Federal Reserve officials in September were strongly inclined to lower interest rates, with the only dispute seeming to be over how many cuts were coming, meeting minutes released Wednesday showed.The meeting summary indicated near unanimity among participants at the Federal Open Market Committee that the central bank's key overnight borrowing rate should be cut due to weakness in the labor market.They split, however, on whether there should be two or three total reductions this year, including the quarter ...

Core Insights - Gold prices have surged by 27.01% over the past six months and 53.85% year to date, reaching over $4,000, making it one of the best-performing assets of the year [1] - Strong investor inflows into gold ETFs, a weaker dollar, and sustained central bank buying are driving this increase [1][2] - Market expectations of further Fed rate cuts and ongoing geopolitical tensions could extend gold's gains into 2026, suggesting a favorable environment for increased portfolio allocation to gold [2] ETF Demand and Projections - Investor demand for gold-backed ETFs surged in September, marking the largest inflows in over three years [6] - Goldman Sachs and UBS have raised their gold price forecasts, with Goldman Sachs projecting a price of $4,900 per ounce by December 2026, up from $4,300 [5][6] - The CME FedWatch tool indicates a 94.6% likelihood of an interest rate cut in October and a 99.3% likelihood in December, which is expected to further support gold prices [4] Investment Strategies - Investors are advised to consider allocating up to 15% of their portfolios to gold, contrary to traditional advice of limiting alternative asset classes to single-digit percentages [3] - A long-term passive investment strategy is recommended to navigate short-term market fluctuations, with a "buy-the-dip" approach suggested for potential declines in gold prices [9] ETF Options - For physical gold exposure, investors can consider SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), iShares Gold Trust (IAU), SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM), abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL), and iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM) [8] - GLD is noted for its liquidity with an average trading volume of 14.48 million shares and an asset base of $128.64 billion, making it the largest among gold ETFs [10] - For gold miners, options include VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX), Sprott Gold Miners ETF (SGDM), VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ), and Sprott Junior Gold Miners ETF (SGDJ), with GDX being the most liquid and having an asset base of $22.96 billion [11][12]

Key Takeaways Wells Fargo will report Q3 2025 results on Oct. 14, with revenues expected to rise 4% year over year. NII is estimated at $12.03 billion, up 2.9% y/y, aided by steady lending and stable funding costs. Non-interest income is likely to grow 4.5% y/y, driven by higher fees and stronger investment banking gains. Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) is slated to report third-quarter 2025 results on Oct. 14, 2025, before market open.WFC’s first-half performance benefited from an improvement in non-interest i ...

us crypto news. Photo by BeInCrypto Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead. Grab a coffee because markets are moving in strange harmony again. From small-cap stocks to Ethereum (ETH), patterns once thought unrelated are beginning to sync. While some call it a coincidence, others see a deeper signal about where risk capital is heading next as rate cuts loom. Crypto News of the Day: Why the Russell 2000’s Rally Co ...

Market Overview - U.S. stocks are experiencing slight gains after a previous loss, with the S&P 500 rising 0.2% and nearing its all-time high [1][2] - The price of gold has surpassed $4,000 per ounce, trading at $4,057.50, reflecting a rise of nearly $53 or 1.3% [2] Gold Market - Gold prices have increased over 50% this year, driven by high inflation, significant government debt, and political uncertainties [3] - Investors view gold as a hedge against inflation, which has contributed to its price surge [3] Federal Reserve Insights - The minutes from the Federal Reserve's September meeting are set to be released, with expectations of at least one more rate cut this year as the Fed addresses a weakening labor market and persistent inflation above 2% [4] Company News - Equifax shares rose 2.5% after the company significantly reduced the price of its mortgage credit score product by over 50% compared to Fair Isaac's offering [5] - Fair Isaac's shares fell 3.7% following its recent announcement to streamline access to FICO credit scores [5] Artificial Intelligence Sector - The Bank of England has warned of potential corrections in tech stock valuations, particularly those related to AI, as they appear stretched [6] - AI-related stocks have seen substantial gains this year, with Nvidia up nearly 40%, Oracle up 70%, and Palantir up 140% [6] European Market - European markets are showing positive movement, with the CAC 40 up 0.8%, DAX up 0.7%, and FTSE 100 up 0.9% [7] Currency Movements - The U.S. dollar has strengthened against the euro and Japanese yen, influenced by political developments in France and Japan [8][9]

Core Insights - Gold prices surged to an all-time high of $4,035 per ounce as investors sought safe-haven assets amid political and economic instability in the United States [1][7] - The rally represents gold's strongest performance since the 1970s, with a 30% increase since April, driven by factors such as Trump's tariffs, a weakening dollar, and record inflows into gold-backed ETFs [2][7] Market Dynamics - The ongoing US government shutdown has contributed to increased demand for gold, as investors typically turn to safe-haven assets during periods of uncertainty [3][4] - Inflows into gold-backed ETFs reached a record $64 billion in 2025, indicating strong investor interest [3] Demand Trends - Precious metals dealers report a significant rise in demand from private clients, with some firms seeing their customer base double over the past year [4] - Analysts suggest that while gold prices may eventually decline, the current economic environment supports an upward trend for at least the next five years [4] Interest Rate Impact - Historically, higher interest rates make non-yielding assets like gold less attractive, as seen in 2022 when gold prices fell from $2,000 to $1,600 due to aggressive Fed rate hikes [5] - Current market sentiment anticipates potential rate cuts, which could enhance gold's appeal [5][7] Competitive Landscape - Bitcoin has also experienced significant gains, surpassing $125,000, and is drawing parallels to gold as a safe-haven asset [6] - Analysts project that Bitcoin could reach $165,000 by year-end if the current momentum continues, indicating a competitive environment for safe-haven investments [6]

Asian stocks ended mostly lower on Wednesday after Wall Street's main indexes pulled back from record highs overnight on the back of mixed messages from Federal Reserve officials on the pace on interest-rate cuts and concerns about a bubble forming around artificial intelligence.Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said tariffs are not driving inflation and the Fed can keep easing policy. Separately, Fed Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari warned that drastic rate cuts would risk stoking prices.M ...

Eric Jackson, outspoken supporter of Opendoor Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPEN), believes the U.S. housing market is ready to enter a new phase of growth.OPEN stock is moving. See the real-time price action here. Opendoor’s OpportunityJackson told Business Insider that he thinks the entire housing sector is showing early signs of renewal. Read Next: Trump Ignites Metal Stock Frenzy—These Names Could Be NextJackson acknowledges that his outlook depends on additional interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve ...

Core Insights - The dollar index rose by +0.48% to a 1.5-week high, driven by hawkish comments from Federal Reserve officials and political uncertainty in France and Japan [1] - The ongoing US government shutdown poses a bearish outlook for the dollar, with potential negative impacts on GDP growth [2] - The euro fell by -0.50% to a 1.5-week low due to signs of weakness in the Eurozone economy and political turmoil in France [5] - The yen declined by +1.00% against the dollar, reaching a 7.5-month low, influenced by concerns over Japan's monetary policy under new leadership [7] Federal Reserve Insights - Kansas City Fed President Jeff Schmid emphasized the need for continued monetary policy measures to combat high inflation [3] - Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari warned against drastic interest rate cuts, citing stagflationary signals in the data [3] - Markets are pricing in a 93% chance of a -25 basis point rate cut at the upcoming FOMC meeting [4] Eurozone Economic Indicators - German factory orders unexpectedly fell by -0.8% month-over-month, contrary to expectations of +1.2% [6] - Political instability in France, following the resignation of Prime Minister Lecornu, is contributing to the euro's decline [5] Japanese Economic Context - The election of Sanae Takaichi as the leader of Japan's ruling party raises concerns about delayed monetary policy tightening by the Bank of Japan [7] - Takaichi's victory has led to fears of increased debt supply due to her support for expanded financial stimulus [7]

The tickers might not be as exciting as the big tech behemoths dominating headlines, but small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 (^RUT) index are starting to see real earnings growth after a year of strong performance. Following several months of a rally driven primarily by growing P/E ratios — meaning higher multiples for investors — the Russell 2000's 3% price return through September was entirely driven by upwardly revised earnings expectations, according to research published on Friday by Bank of America ...