U.S. equities continued their record-setting momentum on Wednesday as confidence in a forthcoming Federal Reserve rate cut intensified. Indeed, Wednesday’s action showcased the market’s faith in a near-term Federal Reserve rate cut, with indices at historic highs and cyclicals leading the rebound. While tariffs and moderation in growth are in sharp focus, risk-taking remains underpinned by expectations of easier monetary policy and resilient corporate earnings.T he
S&P 500
rose 20.82 points, or 0.3%, to close at 6,466.58, marking a fresh all-time high. The
Dow Jones Industrial Average
surged 463.66 points, or 1.04%, finishing at 44,922.27 and leading the day’s performance among major indices. The
Nasdaq Composite
increased 31.24 points, or 0.14%, to 21,713.14, supported by resilient tech leadership. The
Russell 2000
posted a robust advance, gaining 45.28 points (1.98%) to settle at 2,228.06, reflecting renewed buying interest in small caps.
Macroeconomic Reports
This week’s July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report reflected a steady year-over-year increase of 2.7%, matching June’s rate and offering reassurance that inflation remains contained even amid heightened tariff activity. This benign inflation backdrop bolstered market expectations for a Fed rate cut as soon as next month. Meanwhile, labor data pointed to moderate softness: weekly jobless claims inched higher, but retail sales and industrial output held steady, sustaining optimism for continued economic expansion.
Federal Reserve, Yield Curve & Interest Rates
With the CPI confirming inflation’s subdued tone, traders now price in a near-certain 25 basis-point interest rate cut at the FOMC’s mid-September meeting. The yield curve flattened further as yields slid, particularly on the front end, signaling heightened anticipation for monetary easing. The 2-yr closed at 3.683% and the 10-yr closed at 4.245%. Atlanta Fed President Bostic cited the pressure mounting on consumers and businesses, while Chicago Fed President Goolsbee highlighted risks posed by tariffs to both employment and inflation, advocating careful policy calibration.
Tariff and Trade News
President Trump extended tariff suspensions with China for 90 days and announced a 100% tariff on semiconductor imports—though domestic manufacturers may receive exemptions if they increase U.S. production. Additional increases were signaled for Indian imports due to geopolitical developments. While these tariffs are beginning to register in select pricing data, their headline impact on inflation remains muted for now, helping risk sentiment.
Corporate Headlines & Share Price Movements
NVIDIA
retreated slightly following its recent string of record highs closing at $181.59, as some investors locked in gains after strong earnings and aggressive product launches. Despite the dip, the company retained investor confidence, fueled by robust AI demand and positive analyst commentary.
Tesla (TSLA) edged .43% lower closing at $339.38, reflecting durable optimism around its upcoming robotaxi rollout and ongoing advances in electric vehicle technology. High trading volumes suggest continued bullish sentiment.
Meta Platforms
(META) consolidated recent gains, finishing at $780.08, -1.26% as attention turned to upcoming AI initiatives and a growing data center footprint. Meta remains among the standout performers year-to-date thanks to its ability to weather short-term privacy headwinds.
McDonald’s
(MCD) moved in tandem with defensive sectors closing 1.14% higher at $305.07, seeing little price movement as investors rotated into cyclicals. Its value-driven menu strategy continues to resonate but produced no significant market headlines Wednesday.
Oracle (ORCL)
traded 3.81% lower closing at $244.18 as traders digested today’s report that they had cut jobs within the fast-growing cloud infrastructure business and recent earnings-driven volatility. Longer-term optimism around cloud and AI integration underpins ongoing institutional interest.
Palantir Technologies
(PLTR) closed 1.39% lower at $184.37. The stock’s S&P 500 inclusion is driving heightened activity, liquidity and volatility.
Rio Tinto Group (RIO)
advanced modestly by .74% to close at $63.57, buoyed by a recovery in industrial metals prices. The group’s new investment in Australian bauxite indicates its commitment to long-term commodity leadership, though tariff exposure remains a watchpoint.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Buyouts
No significant S&P 500 M&A announcements or high-profile buyouts occurred Wednesday. Market participants remain alert for potential deals as companies adapt to shifting trade policy and monetary conditions.
IPO Activity (NYSE/Nasdaq)
Bullish Makes Blockbuster NYSE Debut
Bullish, the Peter Thiel-backed cryptocurrency exchange and owner of CoinDesk, delivered one of the most dramatic U.S. IPO debuts of the year on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Priced above range at $37 per share, the company raised $1.1 billion and commanded an initial market valuation of $5.4 billion. Demand was so robust that Bullish upsized its offering to 30 million shares from the originally planned 20.3 million, with underwriters (including JPMorgan, Jefferies, and Citigroup) holding an option to sell an additional 4.5 million shares over the next month.
The shares opened trading on the NYSE under ticker “BLSH” at $90, more than doubling the IPO price. Intraday, BLSH soared as high as $118 before settling back to close near $70—finishing its debut session up nearly 90% and granting the digital asset operator a market capitalization north of $10billion, at one point briefly exceeding $13billion. Trading was so intense that circuit breakers were triggered during the session.
The exceptional performance underscores Wall Street’s revived enthusiasm for regulated crypto platforms and has been fueled by a favorable U.S. regulatory climate under the Trump administration, as well as institutional interest. Indeed, major asset managers BlackRock and Ark Investment Management are reported to have shown strong interest in BLSH shares, targeting as much as $200million in aggregate investments.
Led by former NYSE President Tom Farley, Bullish targets sophisticated institutional clients, offering “mission-critical” digital asset trading and settlement services. Since launching in 2021, the exchange has processed more than $1.25trillion in trading volume and, with its public debut, joins the ranks of a select few publicly traded digital asset companies in the U.S. Bullish signals confidence in the long-term trajectory of centralized crypto exchanges and stablecoin markets, planning to deploy a large share of IPO proceeds into stablecoin development and broader blockchain adoption.
The success of the Bullish IPO further cements digital asset companies as major contenders on U.S. equity markets this year, following high-profile listings like Circle and Figma, and is likely to accelerate listing plans for peers such as Gemini and Grayscale.
Commodities & Cryptocurrencies Closing Prices
- Gold:
Fell 0.04% to $3,407.10/oz. - Silver:
Declined 0.04% to $38.57/oz. - Oil (WTI):
Edged higher to $62.74/barrel. - Bitcoin (BTC):
Traded to another all-time high of $123,750 today.
