High interest rates have held back investment in production. They’ve eased, but firms are wary of the effects of potential tariffs and tax cuts.

The National Association of Homebuilders reported its third straight month of improvement in its homebuilder confidence index, even though permits for new housing construction were down nearly 8% year over year.

On Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell wouldn’t rule out an interest rate hike next year, though that’s not the plan at this point.

The rate cut follows a larger half-point reduction in September.

We’ll unpack what a Trump win means for stocks, bonds, tariffs, interest rates and more.

The Federal Reserve’s easing of interest rates may be one factor that turned the mood around. Another could be the election.

The PCE index could come in at the central bank’s much-vaunted target of 2% inflation.

While there’s a lot of new economic data coming out between now and then, it will probably be relevant for later Fed meetings.

The September rate cut raised hopes for a sturdy labor market into next year and beyond. The effect on jobs, though, may take time.

Inflation in the European Union has cooled sharply, but the economy could still use a boost.