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UAE Shares Gain Amid Focus on US Fed Rate Move

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Stock trading in the United Arab Emirates ended in the green again as markets await the key interest rate decision from the world's biggest economy later in the day.

At the close of Wednesday trading, the FTSE ADX General Index added 0.331%, while the DFM General Index was up 1.007%.

The US Fed will release its monetary policy decision today, with analysts expecting the federal funds rate to remain unchanged in the 3.50% to 3.75% range for the fourth consecutive meeting. It will also mark Kevin Warsh's first press conference as Fed chair.

"We expect the policy rate will remain at 3.75%, as also priced by markets. Focus will be on his policy leanings, views on the economy and any shifts in Fed practices. Even if Warsh proves to be relatively dovish, we still expect the distribution of rate projections to move higher compared to March," Danske Bank said in a note.

On the geopolitical front, the US and Iran are expected to meet in Geneva on Friday to sign their deal, comprising the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a 60-day ceasefire extension during which negotiations will take place regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Zooming in at home, the Central Bank of the UAE and the Bank for International Settlements concluded their secure cross-border open finance initiative Project Aperta, confirming a secure and real-time exchange of cross-border financial data.

On the corporate side, Alef Education (ADX:ALEFEDT) expanded its artificial-intelligence-powered language learning system Arabits across private schools in the UAE. Shares of the Abu Dhabi-listed K-12 education technology company closed the session 0.91% in the red.

Dubai Investments' (DFM:DIC) real estate arm, Dubai Investment Real Estate, completed the final phase of villa handovers at its Danah Bay mixed-use beachfront development on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. The Emirati investor closed the session 0.27% higher.

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Update: US Equity Indexes Mixed as Technology Sector Retreats

(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data, and political/company news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes traded mixed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new peak intraday amid sliding crude oil prices, while technology sank to the bottom of sector charts.The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.6% to 26,537.1, with the S&P 500 down 0.3% to 7,534.2, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1% to 52,163.4 after midday Tuesday.All sectors except technology, energy, and communication services rose, with financials and industrials leading the gainers.Dow hit a fresh intraday record, taking out the all-time high scaled on Monday, as crude oil extended declines to the lowest level in more than three months following Sunday's announcement of an interim deal between the US and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.President Donald Trump vowed to publicly release the text of the memorandum of understanding Iran has signed with the US "in a couple of days," CNN reported Tuesday.Iran warned that any Israeli attack on Lebanon or continued occupation of its territory from now on will constitute a violation of the interim agreement with the US, Al Jazeera reported. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear he does not intend to withdraw from southern Lebanon, Gaza, or Syria, according to the CNN news report.Front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent slumped 4.6% to $78.61 per barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate dived 5.1% to $75.66 per barrel after midday.In company news, Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX) has agreed to acquire Anysphere, which operates Cursor, an artificial intelligence-based coding agent, in a deal worth about $60 billion. Shares of SpaceX jumped 11% intraday, boosting the company's market cap above Amazon's (AMZN).Meanwhile, Yum! Brands (YUM) said it has signed agreements to sell Pizza Hut for a combined $2.7 billion through two separate transactions.In economic news, US import prices jumped 1.9% in May, ahead of the 1% increase expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey and following a 2.0% gain in April. Excluding a 13% surge in petroleum prices, import prices were up 0.8% from 0.5%, beating the 0.5% forecast. Export prices climbed 1.3% in May, above expectations for 0.9% and following a 3.5% jump in April.The New York Federal Reserve's services index worsened to minus 10.1 in June from minus 5.8 in May. The index is the first services reading for June and suggests more widespread contraction.Redbook US same-store sales soared 9.4% from a year earlier in the week ended June 13, after surging 9.1% in the previous week. Seasonal categories such as air conditioners, fans, pool and beach equipment, swimwear, and other hot-weather apparel led the growth, according to Redbook.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AMZN$SPCX$YUM
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Exchange-Traded Funds Fall, US Equities Mixed After Midday

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Asia Markets

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