Feng Huang Wang·2025-09-16 22:27Market Overview - The three major U.S. stock indices closed lower amid cautious trading ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, with expectations of a 25 basis point rate cut to counteract the deteriorating labor market [1] - The Dow Jones fell by 125.18 points (0.27%) to 45758.27, the Nasdaq decreased by 14.79 points (0.07%) to 22333.96, and the S&P 500 dropped by 8.49 points (0.13%) to 6606.79 [3] Economic Indicators - U.S. retail sales data for August showed a higher-than-expected increase, indicating strong consumer spending, yet this did not alter market expectations for a rate cut [1] - Principal Asset Management's global chief strategist noted that while labor demand is slowing, the risk of recession remains limited, suggesting a moderate 25 basis point cut is more appropriate than a larger reduction [2] Company News - Eli Lilly announced a $5 billion investment to build a manufacturing facility in Virginia, aimed at enhancing the production of targeted cancer therapies and other advanced treatments, resulting in a stock price increase of over 2.2% [7] - Google, in collaboration with over 60 organizations, launched the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to facilitate secure AI-driven payment processing across platforms, indicating a shift towards AI-driven business models [8] - Novo Nordisk reported positive results from a Phase 3 trial of its new weight loss drug Cagrilintide, showing an average weight loss of 11.8% over 68 weeks compared to 2.3% in the placebo group [9] - Microsoft plans to invest over $30 billion in the UK over the next four years, including $15.5 billion for capital expansion and $15.1 billion for various business initiatives [10] Stock Performance - Major tech stocks showed mixed results, with Tesla up 2.82%, Meta up 1.87%, and Amazon up 1.13%, while Microsoft and Nvidia saw declines of 1.23% and 1.61%, respectively [4] - Webtoon Entertainment's stock surged by 39% following a partnership with Disney to launch a new digital comic platform [4] - New Fortress Energy's stock rose by 45% after securing a $4 billion, seven-year agreement to supply liquefied natural gas to Puerto Rico [4] - Occidental Petroleum's shares increased by 5% due to concerns over supply tightness following an attack on a Russian refinery [5]