Business English reading comprehension exercise 19 (ESL)

1. The Federal Reserve ______________ because of the increase in U.S. stock prices.

will definitely lower interest rates will increase interest rates might hold off on lowering interest rates

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4. How has General Motors been doing financially?

They have been losing money for two years straight. Not great, especially in the last three months of 2025. Not great. Their profits only increased by 2.7% in December.

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5. According to the U.S. Labor Department, U.S. employers hired ______________ in December.

lots of foreign workers fewer workers than expected more workers than expected

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📚 Important Words to Know
stock market rally — a period of sustained increases in the prices of stocks across a market or sector
S&P 500 — a US stock market index tracking the performance of 500 large publicly traded companies
bull market — a period of rising stock prices and general investor optimism
market sentiment — the overall attitude of investors toward a particular market or asset
portfolio — a collection of investments such as stocks, bonds, and other assets held by an individual or fund
volatility — the degree of variation in a financial instrument's trading price over time
year-end rally — a common upswing in stock prices that occurs toward the end of the calendar year
index fund — an investment fund designed to replicate the performance of a market index
earnings report — a quarterly release of a company's financial performance data
investor confidence — the level of optimism investors have about the performance of financial markets

Business English Reading Comprehension: A Jump in Stock Prices