Nvidia’s results, Indian tariffs, French markets - what’s moving markets
Investing.com-- U.S. stock index futures steadied on Tuesday evening with focus on U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to fire a Federal Reserve governor and upcoming earnings from AI bellwether Nvidia.
Futures steadied after a mildly positive session on Wall Street, as gains in Nvidia and Eli Lilly supported Wall Street. But overall gains were limited by increasing concerns over the Fed’s independence, while caution over Nvidia’s earnings also weighed.
S&P 500 Futures rose 0.1% to 6,487.75 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 0.1% to 23,619.50 points by 19:42 ET (23:42 GMT). Dow Jones Futures rose 0.1% to 45,519.0 points.
Fed independence in focus as Trump fires Governor Cook
Trump on Monday evening announced the immediate removal of Fed Governor Lisa Cook from her role, alleging she engaged in mortgage fraud.
But Cook denied the allegations and said she will take Trump to court over keeping her role, likely setting the stage for a protracted legal battle. Cook is tenured to serve on the Fed board until 2038.
The move comes amid increasing calls from Trump and his allies that the Fed cut interest rates immediately– a move the central bank has declined amid caution over inflation and the labor market.
Trump had earlier threatened to fire Powell, but had backed down from the threat.
Cook’s departure will allow Trump to pick a majority in the Fed’s seven-member rate-setting board, including two incumbent members and the pending nomination of White House advisor Stephen Miran.
But Trump’s attempts to shake up the Fed sparked concerns over the independence of the Fed and the long-term credibility of the U.S. economy. The Fed has traditionally operated free from political interference, with most past presidents maintaining a largely hands off approach to the central bank.
Still, growing bets on a September interest rate cut boosted Wall Street in recent sessions, especially after the Fed’s Powell flagged the possibility of such a move amid some weakness in the labor market.
Nvidia, Eli Lilly boost Wall Street
Wall Street indexes closed higher on Tuesday, rising after a middling start to the week on some support from heavyweight tech and healthcare stocks.
Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) was among the best performers among blue-chip stocks, rising nearly 6% on positive data on its experimental weight loss pill.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) rose 1.1%, helping spur gains in broader tech stocks, which were also nursing steep losses over the past week.
The company is set to report its quarterly earnings after the market close on Wednesday, and is likely to act as a bellwether for tech and artificial intelligence.
Focus will also be on Nvidia’s China sales, amid growing scrutiny towards its products from Beijing.
The S&P 500 rose 0.4% to 6,465.89 points on Tuesday. The NASDAQ Composite rose 0.4% to 21,544.27 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3% to 45,418.07 points.