
U.S. stocks climbed on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 setting fresh record highs after a surprise decline in private payrolls boosted expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts.
The ADP National Employment Report showed private employers shed 33,000 jobs in June 2025 — the first monthly contraction since March 2023. The sharp miss reinforced market bets that the Fed may ease policy sooner than expected. Economists now expect Friday's official nonfarm payrolls report to show a slowdown from 139,000 to 110,000 jobs.