#FOMCMeeting *Midday News:*

*Wall Street's major indexes rose on Wednesday as market focus shifted from escalating hostilities in the Middle East to the Federal Reserve's upcoming monetary policy decision expected later in the day.*

*Oil prices fell nearly 2% at midday after U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran is seeking negotiations, which also helped lift equities.*

*Investors will closely watch Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's remarks to understand how he plans to address the risk of rising prices, which remains a central concern for the Fed. The central bank is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at the meeting.*

*Matt Stucky, Chief Equity Portfolio Manager at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management, said, "Compared to the last FOMC meeting, trade tensions have eased," but it remains to be seen whether the Fed will revise its comments or projections related to the inflationary impact of tariffs.*

*According to the CME Group's FedWatch tool, ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision, movements in the money market indicate that traders expect interest rates to be cut by approximately 45 basis points by the end of 2025, with a 55% probability of a 25-basis-point cut in September.*

*Following a strong month of stock trading in May, the benchmark S&P 500 Index (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) were nearing historic highs before ongoing conflict in the Middle East led investors to seek safer assets.*

*The S&P 500 is currently 2.3% below its all-time high, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq remains 2.7% lower.*

*Investors have remained concerned that the United States may become more directly involved in the aerial conflict between Israel and Iran.*

*A source familiar with internal discussions stated that U.S. President Donald Trump and his team are considering multiple options, including joining Israel in striking Iran's nuclear facilities.*