Here’s what my colleague, market strategist Mike “Willo” Wilson says happened while we were sleeping… US stocks edged higher, with the S&P 500 Index topping 6,600, as traders saw a Federal Reserve cut on Wednesday as a sure thing. The only question is how many more reductions are coming. Lower US bond yields dragged the dollar down and pushed the Aussie and kiwi higher, along with talk of stimulus for China, our common trading partner. Two Reserve Bank of Australia officials will deliver remarks today while New Zealanders get an idea how much of their bonds are held offshore. The former may move markets, the latter won’t. ASX futures point to a positive open for local stocks. S&P 500 tops 6,600. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg President Donald Trump said he would speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday as US and Chinese officials reached a framework deal on keeping the TikTok app running in the US. It would be the first direct engagement between Trump and Xi since June. China ruled that Nvidia Corp. violated anti-monopoly laws with a high-profile 2020 deal, ratcheting up the pressure on Washington during sensitive trade negotiations. The surprise announcement emerged with US and Chinese officials heading into a second day of wide-ranging talks in Madrid over tariffs. Alphabet Inc. joined an elite group of companies valued at more than $3 trillion, the latest sign of improving investor sentiment toward the Google parent. The stock has soared more than 70% from its April low. Nvidia Corp., Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. are the only other publicly traded companies valued at more than $3 trillion. Elon Musk responded to an unprecedented pay proposal from Tesla Inc.’s board by buying about $1 billion worth of shares, sending the carmaker’s stock soaring into positive territory for the year. The purchase coincided with Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm speaking with reporters about the merits of awarding Musk around $1 trillion worth of stock if Tesla achieves a series of ambitious milestones. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance pledged to investigate left-leaning organizations following the killing of Charlie Kirk, laying the groundwork for federally scrutinizing political opponents that some administration officials and supporters have blamed in part for his death. |