US stocks edged higher on Friday as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s address at the annual Jackson Hole symposium, where major policy signals have often been delivered in the past.The S&P 500 rose 0.3% after five straight modest losses following last week’s record high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 273 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite inched up 0.1% in early trade, AP reported.Treasury yields eased as the countdown continued to Powell’s speech. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 4.30% from 4.33%, while the two-year yield, which more closely reflects expectations for the Fed’s main rate, edged down to 3.78% from 3.79%.The Fed has kept its key rate unchanged so far this year, citing inflation risks linked to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. However, a weaker-than-expected US jobs report earlier this month has shifted focus to the labour market, raising speculation of possible cuts. Trump has meanwhile stepped up pressure, angrily demanding rate reductions and repeatedly criticising Powell.A reduction in rates could stimulate growth but also risk fuelling inflation further, analysts said.On Wall Street, Ross Stores climbed 2.8% after posting stronger-than-expected quarterly profits. CEO Jim Conroy said July sales improved after a weak June. Shares of Chinese EV maker Nio surged 6.5% following pre-sales of its ES8 premium SUV in the US.Nvidia dropped 1.3% amid concerns over stretched AI stock valuations. CEO Jensen Huang said the company is in talks with the Trump administration about designing a new GPU for China that complies with US export restrictions. The new chip would be less powerful than Nvidia’s top-tier processors currently barred from sale to China on national security grounds.Globally, Germany’s DAX gained 0.1% even as data showed the economy contracted 0.3% in the second quarter. Other markets were mostly higher, with Shanghai rallying 1.4% and South Korea advancing 0.9%.
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