President Trump visits the Fed to push for lower rates ahead of July FOMC

Buoyant equity markets follow announcement of US-Japan trade deal

Pressure mounts on Federal Reserve over renovation costs, mandate

A discussion of key themes in the week ahead.

Trump's Brazil tariffs tied to Bolsonaro trial threaten trade war escalation, post-deal policy uncertainty.

Reciprocal tariff rates and new sector-based levies bring back protectionist push.

A discussion of key themes in the week ahead.

In contrast to sluggish equities trading, Treasuries rallied on Wednesday as unexpectedly weak domestic data fanned optimism for Fed accommodation. The dollar weakened notwithstanding an anticipated ECB rate cut on Thursday. Ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza did not appear any closer while ongoing trade negotiations did not yield any breakthroughs. CBO estimates figured heavily in legislative narratives on Capitol Hill. The Fed's Beige Book signaled slowing growth and labor mark

With global equity indices approaching all-time highs, relatively calm markets belied diplomatic, policy, and economic uncertainty ahead of crucial meetings and data releases this week. Restrictive trade measures presented global headwinds and prompted reduced OECD growth forecasts. Middle East instability and a precarious path forward for Ukraine highlighted geopolitical risks. While the Senate contended with an Independence Day target for passing President Trump's 'Big Beau