
Stocks were mixed Tuesday as a key consumer inflation print showed inflation accelerated in June, big banks kicked off earnings season, and Nvidia (NVDA) looked set to receive a green light for trade with China from the Trump administration.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) traded below the flat line after opening higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) lost 0.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) climbed nearly 0.7%, buoyed by AI chipmaker Nvidia’s gains. A muted morning for stocks came on the heels of closing gains for the major gauges.
Nvidia eyed a fresh record close after the company said that it’s planning to resume sales of its AI chips to China — one of its most important markets — after receiving assurances from the US government that it will be granted approval. The dramatic reversal in the Trump administration’s earlier stance on export curbs, part of its trade standoff with Beijing, helped lift shares of chip stocks across the board.
President Trump’s trade policy also loomed over the June consumer inflation report, which showed the first real signs of tariff-driven price increases. The Consumer Price Index headline number rose 0.3% month over month and 2.7% year over year, both accelerations from May’s data.
The 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) climbed more than 5 basis points to nearly 4.5%, while the 30-year Treasury yield (^TYX) rose 4 basis points to more than 5% for the first time since June 3.
Meanwhile, big banks unofficially kicked off earnings season Tuesday morning. Shares of Citi (C) and JPMorgan (JPM) climbed after reporting better-than-expected earnings, while Wells Fargo (WFC) fell as the bank cut its full-year forecast for net interest income, a key profitability metric.
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The backdrop to both events is Trump’s escalatory moves on tariffs over the past week. He has spent the last several days threatening key trade partners, most notably Canada, the European Union, and Mexico, with high duties from Aug. 1.
The tariffs drama and the inflation and earnings pictures also factor into the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates, coming in just over two weeks. Almost 100% of bets are on a Fed hold this month.
Of course, Trump has spent the past few weeks pushing for cuts. He and his allies are beefing up their criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, both on rates and on new fronts, like the Fed’s headquarters renovation.
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