{
  "id": 5447569,
  "title": "US stocks rise on hopes Fed will leave rates unchanged",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/us-stocks-rise-on-hopes-fed-will-leave-rates-unchanged",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-03T23:55:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTHK News - Finance",
    "slug": "rthk-news-finance",
    "url": "https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1868749-20260904.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "U.S. stocks experienced a significant rally on Thursday, as investors tempered their expectations of interest rate hikes following comments from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller. Waller suggested he would be open to maintaining key interest rates steady, should data indicate that inflationary pressures are easing. As a result, Wall Street's major indexes saw at least a 1% increase, with the Nasdaq benefiting from gains in AI-related megacap stocks known as the \"Magnificent Seven.\"\n\nThe Federal Reserve's market outlook was modified by Waller's remarks, with the likelihood of a rate hike at the upcoming September meeting dropping to 50.4% from 63.2% the previous day, according to CME's FedWatch tool. The benchmark U.S. Treasury yield experienced a decline for the second consecutive day, after peaking at its highest level since November 2023. This price movement reflected a global bond sell-off driven by concerns over inflation, mounting debt, and geopolitical uncertainties.\n\nInvestment professionals attributed the broad market boost to Waller's remarks, which are providing a sense of reassurance for investors. While the broader market indices benefited, individual sectors continued to show differentiation. Notably, the semiconductor industry saw strong results from a recent earnings report, while the software sector displayed mixed outcomes.\n\nEconomic reports on Thursday were generally positive, highlighting low jobless claims and an acceleration in the service sector. However, services input prices hit the highest level since October 2022, and the international trade gap widened by 24.4%. On Friday, the Labor Department is set to release its August employment report, which is expected to show the U.S. economy added 56,000 jobs last month, keeping the unemployment rate steady at 4.1%.\n\nFor the week, the S&P 500 gained 1.1%, reaching 7,478; the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.2%, closing at 53,686; and the Nasdaq climbed 1.4%, closing at 26,584. The reporting and analysis were conducted by Robert Kemp.",
  "summary": "Wall Street rallied on Thursday as investors curbed their rate hike bets after US Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he would support holding the Fed funds target rate steady if data shows inflationary pressures are abating. All three major US stock indexes closed at least 1 percent higher, with the Nasdaq enjoying a boost from the \"Magnificent Seven\" group of AI-related megacap…",
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. stocks rise 1% on Thursday amid hopes Fed will keep rates unchanged",
    "Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller suggests maintaining interest rates steady",
    "Nasdaq benefits from gains in AI-related megacap stocks, the Magnificent Seven"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller's suggestion of potentially keeping interest rates steady has calmed investor concerns, leading to a market rally and reassuring those wary of further rate hikes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times - Top News",
        "title": "Global Market Today: Asian stocks rise as Fed rate-hike bets ease",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/global-market-today-asian-stocks-rise-as-fed-rate-hike-bets-ease",
        "published": "2026-09-04T00:49:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Asian benchmarks mostly rise after tech stocks lead rally on Wall Street",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/asian-benchmarks-mostly-rise-after-tech-stocks-lead-rally-on-wall",
        "published": "2026-09-04T03:24:45.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}