Brian Mulberry, senior portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management, noted that Powell’s stance seemed more aligned with that of Fed Governor Christopher Waller, who dissented from the Federal Open Market Committee's “wait-and-see” approach to holding rates steady last month.

Jerome H. Powell said the “balance of risks” across the economy had started to shift, raising the odds the central bank lowers borrowing costs at its next meeting in September.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday opened the door ever so slightly to lowering a key interest rate in the coming months but gave no hint on the timing of a move and suggested the central b