US stocks pushed higher on Friday as Wall Street counted down to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's highly anticipated speech at Jackson Hole.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose around 0.6%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) moved up about 0.3%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) inched up nearly 0.1% — all on the heels of another downbeat day for stocks.
The US benchmark indexes are on track for a weekly loss as tech stocks got beaten up by AI trade doubts.
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On Friday, all eyes are on Powell's highly anticipated speech in Jackson Hole, signaling whether an interest rate cut is coming next month amid division among Fed rate-setters about the path of monetary policy. His remarks are likely to shake up rate-cut bets, already waning after a weak monthly jobs report. Traders are losing faith in an easing in September, pricing in about 70% odds of a cut on Friday, compared with 85% a week ago.
The Fed chair is also expected to lay out changes to the central bank's framework review when he speaks at 10 a.m. ET — potentially shaping monetary policy for years to come.
The White House will be watching as closely as Wall Street as President Trump continues to push the Fed and Powell to lower rates. Trump this week opened a new front in his public pressure campaign, with a call for the resignation of Fed governor Lisa Cook for alleged mortgage fraud.
On the earnings front, Zoom (ZM) stock popped Friday after reporting an AI boost, and Ross Stores (ROST) jumped as shoppers sought discounts amid tariffs. Intuit (INTU) and Workday (WDAY), meanwhile, slid.LIVE10 updates
42 mins ago
Grace O'Donnell
Nio stock rises after the Tesla rival unveils affordable SUV
Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio (NIO) revealed its new ES8 SUV on Thursday, sending US-listed shares of the Tesla (TSLA) rival 5% higher in premarket trading on Friday. The stock was the No. 1 trending ticker on Yahoo Finance on Friday morning.
The SUV is one of Nio's most affordable yet, with prices starting at 308,800 yuan (approximately $43,000) with a battery subscription plan. The plan allows customers to pay lower upfront costs for the vehicle and then upgrade batteries for a monthly fee.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in late September. Today at 12:20 PM UTC
Grace O'Donnell
US sectors in spotlight ahead of Fed's Jackson Hole gathering
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech in Jackson Hole, Wyo., today is expected to provide investors with a signal on whether an interest rate cut is coming next month, which could have wide-ranging implications for many parts of the economy.
Reuters broke down how some of the most rate-sensitive stocks have fared since the Fed kicked off its rate-cutting cycle in September 2024:
Read more here. Today at 11:51 AM UTC
Jenny McCall
Premarket trending tickers: Intuit, WorkDay and AMD
Here's a look at some of the top stocks trending in premarket trading:
Intuit Inc. (INTU) stock fell 6% before the bell on Friday after forecasting first-quarter revenue growth below analysts' estimates on Thursday.
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Workday's (WDAY) stock dropped on Friday before the bell after the software company raised its full-year subscription revenue forecast on Thursday, but a forecast in line with expectations for the current quarter pushed the human resources software provider’s shares down.
AMD (AMD) shares fell 1% in premarket trading following the news that Nvidia (NVDA) has told partners to halt work on H20 chip for China. Today at 11:50 AM UTC
Grace O'Donnell
Zoom stock jumps as Enterprise revenue accelerates
Shares of Zoom (ZM) jumped 5% in premarket trading on Friday after the communications software provider posted earnings that beat Wall Street estimates and raised its full-year outlook.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan highlighted artificial intelligence as a driver of its strong quarter, with its AI agents underpinning profit growth.
The company posted earnings per share of $1.16, compared to Wall Street analyst estimates for $0.72, per S&P Global Market Intelligence. Revenue rose 5% to $1.2 billion, bolstered by 7% growth in Enterprise revenue. The company's monthly churn rate remained flat year over year at 2.9%.
Despite Friday's gain, the stock is still down 10% year to date, underperforming the S&P 500's (^GSPC) 8% gain. Today at 11:34 AM UTC
Jenny McCall
Good morning. Here's what's happening today.
Economic data: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium
Earnings: BJ's Wholesale (BJ), Buckle (BKE)
Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning:
The stage is set for Powell's final Jackson Hole speech
Meta, Google sign $10 billion cloud services megadeal
Nvidia tells partners to halt work on H20 chip for China, stock falls
Traders need a green light from Powell to keep stocks rallying
Nvidia in talks with US over a new chip for China: CEO Huang
Nike eyes China growth, with outdoor sports revamp at the center
Musk tried to enlist Zuckerberg to help fund his bid for OpenAI Today at 11:30 AM UTC
Karen Friar
Meta's hiring freeze is a Meta problem, not an AI problem
Meta's (META) absurd AI job offers were a way to overcome its disadvantages, a sign of desperation rather than a show of strength, Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban says in a takeaway from today's Morning Brief.
Read more here. Today at 11:00 AM UTC
Karen Friar
Nvidia stock slides as company freezes H20 work, navigates China pressures ahead of earnings
Shares in Nvidia slid in premarket after the chipmaker reportedly told its suppliers to halt work on production of its China-tailored H20 AI chip.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Friday that the AI bellwether is in talks with the Trump administration over a potential new semiconductor — the "B30A" — designed for Chinese techs to use.
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Nvidia told component suppliers such as Foxconn (2317.TW, HNHPF), Samsung Electronics (SSNLF, 005930.KS), and Amkor Technology (AMKR) to suspend work on the H20, per The Information and Reuters.
Those orders came after Beijing urged Chinese companies to avoid using Nvidia's AI chip. The move to restrict sales was prompted by what China deemed "insulting" remarks from US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
Huang was asked about a possible “B30A” semiconductor for AI data centers for China while on a visit to Taiwan on Friday. The Nvidia CEO was there to meet key partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSM), the world's biggest chip manufacturer.
“I’m offering a new product to China for ... AI data centers, the follow-on to H20,” Huang said, according to Reuters.
However, he added: "That’s not our decision to make. It’s up to, of course, the United States government. And we’re in dialogue with them, but it’s too soon to know.”
Nvidia has increasingly found itself having to navigate trade tensions between the US and China amid President Trump's reshaping of tariff policy.
With the chipmaker set to report second-quarter earnings next week, a key question for Wall Street is whether China will be part of its outlook.
"If NVDA were to include China in its guidance, we believe it would contribute an incremental $2-3 billion in revenue," KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst John Vinh wrote in a recent note. Today at 9:40 AM UTC
Karen Friar
Meta said to sign over $10 billion cloud services deal with Google
Google has struck a six-year cloud computing deal with Meta Platforms (META) worth more than $10 billion, according to reports late Thursday. It's the Alphabet-owned (GOOG, GOOGL) search giant's second big agreement recently, after one with OpenAI (OPAI.PVT).
Alphabet shares rose over 1% after the reports. Meanwhile, Meta stock ticked slightly higher to put the megacaps on track for an upbeat Friday to end a rough week for Big Techs.
Reuters reports:
Read more here. Today at 9:20 AM UTC
Karen Friar
Bond market rate-cut bets face a Powell reckoning at Jackson Hole
Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech — slated for 10 a.m. ET — has been the focal point for the bond market this week, for good reason. In recent years, Powell has used the occasion to make market-moving policy news, with investors zeroing in on whether Fed chair pushes back on the current pricing for rate cuts.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here. Today at 1:49 AM UTC
Rian Howlett
Nvidia puts a pause on production of Chinese H20 chips
Bloomberg reports:
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Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq rise ahead of Powell speech
Published 2 months ago
Aug 21, 2025 at 11:26 PM
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