|
The S&P 500 had already been climbing as investors grew more confident that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates by half a percentage point. Thursday's gain put the index in range of a closing record.
|
|
The decline in mortgage costs, influenced by expectations of the Federal Reserve's rate moves, could revive interest in buying, selling and remortgaging, economists said.
|
|
European markets closed higher Thursday as investors digested the latest monetary policy decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England.
|
|
The decision to hold comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve kicked off its own monetary easing with an aggressive 50 basis point rate cut.
|
|
Prominent Republicans have questioned the timing and size of the Fed rate cut ahead of the November presidential election.
|
|
Investors in Asia will parse Fed's decision, New Zealand GDP figures, August trade data from Malaysia, unemployment rate from Australia.
|
|
