The central bank held its benchmark rate Wednesday
Fees fell by 6% from 2017 to 2018
Jump suggests economy had solid momentum going into the April-June quarter
The gain reflected a big jump stockpiling by businesses and a sharp contraction in the trade deficit
Herman Cain’s nomination had raised concerns about the Fed's ability to remain politically independent
The drop followed an 11.2% gain the previous month
Respondents to a Horizons survey were bullish on 10 of 14 asset classes
This was the first increase since October, but it likely won’t boost Q1 GDP above 1.5%
The world's two biggest economies have slapped tariffs on $350 billion worth of each other's products
The unemployment rate remained at 3.8%