Market Overview - Market futures are rallying due to the absence of negative news, with tech stocks reaching record highs and the S&P 500 only about -1% below all-time highs [1] - The Dow gained +507 points (+0.62%), the S&P 500 rose +67 points (+1.11%), and the Nasdaq led with a gain of +281 points (+1.43%) [2] - Oil prices are declining, with WTI at $64.91 per barrel and Brent crude at $65.08 per barrel, down from $65 and $67 respectively [3] Federal Reserve Insights - Fed Chair Jerome Powell remains firm on keeping interest rates steady despite pressure from Republican members, citing cooling inflation but potential price increases from upcoming tariffs [4] - Employment numbers are softening but not indicating a sudden rise in job losses, with Continuing Jobless Claims not yet reaching 2 million per week [5] Company Performance: FedEx - FedEx reported fiscal Q3 earnings of $6.07 per share, exceeding the Zacks consensus of $5.93, with revenues of $22.22 billion surpassing expectations of $21.73 billion [6] - Both Express and Freight businesses outperformed, with increased export volume indicating a pull-forward of activity ahead of upcoming tariffs [7] - Next-quarter earnings guidance has been lowered to $3.40-4.00 per share, below the Zacks consensus of $4.05, leading to a stock decline of -4.4% [7]
Markets Approach New Highs on Cooling Tensions