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NEW YORK (Reuters) -Investors who may have been hoping the Federal Reserve is poised to come to the aid of tariff-rattled markets took away an unwelcome message from the central bank's chief on Wednesday: the Fed may be in a bind. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank would wait for more data on the economy's direction before changing interest rates. Speaking to the Economic Club of Chicago, he noted that there was a potentially tough situation developing for the Fed in which inflation is pushed higher by tariffs while growth and potentially, employment, weaken.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates for the seventh time in a year on Thursday and warned that economic growth will take a big hit from U.S. tariffs, bolstering bets for even more policy easing in the months ahead. The ECB has taken borrowing costs to their lowest level since late 2022 as the sharp post-pandemic inflation spike has largely disappeared and fast-moving changes to trade policies sap business confidence and depress growth. "Downside risks to economic growth have increased," Lagarde told a press conference after policymakers agreed unanimously to cut the ECB's benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 2.25%.

(Reuters) -The ripple effects of Donald Trump's global trade war are increasingly being felt across numerous industries all at once and on Wednesday were once again exerting pressure on U.S. stock markets that have been roiled for weeks by his erratic trade policies. Stocks fell broadly, with tech stocks hit particularly hard after bellwethers like Nvidia that are highly tied into the world's supply chain warned of hits to their bottom line. Meanwhile, airlines said they are bracing for an uncertain summer travel season, and the head of the Federal Reserve noted slowing economic activity - but also cast a wary eye on the threat that tariffs pose to its goal of lowering inflation.

Hertz shares soared Wednesday after billionaire Bill Ackman’s investment firm Pershing Square disclosed a sizable stake in the struggling rental car company.

Stalling dealmaking has dragged revenues down, and it's making some Trump-backers reconsider.

Netflix is slated to report first-quarter results after markets close Thursday, and options markets suggest traders are expecting a stock price big move in the following days.

The S&P 500 lost 2.2% on Wednesday, April 16, as the Federal Reserve chair discussed possible inflationary and economic consequences of tariffs.