2%), Meta (up 2.2%), Alphabet (up 1.2%), and Tesla (up 3.2%) all saw their shares rise. Simultaneously, President Trump declared he would maintain existing tariffs on China as a prerequisite for initiating trade talks, ahead of scheduled discussions between the U.S. and China in Switzerland this weekend. In a related development, the Federal Reserve, as anticipated, held the federal funds rate steady. However, it indicated a further increase in uncertainty regarding the economic outlook, with heightened risks of both higher unemployment and inflation.