Wall Street set for record open as Fed cuts rates
Wall Street is gearing up for a record-breaking open this Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The buzz comes after the Federal Reserve made its first interest rate cut since December 2024, lowering rates by 0.25% to help out as job growth slows and inflation sticks around.
Intel's stock jumps after NVIDIA's $5 billion investment
Lower interest rates usually mean cheaper loans and more spending—good news if you're investing or thinking about big purchases.
Stocks jumped on the news: S&P 500 futures rose 0.8%, Dow Jones went up 0.7%, and Nasdaq climbed 1.1%.
Plus, Intel's stock soared over 28% after NVIDIA announced a $5 billion investment in custom data center and PC products—NVIDIA shares also got a nice boost.
Fed reacts to slower job gains and rising unemployment rate
The Fed says it's reacting to slower job gains and an unemployment rate that has risen but remains relatively low, even though inflation is still higher than they'd like.
They're hinting at more cuts later this year but are keeping options open depending on how things go with jobs and prices.
The move has sparked mixed reactions globally—European stocks are up, while Asian markets were mixed—demonstrating the global impact of US monetary policy decisions.