As the week comes to a close, let’s take a look at the top stories that shaped the week.
Trump Wants Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Shares To Rise
President Donald Trump’s administration is working to boost the shares of Federal National Mortgage Association (OTC:FNMA) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (OTC:FMCC) before a potentially historic IPO. This move could significantly impact the housing finance industry. Bill Ackman, a billionaire investor and long-time advocate for these companies, revealed the administration’s intentions.
History Warns: S&P 500 Often Slips After Fed Rate Cuts
The Federal Reserve‘s anticipated 25 basis point rate cut might not have the expected impact on the stock market. Historical data from the past 25 years suggests that the S&P 500 often struggles after a rate cut. The median return in the 30 trading sessions following a rate reduction was -0.31%, with the average return being -1.20%.
Nvidia Leads $23.9 Trillion Empire
The combined market cap of the top 10 most valuable U.S. companies, including Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), has reached $23.9 trillion. This figure surpasses the total economies of China and Germany, the second and third-largest economies globally, as per the latest International Monetary Fund data.
Pope Leo Slams Elon Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Pay Package
In his first media interview, Pope Leo XIV criticized the excessive compensation packages of corporate executives, particularly singling out Elon Musk‘s $1 trillion pay plan. The Pope expressed concerns about the growing income gap between the working class and the wealthy, highlighting Musk’s recent $1 trillion compensation plan for Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) as an example of this disparity.
Tech Stocks Soar As Fed Cuts Rates
Following the Federal Reserve‘s 25-basis-point rate cut and Fed Chair Jerome Powell‘s indication of further easing, tech stocks rallied. The Nasdaq 100, tracked by the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ), rebounded from earlier losses and turned positive. This marks the Fed’s fourth rate reduction in the current easing cycle and its first move after a nine-month pause.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
