Finance

The Nasdaq Composite outperformed other benchmarks as tech stocks saw broad gains, specifically in the semiconductor industry. Intel shares jumped nearly 10% following reports of a domestic chip-manufacturing partnership with Apple, while Nvidia and Micron Technology also recorded significant advances.

In the first meeting chaired by Kevin Warsh, the Federal Open Market Committee maintained current interest rates but indicated a more aggressive stance toward inflation. Updated projections show that nearly half of the officials now anticipate at least one rate hike before the end of 2026, leading to a notable flattening of the Treasury yield curve.

Energy prices fell sharply on Thursday, with Brent and U.S. benchmark crude sliding over 3% as the new U.S.-Iran deal eased concerns regarding global oil flows. Simultaneously, gold spot prices faced pressure from the stronger dollar and hawkish central bank rhetoric, though they managed a slight intraday bounce from previous lows.