Markets Resist Trump's Tough Talk on Trade Ahead of G7
*By Michael Teich*
President Trump's tough talk on trade at the start of the Group of Seven summit was not enough to dampen markets, said Daniel Ives, the chief strategy officer and head of technology research at GBH Insights.
Major stock indexes closed on a high note Friday, locking in gains for the week. Equities edged up despite trade tensions stoked by Trump's comments before arriving in Quebec for the G-7 that he would "deal with the unfair trade practices."
"Tariffs have been a black cloud, but it's becoming background noise," Ives said Friday in an interview with Cheddar.
He said he sees potential for mergers and acquisitions in the big data and consumer industries after Microsoft's $7.5 billion purchase of GitHub, which he described as a "no-brainer."
Microsoft, Netflix, and Google are all in positions of strength to make acquisitions, Ives said.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is set to star in a movie playing MMA and UFC legend, Mark Care, while Kevin Hart will headline a boxing project over on Peacock.
The Food and Drug Administration is asking Congress for new powers, including the ability to mandate drug recalls and require eyedrop makers to undergo inspections before shipping products to the U.S.
The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for a third straight time, and its officials signaled that they expect to make three quarter-point cuts to their benchmark rate next year.