U.S. stocks rise across the board! Gold, silver, and oil prices rebound strongly

On February 18th, local time, stock markets in Europe and the United States experienced a broad rally. The three major U.S. stock indices all closed higher, with the UK FTSE 100 and France’s CAC 40 both reaching new historical highs during trading.

In the commodities market, precious metals and oil prices rose together.

The latest meeting minutes from the Federal Reserve indicate that participants expect inflation to gradually decline to the 2% target, but the pace and timing of the decline remain uncertain. Some participants believe that further rate cuts in the context of high inflation could weaken market confidence in the Fed’s inflation target commitment.

European and U.S. stock markets rise collectively

Data shows that on February 18th, local time, the three major U.S. stock indices all rose. By the close, the Dow increased by 0.26%, the Nasdaq by 0.78%, and the S&P 500 by 0.56%.

Large-cap U.S. technology stocks all gained, with the seven giants of U.S. tech rising 0.77%. Among the components, Amazon and Nvidia rose over 1%, Microsoft increased by 0.69%, Meta gained 0.61%, and Google, Apple, and Tesla also followed higher.

Popular Chinese concept stocks had mixed performances, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index slipping slightly by 0.04%. Among the components, SunPower and Jiayin Technology rose nearly 4%, Shengda Technology, Wuyou English, and Hesai Technology gained close to 3%.

In Europe, as of the close on February 18th, the UK FTSE 100 rose 1.23%, hitting a new high of 10,715.77 points during trading; France’s CAC 40 increased by 0.81%, reaching a record high of 8,438.52 points; Germany’s DAX, Italy’s MIB, and the Europe Stoxx 50 all gained over 1%.

Federal Reserve meeting minutes highlight disagreements

In the early hours of February 19th Beijing time, the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its January monetary policy meeting, revealing clear disagreements within the Fed regarding future monetary policy directions.

Some participants believe that if inflation declines as expected, further rate cuts might be appropriate; others think that if inflation remains above 2% (the Fed’s target), rate hikes could be suitable; still, some argue that further rate cuts amid high inflation could undermine market confidence in the Fed’s inflation commitments, making inflation expectations more deeply rooted.

Regarding inflation outlook, participants expect inflation to gradually fall to the 2% target, but the speed and timing remain uncertain. The impact of tariffs on core commodity prices may begin to weaken this year. Most participants warned that progress toward the 2% inflation goal could be slower and more unstable than generally expected, and that the risk of inflation remaining above target is significant.

Precious metals and oil prices rise together

In the commodities market, international precious metals and oil prices rose together, with gold futures prices returning to $5,000 per ounce.

Data shows that as of 5:55 AM Beijing time on February 19th, COMEX gold futures and London spot gold prices increased by 1.94% and 2.05%, respectively, to $5,001.2 per ounce and $4,976.54 per ounce; COMEX silver futures and London silver spot prices rose by 4.94% and 4.90%, respectively, to $77.175 per ounce and $77.093 per ounce.

In terms of oil, NYMEX crude oil futures and ICE Brent crude futures both surged over 4%, trading at $64.93 per barrel and $70.18 per barrel, respectively.

According to CCTV News, on February 18th, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on Iran issues have made some progress, but the two sides remain “far apart” on key issues. Iran is expected to submit more detailed proposals in the coming weeks, while U.S. President Trump will continue to assess the progress of negotiations.