US equity-index futures gained, suggesting investors are regaining confidence after the Federal Reserve's decision to lower borrowing costs, even as questions linger over the path of future policy moves. Contracts for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 advanced around 0.4% in early trading Thursday, after the underlying benchmarks posted minor declines following the central bank's announcement. Stocks climbed to record highs this week as investors priced in a 25-basis-point cut ahead of Wednesday's meeting. While the Fed followed through, officials stressed policy will be decided "meeting by meeting" and warned "there's no risk-free path" ahead. Even so, policymakers now see two additional quarter-point cuts this year, which is one more than what was projected in June. We get reaction from George Schultze, Founder and CEO at Schultze Asset Management.

Meanwhile, Chinese focused ETFs rose overnight to provide a modest tailwind for Asian peers, despite US stocks and bonds slipping after the FOMC decision. For more on what's driving markets in the Asia-Pacific, we get the views of Stephanie Leung, Chief Investment Officer at StashAway.

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A solid reading on US retail sales Tuesday did little to sway markets, with attention firmly on the Federal Reserve meeting. Investors are looking for clues on the path of interest rates that will shape the outlook in the months ahead, with some bond traders stepping up options wagers that the central bank will deliver at least one half-point cut. We preview Wednesday's Fed decision with Bob Doll, President and CIO at Crossmark Global Investments.

Meantime, Asian stocks posted a modest drop at the open following a tepid Wall Street session, as investors held back ahead of Wednesday's rate announcement. Shares in Japan and South Korea retreated while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index edged 0.2% lower after nine consecutive days of gains. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% Tuesday and the Nasdaq 100 ended a nine-day winning streak. Equity-index futures for the US posted a small gain. We get insights from Sean Darby, Managing Director at Mizuho Securities Asia. He speaks with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Annabelle Droulers on The Asia Trade.

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Asian stocks posted modest gains at the open after Wall Street hit fresh highs ahead of an expected Federal Reserve interest-rate cut this week. Shares in Japan, Australia and South Korea opened higher, with the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index hovering near its record high. Bets on Fed easing sent the S&P 500 above 6,600 on Monday, while the Nasdaq 100 posted its longest advance since 2023. Meantime, Donald Trump's economic adviser Stephen Miran is on his way to joining the Federal Reserve board after the Senate confirmed him to the post in a vote Monday evening. The Senate voted largely along party lines to approve Miran's nomination, setting him up to walk into the Fed's Washington offices Tuesday morning in time for this week's FOMC meeting. We get the views of Katy Kaminski, Chief Research Strategist and Portfolio Manager at AlphaSimplex.

Plus - President Trump said he would speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday as US and Chinese officials reached a framework deal on keeping the TikTok app running in the US. It would be the first direct engagement between Trump and Xi since June. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the talks in Spain, told reporters that a framework to keep ByteDance's TikTok app running in the US had been reached. China's Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang also told reporters in Madrid that a framework of "consensus" had been reached on TikTok, while cautioning that Beijing won't sacrifice principles for a deal. We get reaction from Wendy Cutler, Vice President at the Asia Society Policy Institute. She speaks with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and Annabelle Droulers on The Asia Trade.

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