US equity futures are higher after Wednesday’s gains. European markets opened little changed, and Asian equities ended mixed. Markets reacted positively to a dovish-leaning Fed policy decision. The Fed kept rates unchanged and signaled greater uncertainty around the economic outlook, driven largely by ongoing tariff concerns. Although policymakers downgraded the US GDP growth outlook and raised inflation forecasts, Chair Powell indicated that tariff-driven inflation pressures may be temporary. The Fed also decided to slow the pace of quantitative tightening starting April 1st. Elsewhere, Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy voiced support for a ceasefire focused on energy infrastructure during discussions with President Trump, with both sides agreeing to collaborate on air defense systems and Ukraine’s electricity supply.
Companies Mentioned: SoftBank, Ampere, Carlyle, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), Beacon Roofing (NASDAQ:BECN) Supply, QXO, NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)