Group 1: Market Overview - The U.S. stock market ended a previous streak of weekly gains, with a focus on the Federal Reserve's future policy direction and Chairman Powell's warnings on valuations [1] - The S&P 500 index has risen 2.8% in September, outperforming historical averages, and has a year-to-date increase of 13% [6] - Investor sentiment improved following NVIDIA's announcement of a $100 billion investment in OpenAI, leading to a net inflow of $12.06 billion into U.S. equity funds in the week ending September 24 [7] Group 2: Economic Data - Recent economic data indicates resilience, with initial jobless claims significantly lower than expected, suggesting a stable labor market despite Fed concerns [3] - The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index showed a slight increase in inflation, with the year-over-year rate rising from 2.6% to 2.7%, marking the highest level since March [3] - The U.S. GDP growth rate for Q2 was reported at 3.8%, the strongest performance since Q3 2023, indicating a significant rebound from a 0.5% contraction in Q1 [3] Group 3: Federal Reserve Insights - Fed officials expressed differing views on inflation and labor market conditions, with Powell indicating a need to balance persistent inflation risks against a cooling job market [4][5] - The upcoming employment report is highly anticipated, with expectations of a net increase of 85,000 jobs, which could influence the Fed's decision to maintain current policies [5] Group 4: Sector Performance - The communication services sector experienced the largest decline, down 2.7%, influenced by significant drops in stocks like Meta Platforms and Alphabet [6] - The energy sector led gains with a 4.7% increase, followed by utilities and real estate sectors, while technology and industrial sectors saw slight increases [6]

Core Viewpoint - President Donald Trump's attempt to dismiss Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook raises concerns about the independence of U.S. monetary policy, which could have severe implications for both the U.S. and global economies [1][3]. Group 1: Impact on Monetary Policy - ECB President Christine Lagarde warned that Trump's interference with the Federal Reserve could undermine the independence of U.S. monetary policy, potentially destabilizing the U.S. economy and affecting global economic balance [1][3]. - The independence of the Federal Reserve is considered crucial for maintaining the U.S. economy's stability and its position in the global economy, as political interference can lead to inflation, currency depreciation, and stock market declines [3]. Group 2: Legal and Political Context - Trump's attempt to dismiss Cook is unprecedented in U.S. history, as it marks the first time a president has sought to remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor, which may lead to legal challenges up to the Supreme Court [3]. - Cook has filed a lawsuit to prevent her dismissal, and it remains uncertain whether federal courts will agree that a criminal transfer without actual charges meets the "for cause" standard for removing a Federal Reserve governor [3]. Group 3: Economic Indicators - Key inflation indicators, including the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), have remained above the Federal Reserve's 2% target throughout the year, with July PCE showing a year-over-year increase of 2.6% and core PCE rising to 2.9% [4]. - The July CPI data indicated a year-over-year inflation rate of 2.7%, with core CPI increasing by 3.1%, suggesting persistent inflationary pressures [4]. Group 4: Market Expectations - Market expectations indicate a 89.7% probability that the Federal Reserve will lower the benchmark federal funds rate by 25 basis points in September, while the likelihood of maintaining the current rate range of 4.25% to 4.5% stands at 10.3% [5].

Group 1 - The Federal Reserve's decision-making is heavily influenced by the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, which is considered a more accurate measure of inflation compared to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) [1] - The core PCE inflation rate, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, is particularly favored by the Federal Reserve as it is seen as the best predictor of future inflation [1] - Economists predict that the core PCE report to be released on July 31 will show an increase of 0.2% to 0.3%, which may not be low enough to convince most Federal Reserve officials to cut interest rates [1][2] Group 2 - The overall PCE inflation rate is also expected to rise by approximately 0.3%, with the annual increase potentially reaching 2.6% in June, up from 2.3% the previous month and 2.1% after the pandemic low [3] - The rising inflation trend is partially attributed to the tariff policies of the Trump administration [3] - Despite pressure from the White House, most Federal Reserve voting members are inclined to maintain current interest rates, with expectations for potential rate cuts later in the year if inflation threats diminish and the job market shows signs of weakness [3]