Finance & Markets

Fed signaled a rate pause at yesterday's FOMC meeting

The Federal Reserve held rates steady at 4.25–4.50% and removed language about "further increases." Chair Powell's press conference emphasized data dependency, but the dot plot shows a median expectation of two cuts by year-end. Bond markets immediately priced in a July cut at 78% probability.

Three stocks in your watchlist hit 52-week lows

NVIDIA (NVDA) dropped 8% on supply chain concerns out of Taiwan. Shopify (SHOP) fell 6% after weak Q4 guidance. CrowdStrike (CRWD) declined 5% following a downgrade from Morgan Stanley. In each case, the underlying business fundamentals remain intact — these may be entry opportunities if your thesis hasn't changed.

Bitcoin broke through $95k resistance — here's what on-chain data suggests

BTC crossed $95,000 for the first time since the January correction. On-chain metrics are bullish: exchange balances are at 3-year lows (accumulation signal), long-term holder supply is increasing, and the MVRV ratio suggests the market is not yet overheated. The ETF inflows this week totaled $2.1B.

Personal finance: high-yield savings rates quietly dropped

Several major online banks cut their APY this week. Ally went from 4.20% to 3.90%, Marcus from 4.10% to 3.85%. If you're holding significant cash, Treasury bills at 4.5%+ remain a better option. I-bonds reset their rate next month — current composite is 3.11%.

Economic indicator watch: unemployment claims ticked up

Initial jobless claims came in at 225,000, above the 210,000 estimate. Continuing claims rose to 1.89M. One week of data is noise, but this is the third consecutive week above estimates. Worth monitoring alongside next Friday's jobs report for a clearer trend.