Stocks Climb as Trump Denies Plan to Fire Powell: Markets Wrap

Speculation about the fate of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell set off a short-lived tempest in financial markets Wednesday, with volatility mostly quelled after President Donald Trump said he has no plans to fire the central bank chief and was only discussing it in “concept.”

The S&P 500 bounced as Trump said he is “not planning on doing anything” to remove Powell, after a White House official said the president was likely to seek the Fed Chair’s ouster soon. Treasury two-year yields, which are more sensitive to imminent Fed moves, slid five basis points to 3.89%. The dollar halted a four-day advance. Softer-than-estimated inflation data also helped fuel the moves on Wednesday, reinforcing bets on Fed rate cuts in 2025.