Stock Market Today: Dow Futures Fall After Prosecutors Launch Powell Criminal Probe

• Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq futures all fell in early trading while the dollar weakened against major currencies including the euro, pound, and Swiss franc
• Safe-haven assets rallied sharply with gold futures rising approximately 2% and silver surging roughly 6% amid the uncertainty
• Powell stated the investigation is a pretext for Trump's campaign to pressure the Fed into cutting rates and potentially remove him from his position

Market Summary: Criminal Probe of Fed Chair Powell Pressures Markets

Key Developments:

U.S. stock futures declined Monday after prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell regarding his testimony about central bank renovations. The Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to the Fed, potentially threatening criminal indictment. Powell characterized the probe as a pretext for President Trump's campaign to pressure the Fed into lowering interest rates.

Market Reaction:

• U.S. Futures: All three major index futures fell in early trading
• U.S. Dollar: Weakened against the euro, pound, and Swiss franc
• Precious Metals: Gold futures surged approximately 2%; silver rallied roughly 6%
• Asian Markets: Chinese and Japanese stocks rose over 1%, with Chinese mainland exchanges experiencing record trading volume

European Markets (Mixed Performance):

• DAX (Germany): +0.09% to 25,284.03
• FTSE 100 (UK): -0.07% to 10,117.55
• CAC 40 (France): -0.37% to 8,331.56
• IBEX 35 (Spain): -1.14% to 17,447.70

Market Implications:

The criminal investigation into the Fed Chair represents an unprecedented development that raises concerns about central bank independence. The flight to safe-haven assets (gold and silver) signals investor anxiety over potential political interference with monetary policy. The dollar's weakness reflects diminished confidence in U.S. institutional stability, while European markets showed relatively muted reactions, suggesting regional isolation of concerns thus far.