After the FOMC, the S&P 500 rose, influenced by retail actions and earnings results from AAPL, META, and GOOGL

    by VT Markets
    /
    Oct 31, 2025

    The S&P 500 followed a pattern of initial fluctuations, dipping post-FOMC before rebounding on earnings report inputs. AAPL showed improvement, META experienced a minor setback due to a one-time charge, and GOOGL reported positive outcomes.

    Powell announced the nearing completion of quantitative tightening and implemented a 25 basis points rate cut. Post-announcement, there was a market dump which participants had anticipated.

    Economic Influences On Market Movements

    Economic data from Japan and the Eurozone attracted attention, influencing market movements. The USD/CHF remained steady due to cautious approach from the Fed and remarks from SNB, while gold prices increased following the rate cut decision.

    Currency market reactions included GBP/USD skirting multi-month lows and EUR/USD facing potential losses. The US-China trade negotiations led to temporary easing of trade tensions, affecting various sectors.

    Cryptocurrency market displayed mixed outcomes with XRP declining despite a major trade deal. Zcash maintained a bullish stance, trading around $360, avoiding broader market volatility effects.

    Future trading and brokerage services include a variety of tools and platforms highlighted for Forex, CFD, and other market participants. The article provides information purely for educational purposes, urging thorough research before engaging in trading activities.

    Market Opportunities And Strategies

    The Federal Reserve’s recent actions have created a complex but opportunity-rich environment for us. The expected 25 basis point rate cut and Powell’s signal that quantitative tightening is nearing its end are fundamentally bullish for equities. However, the sharp drop during the press conference shows that the path higher will be volatile.

    We saw the VIX, a measure of market fear, spike to over 21 during the FOMC announcement before settling back down to around 17.5 this week. This confirms that while the direction may be upward, uncertainty remains elevated compared to the calm we saw in the summer of 2025. This was the third rate cut of the year, a decisive shift from the tightening cycle that ended back in 2023.

    For derivative traders, this suggests that simply buying call options could be risky due to the potential for volatility crush. Instead, we believe selling out-of-the-money puts or using bull put spreads on indices like the S&P 500 is a better strategy. This approach allows us to collect the still-rich options premium while maintaining a positive market outlook.

    The strong earnings from tech leaders like Apple and Google provide a solid fundamental backstop, giving us more confidence in this bullish, income-generating strategy. We should also watch the U.S. Dollar, which has been surprisingly firm but is likely to weaken in the coming weeks as the Fed’s dovish stance sinks in. This could create opportunities in currency futures or options, betting against the dollar versus other major currencies.

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