On today's podcast:
1) The US and European Union agreed on a hard-fought deal that will see the bloc face 15% tariffs on most of its exports, including automobiles, staving off a trade war that could have delivered a hammer blow to the global economy.
2) US and Chinese officials are meeting Monday to extend their tariff detente beyond a mid-August deadline, and haggle over other ways to further defuse trade tensions.
3) Wall Street pros are staring down a pivotal week that will likely set the tone for the rest of the year in markets and the economy.First and foremost is the conclusion of the Federal Reserve’s meeting on Wednesday, and although it isn’t expected to cut interest rates, traders and investors will be poring over commentary for clues about the path ahead. Then there’s a string of Big Tech earnings with Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and Microsoft Corp. all reporting. And sprinkled throughout are some key indicators on the state of the economy, from gross domestic product to nonfarm payrolls.