After Fed rate cut, the next 6 months will be crucial for investors. Here’s why. Traders brace for volatility as more than $5 trillion in options set to expire in latest ‘triple witching’. Nvidia’s stock is surging. Here’s how it tends to perform after interest-rate cuts.

The federal funds rate is a benchmark that influences other interest rates throughout the economy. The Federal Reserve doesn't control the federal funds rate directly. Instead, it uses various monetary policy tools to steer the benchmark toward a target range, which is currently 4.75% to 5%.

Indexes rose Thursday as investors digested Wednesday's jumbo rate cut from the Fed and a fall in weekly jobless claims.