The ISM Services PMI rose to 52.4 in October 2025 from 50 in September, beating forecasts of 50.8, pointing to the strongest expansion in the services sector since February. Both business activity (54.3 vs 49.9) and new orders (56.2 vs 50.4) rebounded while the continued contraction in employmet (48.2 vs 47.2) shows a lack of confidence in the continued strength of the economy. "There was no indication of widespread layoffs or reductions in force, but the federal government shutdown was mentioned several times as impacting business activity and generating concerns for future layoffs",...
President Donald Trump warned on Monday that he would impose secondary tariffs of 100% on Russia if a peace deal with Ukraine isn't reached within 50 days. "We are going to be doing very severe tariffs if you don't have a deal in 50 days, perhaps 100%," he said during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. These secondary tariffs would penalize any country trading with Russia, allowing the U.S. to impose steep duties on imports from those nations. While U.S. trade with Russia dropped to $3.5 billion in 2024, indirect trade routes remain significant. Trump's proposed 100% rate is...
President Donald Trump urged the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates to 1%, arguing it would reduce federal borrowing costs and boost economic growth. "We need a 1% rate. The Fed is killing growth," he said on Monday. The federal funds rate currently stands at 5.25–5.50%, where the Fed has held it to control inflation and prevent economic overheating. Dropping rates to 1% would represent the most aggressive monetary easing since the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump's call comes as federal debt servicing costs climb toward historic highs. While a lower rate could ease short-term interest...
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" on Russia's trade partners "at about 100%" if President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a deal to end his invasion of Ukraine in 50 days. "We're very, very unhappy with them, and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs, if you don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%, they call them secondary tariffs," Trump said from the White House while meeting with NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte. The president said that he is "disappointed" with Putin, because he thought they would have had a deal months...
U.S. stocks edged lower Monday amid fears of an intensifying trade war after President Donald Trump slapped 30% tariffs on imports from Mexico and the European Union, continuing the volatile negotiations with his trading partners. At 09:35 ET (13:35 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 80 points, or 0.2%, the S&P 500 index fell 10 points, or 0.1%, while the NASDAQ Composite slipped 12 points, or 0.1%. Trump imposes 30% tariffs on Mexico, EU Trump over the weekend released more letters outlining trade tariffs on major U.S. trading partners, this time imposing a 30% levy on...
President Donald Trump said the US would send more Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine, apparently in a shift in stance toward Russia after its efforts to negotiate a ceasefire failed. "I haven't agreed on the numbers yet, but they'll be getting some," the president told reporters on Sunday on his way back to the White House. "We'll be sending Patriots, which they desperately need." The announcement served as the backdrop for what Trump described as his "major statement" against Russia on Monday, as Moscow escalated its airstrikes against Ukraine. The US president has grown...
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher, tracking Wall Street gains overnight.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.41% after hitting a fresh record high on Thursday, while the Topix added 0.61%. South...
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...
American consumers struggling to access food assistance payments due to the government shutdown are unable to fill their shopping carts, and that's "hurtful," according to the company behind Stop...