{"id":52865,"date":"2025-09-08T21:08:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T01:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-on-rate-cut-hopes-microsoft-secures-major-cloud-deal\/52865\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T21:08:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T01:08:20","slug":"global-markets-rally-on-rate-cut-hopes-microsoft-secures-major-cloud-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-rally-on-rate-cut-hopes-microsoft-secures-major-cloud-deal\/52865\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Rally on Rate Cut Hopes; Microsoft Secures Major Cloud Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Global markets rallied, with the Nasdaq (<a href=\"\/stock\/NDAQ\">NDAQ<\/a>) achieving a new record close, driven by growing expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>) secured a substantial cloud deal with Nebius, potentially worth up to $19.4 billion.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Oil prices climbed on a modest OPEC+ output increase and concerns over Russian supply, while cotton and soybeans also posted gains.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Australian consumer confidence dropped by 3.1% in September to 95.4, despite the nation&#39;s sovereign wealth fund reporting a robust 12.2% annual return.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Germany faced economic headwinds as exports unexpectedly dipped and investor confidence sharply declined.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Global markets experienced a broad uplift as the U.S. dollar retreated and investor bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts intensified. The Nasdaq (<a href=\"\/stock\/NDAQ\">NDAQ<\/a>) notably set a new record close, reflecting the positive sentiment surrounding potential monetary policy easing. This optimism also saw the NZD\/USD currency pair push higher, approaching the <strong>0.5950<\/strong> mark.<\/p>\n<p>In corporate news, technology giant Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>) announced a significant cloud deal with Nebius, valued at up to <strong>$19.4 billion<\/strong>. This agreement underscores the continued strong demand and growth in the cloud computing sector.<\/p>\n<p>Commodity markets saw a bullish trend, with oil prices rising due to a modest output increase from OPEC+ and persistent concerns over Russian supply. Agricultural commodities also performed well, as cotton gained ground following a USDA report indicating better crop conditions, and soybeans logged Monday gains. <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">Gold<\/a>, however, remained flat but is <em>likely to see further gains<\/em>, according to the WSJ.<\/p>\n<p>Economic indicators presented a mixed picture across different regions. In Australia, consumer confidence slipped in September, with the Westpac-MI Index declining by <strong>3.1%<\/strong> to <strong>95.4<\/strong> from a previous <strong>98.5<\/strong>. This dip occurred despite Australia\u2019s sovereign wealth fund posting a strong <strong>12.2%<\/strong> return for the year through June, fueled by robust stock markets and private investments.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Germany&#39;s economy showed signs of weakness, with an unexpected dip in exports and a nosedive in investor confidence. In Asia, the Nikkei surged <strong>1%<\/strong> to <strong>44,085.41<\/strong> in a strong session. Taiwan&#39;s overnight interbank rate opened unchanged at <strong>0.805%<\/strong>. Diplomatic and trade discussions were also underway, with a South Korean delegation in the U.S. for tariff deal talks, and Russian President Putin participating in BRICS virtual discussions on expanding trade and financial ties. A delay is also expected in the Australia\u2013Vanuatu Security Agreement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Global markets rallied, with the Nasdaq (NDAQ) achieving a new record close, driven by growing expectations for Federal 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