Investors will be closely eyeing Powell's speech in Jackson Hole on Friday to see if the Fed chair hints at a potential rate cut at the central bank's next meeting.

Wall Street pointed modestly higher before the bell Friday as markets tried to snap a weeklong losing streak ahead of widely anticipated speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

The Fed’s annual forum at Jackson Hole has long been a must-watch event for Wall Street, but this year’s meeting brings extra scrutiny.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell holds a press conference following the issuance of the Federal Open Market Committee's statement on interest rate policy in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) - What matters in U.S. and global markets today

A nervous quiet has descended upon global markets, as a rising chorus of hawkish voices from the Federal Reserve and surprisingly strong US economic data force a painful recalibration of interest-rate hopes.

Futures for the main stock indexes were mostly pointing down after the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks slid for a second day on Wednesday. The group of highly valued technology stocks–Amazon, Apple,

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Thursday, as investors analyzed big-box retailer Walmart's quarterly results for clues about the health of the American consumer, ahead of the Federal Reserve's three-day conference in Jackson Hole.