Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, under pressure from US President Donald Trump, speaks at annual conference in Wyoming.

The Federal Reserve’s annual conference, hosted by the Kansas City Fed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, began Thursday evening with a dinner for the central bankers, economists and journalists who have flown in from around the world.

World shares were mixed on Friday after Wall Street fell to a fifth straight loss, hurt by losses for Walmart and worries over coming cuts to interest rates.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell's address on Friday and Nvidia earnings after the close on Wednesday may hold the keys as to whether the bull market can continue. "In the near-term, if Chair Powell can give a market-friendly speech and NVDA can meet,

The U.S. dollar drifted on Thursday as investors awaited policy cues from the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium while keeping an eye on renewed concerns over central bank independence after President Donald Trump’s latest salvo.

By Ishaan Arora (Reuters) -Gold slipped on Friday due to a firmer dollar, with markets awaiting U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the annual Jackson Hole symposium for more insight on the Fed's monetary policy path.

Dow futures surged 150 points on Friday, as traders waited for Jerome Powell’s big speech at the Jackson Hole symposium. Everyone’s looking for clues on whether the Fed might actually cut rates at the September meeting.