Ahead of Wednesday’s press conference following the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, markets anticipated a hawkish response due to recent higher-than-expected inflation figures.

The Commerce Department’s advanced GDP print released on Thursday showed the U.S. economy grew 1.6% in the January-through-March period (Q1) of 2024…

U.S. stock markets saw a decline for the week due to increased concerns about conflict in the Middle East and ongoing inflation worries, leading to higher long-term Treasury yields.

Tensions in the Middle East and the possibility of U.S. interest rates remaining “higher for longer” weigh on sentiment.

Financial markets got off to a quiet start this week, as investors awaited the release of the U.S. consumer inflation data on Tuesday.