U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during a press conference after the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 in Washington, DC, USA.
Kent Nishimura | Bloomberg | Getty Images
As expected, the US Federal Reserve kept its key interest rates unchanged at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%.
But what investors were really looking at were signs that the independent central bank had political marks.
“That case is probably the most important case in the 113-year history of the Fed. … It may be difficult to explain why I wasn’t there,” Chairman Jerome Powell said of his attendance at the case against Fed Director Lisa Cook, which will decide whether President Donald Trump can fire her.
Powell also had some advice for the next Fed chair. “Don’t get caught up in elected politics,” Powell said. “Please stop.”
The realm of politics is certainly a difficult area to navigate. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is currently visiting China, the first British leader to visit Beijing in eight years, and is expected to try to mend relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
According to a statement released by Chinese state media on Thursday, China and the UK will deepen cooperation in key areas, with some results already appearing.
Earnings also dominated the news. Metaplatforms, Microsoft, and Tesla reported earnings after the market closed. Meta and Tesla’s shares rose while Microsoft’s fell as investors were selective about compensation, even though both companies beat expectations for earnings per share and revenue.
On Wednesday, S&P 500 tonsIt reached the 7,000 level for the first time, but closed below that threshold. of USD The momentum intensified after the country’s Treasury secretary denied reports that the country was interfering in foreign exchange markets.
In Europe, deutsche bank The Swiss pharmaceutical company announced Thursday that it reported record profits for the final quarter of 2025. Roche’s By 2026, the company expects core earnings per share to grow in the “high single digits.”
meanwhile, gold Prices soared above $5,500, setting a new record high, but one analyst believes the precious metals market is “broken.” and apple It will next report earnings, but there is still much more for investors to monitor.
— CNBC’s Alex Harring contributed to this report.
