Daniel Slim / AFP / Getty
Japan Airlines Boeing 787 planes seen at Los Angeles International Airport.
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The S&P 500 added 1.1% on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, as the Fed held interest rates steady, reaffirming plans for future cuts but expressing caution on inflation and growth.
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Boeing shares surged after an order from Japan Airlines, comments from an executive on limited tariff impacts, and an upbeat delivery forecast.
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Following a string of gains, shares of Intel moved lower as the chipmaker’s incoming CEO reportedly evaluated restructuring measures.
Major U.S. equities indexes moved higher as the Federal Reserve’s policy committee concluded its second meeting of 2025.
In a widely expected move, policymakers maintained benchmark interest rates at current levels. Although the Fed’s freshly released “dot plot” showed that officials still anticipate two interest-rate cuts this year, updated projections from the central bank included forecasts for higher inflation and slower economic growth compared with previous predictions.
The S&P 500 advanced 1.1% in the midweek trading session. The Dow closed 0.9% higher following the Fed’s announcement, while the Nasdaq was up 1.4%.
Shares of aerospace giant Boeing (BA) soared 6.8%, logging the S&P 500’s top performance on Wednesday. The move higher followed several positive signals for the plane manufacturer, including an announcement that Japan Airlines has placed an order for 17 of Boeing’s 737-8 aircraft. In addition, Boeing’s chief financial officer Brian West downplayed the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on the company, while analysts at Bank of America said they expect Boeing to achieve a month-over-month uptick in plane deliveries in March.
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) unveiled new systems that incorporate the Blackwell Ultra platform, the latest generation of artificial intelligence (AI) chips from Nvidia (NVDA). The updated products are designed to handle complex AI tasks such as training models, graphics, and visualization. Supermicro stock gained 5.8% on Wednesday, clawing back a portion of the steep losses posted in the previous session.
Caesars Entertainment (CZR) shares jumped 5.7% after the resort and casino operator announced that two additional independent members would join its board of directors. Executives from Icahn Enterprises (IEP) will occupy both new board seats. Founder and controlling shareholder of the investment firm Carl Icahn previously indicated that he would not engage in activism related to operations at Caesars, but following the board deal, the major investor discussed the possibility of exploring strategic options for the gaming company’s digital business.
