Xin Lang Cai Jing·2026-01-12 21:06Core Viewpoint - US stock market indices, including the Dow Jones and S&P 500, reached historical highs despite a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell by the US Department of Justice. President Trump has called for a cap on credit card interest rates at 10% [1][7]. Market Performance - The Dow Jones increased by 86.13 points (0.17%) to 49,590.20, the Nasdaq rose by 62.56 points (0.26%) to 23,733.90, and the S&P 500 gained 10.99 points (0.16%) to 6,977.27. During the session, the Dow reached a peak of 49,633.35 and the S&P 500 hit 6,986.33, both marking intraday historical highs [3][9]. - The market opened lower but rebounded, driven by gains in Walmart and certain tech stocks, recovering from a drop of nearly 500 points in the Dow [3][9]. Sector Movements - Bank stocks generally declined, with Citigroup down 3%, JPMorgan and Bank of America each down about 2%, and Capital One falling 6%. This was influenced by Trump's statement that financial institutions failing to comply with the proposed credit card interest rate cap could face legal consequences [10]. - Walmart's stock rose by 2% due to optimism about its inclusion in the popular Invesco QQQ Trust ETF, which tracks the Nasdaq 100 index. This retail giant led gains in the consumer sector, which may benefit from Trump's push to lower credit card rates and rising oil prices [12]. Economic Indicators - Market focus is shifting towards the upcoming Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, with expectations that it may come in below 3%. Analysts suggest that the overall economic growth is strong, contributing to positive market sentiment [5][11]. - There is a general expectation that the Federal Reserve will pause further interest rate cuts in its upcoming meeting to assess inflation trends and economic developments [11]. Analyst Insights - Rob Williams, Chief Investment Strategist at Sage, downplayed the significance of the investigation into Powell, suggesting it is merely noise and that the focus should remain on economic data [10]. - Jim Lebenthal, Chief Market Strategist at Cerity Partners, indicated that the investigation's impact on interest rates and inflation is likely to be long-term rather than immediate. He noted that favorable market conditions and anticipated strong earnings reports are supporting market growth [11]. Stock Ratings - Palantir's stock rose by 1% following an upgrade from Citigroup, contributing to a positive trend in some tech stocks, including AMD and Oracle [13].