Fed delivers milestone 50bps rate cut

09/19/24 • 24 min

The Federal Reserve announces its eagerly awaited first rate cut of 50 basis points since the outset of the Covid pandemic with policy makers predicting one further cut this year. The market reaction was mixed with Wall Street closing lower, despite the Dow and S&P 500 initially scaling fresh all-time highs. Equities in Asia saw strong gains following the news from the Fed. Our colleagues in Asia speak to Bridgewater Capital’s Ray Dalio who warns that soaring debt levels Stateside will still prove challenging for the central bank. We are live in Brittany, north-west France, where Spanish green energy giant Iberdrola opens a €2.4bn offshore wind farm. Chairman Ignacio Galan tells CNBC grid expansion is crucial. Investors await today’s Bank of England rate decision with a potential expansion of quantitative tightening expected.

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Previous Episode

Robust U.S. retail data boosts S&P 500 to new high

In anticipation of the Fed’s milestone meeting, the S&P 500 hits a new record with retail data indicating the U.S. consumer and economy are more resilient than expected. DoubleLine Capital chief Jeffrey Gundlach tells CNBC’s Scott Wapner at the Future Proof wealth management festival he is calling for a 50bps cut. Hezbollah points the finger at Israel after thousands of its pagers explode across Lebanon simultaneously, killing at least 9 and maiming more than 2,700. In pharma news, U.S. authorities expand approval of a Novartis breast cancer drug which would open access to patients at the earlier stages of the disease. Commerzbank is reportedly considering replacing CEO Manfred Knof with a new chief with a mandate to rebuff a Unicredit takeover. And in the UK, investors are increasing bets the Bank of England will cut rates this week, strengthening sterling.

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Next Episode

Wall St tech stocks soar following Fed rate cut

Wall Street notches its best day in six weeks with tech stocks leading the way as the markets celebrate this week’s 50bps Fed rate cut. In China the PBOC bucks expectations of a further rate cut and the BoJ stays put as well while hiking its forecast on domestic consumption. Mercedes slashes its profit outlook once again as Chinese sales fall. And in France, new prime minister Michel Barnier puts the finishing touches on his cabinet in a bid to end months of political deadlock following inconclusive elections in July.

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