Updated 1 min read
In This Article:
US stocks wavered on Wednesday, with the prospect of the US joining Israel-Iran hostilities keeping investors on edge as they braced for the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision later in the day.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI), S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) were all with less than 0.1% of the flat line at the open.
Markets are on alert for any sign that the US has joined the Middle East conflict, which has swung stocks around since it broke out last week. President Trump said, "Our patience is wearing thin," and met with his national security team on Tuesday, raising speculation that the US could join Israel's offensive. Iran has warned it will respond firmly if the US crosses a red line into involvement and has reportedly readied missiles for strikes on US bases in the region if it does.
Oil prices ticked higher, recovering ground after falling 1% earlier Wednesday morning. Brent futures (BZ=F), the international benchmark, rose to above $76 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) crude traded just above $75.
Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs
Against that background, attention is turning to the Fed's policy decision due at 2 p.m. ET, when the central bank is expected to hold interest rates steady. The focus is on the "dot plot" to shed light on whether two rate cuts are still on the table this year. Investors will watch Chair Jerome Powell's press conference for insight into pressures on the economy amid Trump's tariffs and trade push.
Meanwhile, weekly jobless claims remained near their highest level in eight months.
LIVE 9 updates
Stocks stall at the open
US stocks wavered on Wednesday, with the prospect of the US joining Israel-Iran hostilities keeping investors on edge as they braced for the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision later in the day.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI), S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) were all with less than 0.1% of the flat line at the open.
Weekly unemployment claims hover near 8-month high
Weekly claims for unemployment benefits remained near their highest level in eight months during the second full week of June, while the number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance on an ongoing basis also remained near the highest level since November 2021.
Data from the Department of Labor released Thursday morning showed 245,000 initial jobless claims were filed in the week ending June 14, down from 250,000 seen the week prior and in line with economists' expectations.
Meanwhile, 1.945 million continuing claims were filed. This marked a slight move down from 1.951 million the week prior, which had been the highest level since November 2021. Economists see an increase in continuing claims as a sign that those out of work are taking longer to find new jobs.
Circle stock gains after stablecoin legislation advances in Congress
Shares of the largest US stablecoin issuer, Circle (CRCL), popped 3% after the Senate passed new legislation that would establish a framework for dollar-backed cryptocurrencies known as stablecoins.
The GENIUS Act still needs to move through the House and President Trump before it's signed into law, but the bill's passage in the Senate was heralded as a win for the crypto industry, which has been pushing for clearer and more positive regulation.
“I feel really good about [this bill],” Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy and operations at Circle, told Yahoo Finance's David Hollerith and Jennifer Schonberger.
Circle stock debuted on the public markets on June 5 in an explosive IPO. Since its debut, Circle stock is up more than 380%.
Hasbro stock falls after toymaker cut 3% of workforce
Toymaker Hasbro (HAS) announced Tuesday it cut 3% of its global workforce, or about 150 employees, as part of a larger cost-cutting effort. The stock fell 3% in premarket trade on Wednesday.
The Monopoly maker has been navigating President Trump's tariffs and trade war, especially with China, where it sources about half of its toys and games. The company is working to diversify its supply chain. and reduce its exposure to China.
"Ultimately, tariffs translate into higher consumer prices, potential job losses as we adjust to absorb increased costs, and reduced profits for our shareholders," Hasbro's CEO Chris Cocks said during an earnings call in April, per Reuters.
Trending tickers: AMD, Tesla and Micron
Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading:
AMD (AMD) stock rose over 1% in premarket trading on Wednesday, following the news it plans to partner with Microsoft to develop custom chips to power the next range of Xbox systems.
Tesla (TSLA) stock was up before the bell today. A Bloomberg report on Wednesday said that Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI was burning through $1B a month as costs of building its AI models increased.
Micron (MU) shares rose 1% today in premarket trading, following Wells Fargo analysts maintaining a Buy rating for the tech stock and a price target of $130.00.
Investors still aren't buying this stock rally
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is back trading near record highs, but there's still skepticism on Wall Street, Yahoo Finance's Allie Canal reports:
Good morning. Here's what's happening today.
Nintendo stock hits record as sales of Switch 2 boom amid tariff risks
Oil gains maintained with potential US involvement in Israel-Iran conflict in focus
Oil is holding gains after spiking to a five-month high on Tuesday. Concerns over the US joining the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran continue to bolster the value of the commodity.
Bloomberg reports:
Brent (BZ=F) traded above $76 a barrel after closing 4.4% higher in the previous session, while West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) was near $75. President Donald Trump met with his national security team on Tuesday, after demanding Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” and warning of a possible strike against the country’s leader — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — in a social media post.
Iran’s crude-exporting infrastructure has been spared so far, and most of the fallout has been confined to shipping. The Middle East produces around a third of the world’s oil and a wider conflict could drive prices even higher.
The biggest concern for the oil market centers on the Strait of Hormuz, although there are no signs that Iran is seeking to disrupt shipping through the narrow waterway. About a fifth of the world’s daily crude output passes through the strait at the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
