Overview
- A 25 basis‑point reduction is widely expected at Wednesday’s meeting, with the policy statement due at 20:00 CET and Powell speaking at 20:30 CET.
- Equities were largely flat in cautious trading, with the DAX around 24,045 and the Dow closing at 47,739 after a modest pullback.
- Analysts flag unusually wide differences among FOMC members, heightening sensitivity to Powell’s remarks on the outlook and the neutral rate.
- China’s November exports rose 5.9% year over year, while shipments to the United States fell by nearly 29%, influencing regional sentiment.
- Deal headlines and earnings steered select stocks, as Paramount reportedly topped Netflix’s nearly $83 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery with a $108.4 billion offer and Thyssenkrupp posted a €532 million profit but warned of losses and capacity and job cuts ahead.