Business, Stocks
By William Collins, consultant in stock markets – Eurasia Business News, October 16, 2025. Article no 1826
Dow futures edged slightly higher on Thursday morning as investors awaited a series of corporate earnings reports and speeches by several Federal Reserve officials.
The Mini Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YMUSD) rose 0.17%, gaining 81 points to reach 46,573. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures also recorded modest advances of 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively and Dow futures gained +0.3%.
Wall Street showed cautious optimism ahead of a busy earnings day featuring companies such as Charles Schwab, Bank of New York Mellon, and Travelers. This comes after strong bank earnings earlier in the week from Morgan Stanley and Bank of America lifted sentiment. U.S. chipmakers also surged after Dutch semiconductor firm ASML reported robust quarterly performance, reflecting ongoing enthusiasm around artificial intelligence—a theme powering gains despite trade tensions with China.
Investors are paying close attention to comments from Federal Reserve officials scheduled to speak throughout the day, including Governors Michelle Bowman, Christopher Waller, and regional heads Raphael Bostic and Jeffrey Schmid. Markets are currently pricing in a roughly 96% chance of a Fed rate cut at the October meeting and a second one before year-end, as policymakers assess labor market softness amid the continued government shutdown.
Trade tensions between the U.S. and China remain a key concern. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that “a trade war is in progress,” following China’s latest export restrictions, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at a possible pause in new tariffs. Gold prices climbed over 1% to new highs above 4,250 per ounce as investors sought safe-haven assets, while oil prices steadied despite supply concerns from renewed trade disruptions.
President Donald Trump has escalated tariffs on China significantly amid trade tensions. Currently, the U.S. imposes approximately 30-40% tariffs on many Chinese goods, with steel facing 50% and consumer products around 7.5%. Trump announced on October 10, 2025, plans to add an additional 100% tariff on top of existing ones, effective November 1 or sooner, potentially bringing some tariffs as high as 130-145%. These tariffs target a broad range of Chinese imports as retaliation for China’s export controls on critical rare earth elements, vital for electronics, defense, and automotive sectors.
Both gold and silver reach new highs this morning amid intensified safe-haven demand and rising expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Gold prices extended their rally to record levels, driven by safe-haven demand in response to prolonged U.S. political uncertainty, trade restrictions with China, and growing conviction in near-term interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
Read also : Gold : Build Your Wealth and Freedom
Silver, while slightly lower on the day, continues to outperform gold on a yearly basis due to strong industrial demand tied to green technology and electronics. Analysts note that the gold-to-silver ratio has narrowed to around 80:1, underscoring silver’s stronger momentum in recent months.
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© Copyright 2025 – Eurasia Business News. Article no. 1826
Founded in 2017, Eurasia Business News is an independent platform where are published articles on economy, finance, geopolitics, tax and legal issues in Europe, America and Asia. Our goal is to bring new and valuable insights to business leaders, policymakers, scholars and citizens. Articles are published in both English and French. Premium content is available for monthly subscribers. View all posts by Eurasia Business News
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