On Tuesday, February 18, U.S. markets closed in the green, with the S&P 500 reaching a record high amid a quiet session as investors awaited Fed minutes and retail earnings. Fed officials signaled a steady rate policy due to inflation concerns. Markets remain cautious as price growth accelerates and consumer sentiment weakens, with no immediate pressure on the Fed to cut rates.

In economic data, the NY Empire State Manufacturing Index rose 18.3 points in February to +5.7, surpassing market expectations of -1.

Most S&P 500 sectors advanced, led by energy, materials, and utilities, while communication services and consumer discretionary stocks declined.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.02% to close at 44,556.34, while the S&P 500 gained 0.24% to 6,129.58. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.07%, finishing at 20,041.26.

Asia Markets Today

Eurozone at 05:30 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was down 0.32%.
• Germany’s DAX declined 0.38%.
• France’s CAC fell 0.45%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded lower by 0.26%

Commodities at 05:30 AM ET

U.S. Futures at 05:30 AM ET

Dow futures were down 0.02%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.06%, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.07%.

Forex at 05:30 AM ET

• The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.12% to 107.21, USD/JPY was down 0.18% to 151.74, and USD/AUD slid 0.01% to 1.5743.
• The dollar remained stable Wednesday while the yen strengthened amid Ukraine ceasefire talks and new U.S. tariff threats.

Photo by Pavel Bobrovskiy via Shutterstock