A previously unloved corner of the U.S. stock market has quietly emerged as one of the top performers of the S&P 500, reshaping Wall Street over the past few months. Surging over 23% year to date, the S&P 500’s utilities sector has been the second-best performer among the large-cap benchmark index’s 11 sectors so far in 2024.

The US stock markets opened higher on Friday, September 13, as investors re-evaluated the possibility of a bigger rate cut from the United States Federal Reserve (FED). ;

Wall Street's main indexes closed higher on Friday as investors honed in on the chance of a bigger interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week, with rate-sensitive small cap stocks outperforming.

Key Takeaways Markets on Friday saw a nearly 50/50 chance the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates by half a percentage point at its pivotal policy meeting next week.Former New York Fed President Bill Dudley said at a conference on Friday that signs of a weakening labor market made a "strong case" for a cut of that size.

US stocks advanced on Friday as investors began to price in greater odds of a half-point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve at its policy meeting next week, fuelling risk appetite across the world.

The Federal Reserve's upcoming monetary policy meeting has markets on edge, with uncertainty over the extent of interest rate cuts. Investors are keenly watching for signals on economic projections and future rate outlooks,

On the eve of next week’s crucial Federal Reserve meeting, markets managed to staunch the wounds suffered last week with a pair of positive inflation reports.