US consumer sentiment fell to 58.6 in August from 61.7—the first decline since April. The University of Michigan survey was conducted July 29–August 11, with tariff concerns again weighing on confidence. Full-year inflation expectations rose to 4.9%, while the 5–10-year forecast was 3.9%. Both were worse than economists' forecasts. Job concerns also increased: 62% of respondents predicted unemployment would rise. 58% planned to cut back on spending (cars, household goods, dining out), and durable goods purchasing conditions fell to their lowest in a year. Meanwhile, retail sales continued...
Japanese stocks tumbled on Friday, tracking sharp losses on Wall Street as trade tensions between the U.S. and China reignited market volatility. The Nikkei 225 plunged 5% to fall below 33,000, while the broader Topix Index sank 4.7% to 2,420, erasing much of the previous session's gains. The downturn followed confirmation from the White House that cumulative tariffs on Chinese imports have climbed to 145%, deepening fears of a prolonged trade war. Uncertainty also lingers around the outcome of ongoing negotiations, despite President Trump's 90-day tariff reprieve meant to create space for...
Markets in Asia tumbled during morning trading Friday, a day after U.S. markets retreated in the wake of a White House announcement saying tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States would rise to 145 percent, up from 125 percent. Japan's Nikkei 225 and Topix indexes dropped by more than 4 percent. South Korea's Kospi and Australia's ASX 200 fell by almost 2 percent, while Taiwan's bourse kicked off the day with a fall of under 1 percent before logging a tiny gain of under 0.5 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and China's Shanghai composite index netted losses of under 1 percent in...
U.S. stocks plunged on Thursday, reversing some of the previous day's historic rally as fresh concerns over escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China rattled investor confidence. President Trump's announcement of a 90-day tariff pause for some countries had sparked optimism, but confirmation that total tariffs on Chinese goods had jumped to 145% reignited market concerns. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 3.5% and 4.3%, respectively, while the Dow plunged 1,015 points. Tech giants such as Apple (-4.2%), Tesla (-7.3%), Nvidia (-5.9%), and MetaTrader (-6.7%) led the losses, as...
European stocks rallied by the most since March 2022, a day after US President Donald Trump paused plans to implement higher reciprocal tariffs on dozens of trade partners, easing concerns for the moment about potential damages from a global trade war. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 3.7%, trimming earlier gains of as much as 7.3%. All sectors were in the green, with financial services and banks leading gains. France's CAC 40 advanced 3.8% and Germany's DAX added 4.5%. Trump announced a 90-day tariff reprieve Wednesday, providing relief for European...
Stocks fell on Thursday after a massive rally on Wall Street spurred by President Donald Trump announcing a 90-day reprieve on some of his "reciprocal" tariffs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 744 points, or 1.8%. The S&P 500 shed 2.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite slid 2.8%. The major averages are still down sharply since the tariffs were announced on April 2. The S&P 500 is lower by more than 6% in that time, along with the Dow and Nasdaq. Leading the declines were Apple and Tesla, which pulled back more than 3 and 5%, respectively. Nvidia lost 4.9%, while Meta Platforms...
China's official NBS Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.7 in June 2025 from May's 49.5, matching market expectations while marking the third consecutive month of contraction in factory activity.
It...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered around the flatline on Friday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of further developments in trade talks between US President Trump and Chinese...
President Donald Trump said he would set levies on semiconductors in the coming two weeks, the latest indication he's readying a substantial expansion of his tariff regime.
"I'll be...