The week’s biggest news for Wall Street is likely arriving on Friday, when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will give a highly anticipated speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The setting has been home to big policy announcements from the Fed in the past, and the hope on Wall Street is that Powell will hint that an interest rate cut is coming soon.

U.S. stocks are falling again, this time after the country’s largest retailer reported profits that came up short of Wall Street’s expectations. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% in early trading Thursday and was on track for a fifth straight modest loss since setting an all-time high last week.

For the quarter to July 31, Walmart’s adjusted earnings per share, which excludes nonrecurring items, rose to 68 cents from 67 cents in the same period a year ago, to miss the average analyst EPS estimate compiled by FactSet of 73 cents.

European equities were largely subdued on Thursday as investors awaited updates from the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium for clues on the path of monetary policy.

Wall Street was on edge Thursday, with stocks trading lower as investors awaited what could be a pivotal policy speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

This year’s summit carries additional weight: it will be Powell’s last appearance at Jackson Hole as Fed chair before his term ends in May 2026. It also comes at a time of mounting pressure from both Wall Street and the White House,