The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged and offered a modestly upbeat assessment of the euro zone economy, raising doubts among investors about further policy easing even while U.S. tariff threats cloud the outlook. The ECB has cut its policy rate eight times since June 2024
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit record highs as major technology stocks rose after megacap Alphabet’s robust earnings, while the Dow was weighed down by losses in IBM, UnitedHealth, and Honeywell.
BlackRock’s spot Ether ETF has emerged as one of the fastest-growing ETFs ever, joining the ranks alongside two other cryptocurrency funds. BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum ETF has become the third-fastest ETF to hit $10 billion in total assets under management.
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing Intel of defrauding shareholders by concealing problems in a business where it manufactured chips for outside customers, leading to a $32 billion one-day plunge in its market value.
Gold prices extended losses following reports that the U.S. and European Union were closing in on a 15% tariff deal, dampening safe-haven demand, while silver earlier surged to its highest level since September 2011.
The U.S. dollar strengthened against the Swiss franc and euro but weakened versus the yen as positive sentiment from a new U.S. trade deal was offset by political uncertainty surrounding Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s future.
