New York (AFP) – Global stocks were steady on Monday as investors welcomed the absence of further trade war escalation over the weekend and as countries seek to temper US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Major bourses avoided big swings on a comparatively news-light day ahead of heavily anticipated economic releases and earnings later in the week. Both the Dow and S&P 500 notched modest gains while the tech-rich Nasdaq finished the day slightly lower.
“A weekend light on drama was just what the doctor ordered for financial markets,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. Analysts said that market sentiment has calmed since Trump dialed down pressure on Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell and hinted at progress in trade talks with economic partners.
“While last week’s market action and today’s early session suggest calmer waters, any sense of security is precarious,” said City Index and FOREX.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada. “Underneath the surface, key risks persist — trade tensions, recession worries, and monetary policy uncertainties are very much alive.”
US giants Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft all report their first-quarter earnings this week, with investors looking to assess the impact of tariffs on businesses. Eyes will also be on the release of several closely watched US economic indicators which “may either dampen or revive concerns about recession in the world’s largest economy,” Mould added.
Crude prices fell as investors worried about the impact of the trade war on the US economy. Bjarne Schieldrop of SEB Research said oil demand was “at risk as US consumers soon will face hard tariff realities.” Analysts are concerned that the punitive tariff levels that the US and Chinese governments have imposed could lead to shortages of certain goods.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday he was not concerned “at present” about American stores potentially running out of items due to Trump’s tariffs. Traders are hoping governments can hammer out deals with Trump to soften the impact of his sweeping tariffs, with reports last week saying China was considering exempting some US goods from its hefty retaliatory measures.
Beijing has said there are no active negotiations between the economic superpowers, and on Monday an official denied Trump’s claims to have spoken with Xi by phone. In Beijing, senior economic planner Zhao Chenxin said China was on the “right side of history” in its grueling trade war with the United States. Japanese media reported that a second round of trade talks in Washington was set for Thursday. The discussions will be closely watched as a barometer for efforts by other countries seeking tariff relief.
Bessent said earlier a trade “understanding” between South Korea and the United States could be reached by this week.
– Key figures at 2030 GMT –
New York – Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 40,227.59 (close)
New York – S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 5,528.75 (close)
New York – Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 17,366.13 (close)
London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 8,417.34 (close)
Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.5 percent at 7,573.76 (close)
Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.1 percent at 22,271.67 (close)
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.4 percent at 35,839.99 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 21,971.96 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,288.41 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1424 from $1.1365 on Friday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3441 from $1.3315
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 142.04 yen from 143.67 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.99 pence from 85.35 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.5 percent at $62.05 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.5 percent at $65.86 per barrel
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© 2024 AFP
