BREAKING NEWS Fed slashes interest rates by a half point in its first cut since 2020 NYSE American - Delayed Quote • USD INNOVATOR ETFS TRUST S&P 500 BU (^BAUG-IV) Follow 30.39 0.00 (0.00%) As of August 31 at 5:59 PM EDT. Market Open. Related News Stock market today: Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by half a percentage point, stocks rise Investors digested the Fed's first interest rate cut since 2020. This strategist is bullish on these sectors amid Fed cuts Stocks (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) are dialed into the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts, expected to be announced later today as investors attempt to price in whether the central bank will cut rates by 25 or 50 basis points. What sectors is Wall Street most bullish on as traders look long-term into the Fed's rate-cutting strategy? "We'd have to say that... where we are right now it would be technology (XLK), communication services (XLC), consumer discretionary (XLY), and financials (XLF), we think are very important to own at this point," Oppenheimer Chief Investment Strategist John Stoltzfus tells Yahoo Finance, going on to share his outlook on Big Bank stocks. Stoltzfus finds himself in agreement with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon's commentary that the Fed cut won't be "earth-shattering" — "he's got a good point here" — while Stoltzfus still believes the Fed is doing "a good job." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan. Fed rate decision, size of rate cuts, Google in EU: 3 Things US stock futures (ES=F, NQ=F, YM=F) and US Treasury yields (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX) are moving higher in Wednesday's pre-market trading as the Federal Reserve is anticipated to cut interest rates for the first time in four years coming out of its September policy meeting later today. Investors are going back and forth on whether the central bank will ease rates by as little as 25 basis points or as much as 50 basis points. The CME FedWatch tool measures that 65% of investors are pricing in a 50-basis-point cut. Alphabet's Google (GOOG, GOOGL) won an antitrust suit in EU courts, overturning a $1.7 billion fine originally levied against the tech giant for its dominance in the advertising space. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan. Gold is having a moment — but silver is poised for its own: Morning Brief Silver has outperformed gold this year, but the second-fiddle metal has even more upside potential based on two key factors. Mixed markets ahead of Fed decision: Market Domination Overtime On today's episode of Market Domination Overtime, Hosts Josh Schafer and Josh Lipton analyze the market close and break down some of the biggest stories from the trading day. The major market averages closed mixed in Tuesday's session ahead of Wednesday's interest rate decision. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) touched slightly above its flat line, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell by 0.2% after notching a new all-time high Monday. As all eyes are on the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, Penn Mutual Asset Management portfolio manager George Cipolloni would like to see a 50-basis-point cut, explaining that "the market shifted so much over the last week or so” that a 25 basis point cut could be disappointing. "I think the Fed has done a really good job in terms of just holding the line, not pivoting too soon, but now with the expectation of the market… this is going to be the most uncertain FOMC meeting [since 2015].” Instagram will be offering new teen accounts on the social media platform that will restrict exposure to sensitive content and limit app usage. Yahoo Finance tech editor Dan Howley reports on the safety and privacy features Meta Platforms (META) will be providing to younger users after major criticisms around the app's impact on children and teenagers' mental health. Finally, Josh Schafer and Josh Lipton break down what to watch on Wednesday, September 18, from the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision to General Mills' (GIS) fiscal first quarter earnings. This post was written by Melanie Riehl Fed has enough data to cut despite political pressure: Strategist The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates at its September meeting on Wednesday. Hennion & Walsh CIO Kevin Mahn joins Josh Lipton and Josh Schafer on Market Domination to discuss what to expect and how investors should think about the rate change. “I think we get 25 basis points, but with that said, I do believe they should have cut already back in July, and this would represent the second 25 basis point cut, which would lead us to 50 basis points,” Mahn tells Yahoo Finance. “In fact, I believe in all likelihood we revert back to their dot plot chart that we saw coming into 2024, which showed three rate cuts of 25 basis points each this year,” Mahn says. There are three Fed meetings remaining in 2024. In the longer term, Mahn notes that the Fed could make three rate cuts of 25 basis points per year in 2025 and 2026 so that “We're 225 basis points lower by the end of 2026, and we get back down to a rate of between 3 and 3.25%.” As to how investors should be thinking about the cuts, Mahn encourages people to think about the long term. “If you look out a little bit further, I think it's clear…that rates are going to be lower, yields are going to be lower, and inflation is going to be lower over the course of the next two years. If investors have that mindset and that time frame, there are tremendous opportunities in both stocks and bonds.” Watch the video above to hear Mahn explain why the Fed can feel comfortable cutting rates despite political pressure. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan. Fed 'dot plot' suggests central bank will slash interest rates two more times in 2024 after mega 50 basis-point cut Central bank officials predict changes to come with interest rates expected to tick down to 4.4% this year. These Are The Best Robinhood Stocks To Buy Or Watch Now Buying a stock is easy, but purchasing the right one without a proven strategy is incredibly hard. Here are the best Robinhood stocks to buy now. Equity Markets Eke Out Gains Ahead of Fed Decision Equity Markets Eke Out Gains Ahead of Fed Decision Stocks Fluctuate With Fed Decision Coming Shortly: Markets Wrap (Bloomberg) -- Stocks wavered amid uncertainties on how aggressive the Federal Reserve will be with rate cuts after holding them at a two-decade high for more than a year. Most Read from BloombergCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughPipe Fire Near Houston Forces Residents to EvacuateTo Build a Happier City, Design for DensityLondon Mayor Plans to Pedestrianize Busy Oxford StreetNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrades for Grand Central, Subway Three stocks to note before the Fed rate cut decision Here are the stocks making the biggest market moves. US Equity Indexes Rise in Choppy Trading Ahead of Fed's Policy Move, Guidance on Easing Path US Equity Indexes Rise in Choppy Trading Ahead of Fed's Policy Move, Guidance on Easing Path Stocks Flat as Fed Interest-Rate Decision Looms The market remains in a holding pattern ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision. The Dow was up 2 points, or nearly unchanged. The S&P 500 was up 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite was flat. The yield on the 2-year Treasury note was up to 3. Wells Fargo Set to Capitalize Any S&P 500 Weakness as Presidential Election, Rate-Cut Cycle Approaches Wells Fargo Set to Capitalize Any S&P 500 Weakness as Presidential Election, Rate-Cut Cycle Approaches Solar panel giant to axe a fifth of its workforce One of Europe’s largest solar panel manufacturers has announced it will cut about 200 jobs as it battles to return to profitability amid stiff competition from China. All Eyes on Fed Decision: Will Small-Caps Finally Take the Baton? The Fed is about to cut its benchmark policy rate for the first time in more than four years. Next Federal Reserve Meeting: The Fed Rate-Cut Outlook And What It Means For The S&P 500 Fed meetings are always a mark-your-calendar event for investors. The Sept. 17-18 meeting is especially important. Fed Meeting: Rate Cuts Likely To Start With A Bang. The S&P 500 Reaction May Be Especially Wild. This week's Federal Reserve meeting will kick off a new easing cycle. Wall Street expects a half-point rate cut as the S&P 500 aims at a new high. Traders Lock In Fed Bets as Rate-Cut Size Debate to Finally End (Bloomberg) -- Bond investors that have been frantically wagering on the size of the Federal Reserve’s first interest-rate cut in four years are about to find out whether they made the right trade.Most Read from BloombergCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughPipe Fire Near Houston Forces Residents to EvacuateTo Build a Happier City, Design for DensityLondon Mayor Plans to Pedestrianize Busy Oxford StreetNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrades Stocks Hold Steady Ahead of Fed Rate Cut The moment the market has been building toward since late last year is finally here: The Federal Reserve is poised to cut interest rates today. The Dow was down 76 points, or 0.2% in Wednesday morning trading. The Nasdaq Composite was flat.