📈 Traders Brace For Fed's Decision

Good morning! 

January was a wild ride - The S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq all had impressive gains, but the real winner was the Nasdaq with an 11% increase, its best month since 2001. As for the past 24 hours, the S&P 500 climbed 1.5%, with the Dow Jones and Nasdaq close behind with gains of 1.1% and 1.7%, respectively. Traders are hanging on tight as they await the Fed's monetary policy decision. Despite a slight dip, the Stoxx 600 index still managed to climb 0.1%.Unfortunately, not everyone had a great month. Poor EA took a hit after their earnings report, with shares down 10.5% pre-market Wednesday after downgrading their full-year forecast. And the US housing market is feeling the chill, with prices down 2.5% since June and a 0.3% drop in November.

Markets

Stocks wrap up strong January as Fed decision looms (5 minute read)Stocks rose Tuesday, ending a wild January with lots of corporate earnings and the Fed's policy meeting starting up. The S&P 500 climbed 1.5%, with a 5% increase for the month. The Dow Jones and Nasdaq followed suit with 1.1% and 1.7% gains, respectively. The Nasdaq's 11% increase was its best month since 2001. Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury note's yield dropped slightly and the dollar index dipped by 0.21%.

European stocks nudge higher as markets await Fed’s latest rate decision (3 minute read)Euro traders were on a rollercoaster Wednesday, as they eagerly awaited the Fed's monetary policy decision. The Stoxx 600 index took a slight dip but still managed to climb 0.1%. Travel stocks took the lead with a 1.3% boost, while industries and construction weren't far behind. Unfortunately, insurance was the black sheep, losing 0.44%. The big question on everyone's mind is whether the Fed will crank up the interest rate another 25 points or hit the brakes.

Fed meeting, Exxon record, Eurozone skirts recession - what's moving markets (6 minute read)It's a busy week for the Fed as they huddle for a 2-day powwow amidst mixed economic signals. The IMF slightly raised their forecast, but the Eurozone's momentum hit a roadblock at the end of the year. Meanwhile, Big Oil struck black gold with a record profit and fast food giants, heavy machinery, and tech companies also cashed in. India's Gautam Adani was the belle of the ball, gathering enough bids to cover a crucial share offering in the Indian capital markets.

Investing

GSK bullish on 2023 as earnings beat expectations (2 minute read)GSK had a killer quarter, beating expectations with its shingles vaccine sales. Despite a dip in Covid-related revenue, the UK drugmaker remained optimistic for the year ahead. Fourth quarter sales hit £7.4bn ($9.11bn), down 3% from last year, but for the full year, they rose 13% to £29.3bn. GSK's quarterly profit was a whooping 25.8p per share, far surpassing the estimated 21.2p per share. Looks like GSK is on a roll, now that it's fully focused on drugs and vaccines.

Electronic Arts drops over 10% on slashed forecast, Star Wars delay (5 minute read)Electronic Arts (EA) took a hit with shares down 10.5% pre-market Wednesday, after they downgraded their full-year forecast. Their Q3 earnings per share (EPS) was $0.73 on revenue of $2.34 billion, which beat analyst expectations. However, Q4 net bookings dipped to $2.34B from last year's $2.58B, with EA blaming the tough economic climate for the drop in demand.

3 No-Brainer Stocks to Buy With $300 Right Now (7 minute read)Bear markets are just a temporary speed bump on the road to wealth on Wall Street. Thanks to commission-free online brokerages, even small amounts of cash like $300 can start building wealth. The Motley Fool suggests investing in PayPal (PYPL), Green Thumb Industries (GTBIF), and Baidu (BIDU) for a potential no-brainer return on your $300 investment. This article explores their reasons for this.

Money

US Housing Market Cools With Prices Down 2.5% From June Peak (3 minute read)The US housing market is feeling the chill with prices down 2.5% since June and a 0.3% drop in November. Blame it on last year's spike in mortgage rates causing the worst sales decline in over a decade. San Fran, where affordability was already tight, saw its biggest YoY price drop in a decade with a 1.6% decline.

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