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[ad_1] MSCI’s global equities index lost ground on Wednesday after weaker-than-expected overseas data and as investors monitored a heating up of American-Chinese trade tensions while they awaited upcoming U.S. economic data and second-quarter earnings. Investors shrugged off U.S. Federal Reserve meeting minutes released on Wednesday that showed a Fed united in its June meeting decision to hold interest rates steady to buy time to assess whether further hikes would be needed. Minutes also showed most members expecting more policy tightening eventually. “If we continue to see a cooling of inflation, there may not be any further rate hikes, but nothing to that end was disclosed in the Fed minutes," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles. “We’ll have a much better sense after we get another major data point on Friday with the jobs report and the inflation data next week." Putting a damper on equities overseas was the rele...

[ad_1] Last Updated: July 04, 2023, 00:54 IST New York, United States of America (USA) The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index was the outlier for the day, edging up 0.2 percent to finish at 13,816.77. The lackluster start to trading in the second half of the year followed a bumper first half buoyed by investor enthusiasm for companies involved in generative AI US stocks closed marginally higher after a muted half-day of trading ahead of the July fourth Independence Day holiday. The lackluster start to trading in the second half of the year followed a bumper first half buoyed by investor enthusiasm for companies involved in generative artificial intelligence, from chipmakers to software firms. “Whenever you have a half day, you shouldn’t expect much activity in either direction — and that’s exactly what we got today," Art Hogan from B. Riley Wealth Management told AFP. “I think we’ll get back in the game on Wednesday," he added. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished alm...