Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will take the stage at the Fed’s annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the final time on Friday, as investors and the Trump administration await signs the central bank will soon ease interest rates.

By Elizabeth Howcroft PARIS (Reuters) -European stock markets fell slightly in early trading on Thursday, hovering just below recent highs, as traders avoided making big moves and waited for the Federal Reserve's three-day annual Jackson Hole symposium.

Federal Reserve chair is under bombardment from Donald Trump and battling an insurgency within the central bank

The stock market is heading into a catalyst-filled week as Fed Chair Jerome Powell gets ready to speak at Jackson Hole and big retailers report earnings.

By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Fed Chair Jerome Powell used the central bank's annual Wyoming research conference to promise inflation-fighting rigor when it was needed in 2022, then last year he came to the defense of the job market with promises of lower interest rates when the unemployment rate seemed on a steady rise.

The Nasdaq fell as megacaps lost, after having rallied for much of the year. Nvidia fell 3.5%, the biggest drop in nearly four months.