Positive News Today

Economic data was abundant today and the reports were slanted towards the positive side.

First up was the advanced reading for second quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showing that growth in the quarter rose by a rather dismal 1.7%. That was better than the 1.1% that was registered in the first quarter and above the 1.1% expected. The 1.1% in the first quarter was revised lower from 1.8%. The 1.7% reflected an uptick in inventories and as consumer spending eased. GDP measures the market value of goods and services produced by labor and property in the United States.

Over in labor market news, ADP reported that private employers added 200,000 new jobs in July, above the 175,000 expected while the June number of 188,000 was revised higher to 198,000. The gains were seen across the board in businesses of all sizes. The ADP precedes the government's monthly jobs report that will be released on Friday morning.

The highly anticipated Federal Open Market Committee statement will be released this afternoon at 2:00pm ET and will be closely scrutinized by market watchers around the globe. In particular, players will be looking for any hints of an ease in the Bond buying program enacted by the Fed to accelerate U.S. growth and to support the labor markets and to keep interest rates low.