New York (AFP) – Global stocks mostly fell Thursday despite strong earnings from US tech giants Microsoft and Meta as markets girded for a key US tariff deadline. US President Donald Trump has set August 1 as the date when trading partners need to reach agreement with the United States in order to avert major tariffs. While Washington has reached tentative deals with several key countries, dozens of economies – including key commercial partners like Canada – had yet to secure US tariff accords.
Major US indices began the day strongly, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq surging above closing highs. However, stocks were unable to hold on to gains, with all three indices finishing in the red. Some of the caution was due to a squaring of trading positions ahead of Friday’s jobs data, which could lead to market volatility, said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. Facebook parent Meta surged 11.3 percent and Microsoft jumped 4 percent after both companies reported strong quarterly results that underscored their strength in artificial intelligence. Microsoft’s valuation topped $4 trillion for part of the day before retreating. “There was no follow through” to the broader market from the strong tech results, Sosnick said.
Europe was sluggish, meanwhile, with London sliding just into the red by the close while eurozone indices Paris and Frankfurt both lost around one percent. “As Wall Street braces for a slew of further tech earnings and key economic data releases, volatility looks set to rise — particularly with the looming tariff deadline tomorrow, on 1st August, casting a shadow over sentiment,” said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst with FOREX.com. Trump said Thursday he would hold off a planned tariff hike on Mexican products and instead keep duties at existing levels for 90 days after speaking with his counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum.
After initially greeting trade deals, investors are also reevaluating Trump’s trade agreements, most recently with South Korea, which is the latest to set a 15 percent tariff on goods. “I think the market has kind of come to grips with the idea that 15 percent is the new standard but maybe there’s a little bit of a realization that 15 percent tariffs are not actually all that market friendly,” Sosnick said. Health was the weakest sector in the S&P 500, with pharmaceutical companies selling off after Trump threatened using “every tool in our arsenal” if the sector doesn’t lower prices. Pfizer, Merck, and Bristol-Myers Squibb all dropped more than two percent.
In the foreign exchange market, the yen retreated against the dollar after the Bank of Japan decided not to hike interest rates, while lifting economic growth and inflation costs. It also cautiously welcomed the country’s trade deal with the United States. Tokyo and Washington last week announced a deal that will see Japanese shipments to the United States – excluding steel and aluminum – hit with a 15 percent tariff.
– Key figures at around 2045 GMT –
New York – Dow: DOWN 0.7 percent at 44,130.98 (close)
New York – S&P 500: DOWN 0.4 percent at 6,339.39 (close)
New York – Nasdaq: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 21,122.45 (close)
London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 9,132.81 (close)
Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 1.1 percent at 7,771.97 (close)
Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.8 percent at 24,065.47 (close)
Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.0 percent at 41,069.82 (close)
Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.6 percent at 24,773.33 (close)
Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 1.2 percent at 3,573.21 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1416 from $1.1405 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3204 from $1.3237
Dollar/yen: UP at 150.81 yen from 149.51 yen
Euro/pound: UP at 86.43 pence from 86.15 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.1 percent at $69.26 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.0 percent at $72.53
burs-jmb/sla
© 2024 AFP
