Company Interview / the open: ASX set to climb as Nvidia lifts Wall St

The local market is set to open strongly with ASX futures up 0.5%. Global equity markets have risen to new record highs, buoyed by the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut. 

Wall Street's main indices posted new record closing highs, a day after the Fed resumed its cutting cycle with investors encouraged by the prospects of at least two more cuts to come. The small-cap Russell 2000 index notched its first record high close since last November. 

The UK has secured record levels of US investment off the back of President Trump's second state visit to the UK. The US president has committed more than $200 billion of corporate investment in the UK's technology, finance and energy sectors. Meanwhile, the Bank of England has kept its main interest rate on hold at 4% as expected after August's quarter-percentage-point cut. 

The US dollar index is up 0.5% on the day, whilst the Australian dollar has fallen back to US66.1c.