U.S. equities largely held steady in Wednesday’s trading session. At the close in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 49,016 points, a modest rise of only a few points compared to the prior day.
Only minutes before the market closed, the broader S&P 500 was hovering around 6,978 points, slightly down, while the tech‑heavy Nasdaq Composite had slipped to roughly 26,023 points, a 0.3 % decline.
Despite pressure from President Donald Trump for the Federal Reserve to adjust policy rates, the central bank chose not to lower its key rate on Wednesday. “After having lowered the funds rate by a total of 75 basis points over our last three meetings, we regard our current policy stance as appropriate to advance progress on both the maximum‑employment goal and the 2 % inflation target” said Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who is currently the subject of a U.S. Justice Department investigation. “Our success in achieving those goals matters to all Americans. The Fed will continue to carry out its work with objectivity, integrity, and a strong commitment to the American people”.
In foreign‑exchange markets, the euro weakened against the dollar. One euro was priced at $1.1949; conversely, one U.S. dollar could be exchanged for 0.8369 euros.
Gold prices saw another strong uptick. At the close of the session, a fine ounce traded at $5,389, a 4.1 % increase, which translates to €144.99 per gram.
Brent crude oil also rose noticeably. By 22:00 German time, a barrel of North Sea Brent was priced at $68.52, up 95 cents or 1.4 % from the close the previous day.