Reactions to Jerome Powell's comments at Jackson Hole. Walmart, Home Depot and retail earnings. Palantir declines.

Financial markets are looking for any indication that a rate cut is coming during the annual summit in Wyoming, which sees Federal Reserve Governors, policymakers and economists gather. President Trump has made no secret of his desire for Fed Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates.

Investors are bracing for volatility as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell walks a fine line between curbing inflation and supporting the labor market, with thin August trading poised to magnify any market moves from his Jackson Hole speech on Friday.

US stocks rose on Friday with the Dow leading gains, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq traded more cautiously as investors braced for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s address at Jackson Hole. European markets closed higher,

The Federal Reserve’s annual conference, hosted by the Kansas City Fed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, began Thursday evening with a dinner for the central bankers, economists and journalists who have flown in from around the world.

This year’s summit carries additional weight: it will be Powell’s last appearance at Jackson Hole as Fed chair before his term ends in May 2026. It also comes at a time of mounting pressure from both Wall Street and the White House, as President Donald Trump continues to push the central bank to align with his tariff-driven economic agenda.

Wall Street pointed modestly higher before the bell Friday as markets tried to snap a weeklong losing streak ahead of widely anticipated speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.