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Asia-Pacific markets mostly declined Tuesday as investors digested the implications of US President Donald Trump's decision to defer 50% tariffs on European Union imports, sparking fresh concerns about the global trade outlook. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (^N225) slipped 0.2% to 37,451.60, while the broader Topix index was flat. The decline followed comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, who signaled that interest rate hikes could be on the horizon due to rising inflation. Mainland China’s CSI 300 (83188.HK) dipped 0.6% despite data showing industrial profits rose 1.4% in April, up...

US stock futures jumped Monday night following President Trump's decision to delay a broad 50% tariff on all EU products from June to July to allow time for negotiations. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) rose 0.9%, with S&P 500 contracts (ES=F) flying up 1.1%. Futures for the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) surged 1.3%. The jumps followed Trump’s Sunday announcement that he would postpone a 50% tariff on EU imports until July 9. The move came after a request from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,...

Solar stocks rebounded on Friday but were still on track to close out the week with steep losses as Wall Street assesses last-minute changes slipped into the tax-and-spending bill approved by the House this week, which threaten to disrupt the industry. SolarEdge (SEDG), Sunrun (RUN), Complete Solaria (SPWR), and Enphase Energy (ENPH) were among the biggest decliners this week, all down double-digit percentages. Most of the damage to the sector came on Thursday after the “big, beautiful bill” passed by one vote called for ending key investment and production tax...

Asian markets mostly advanced overnight Thursday as investors weighed regional economic data and fresh diplomatic signals between the US and China. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (^N225) rose 1% with the government recording core inflation at 3.5%, the highest in over 2 years. South Korea’s Kospi (^KS11) added 0.4% despite weakness in Korean tech stocks. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 (^AXJO) climbed 0.3%, led by gains in miners and banks. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (^HSI) and China’s CSI 300 (000300.SS) were flat at the open, as caution prevailed among investors navigating mixed economic...

US stock futures turned sharply lower after President Trump threatened new tariffs on the European Union and Apple (AAPL). In addition to warning Apple of a 25% tariff (see post below), Trump proposed applying a 50% tariff on all EU goods starting June 1 after trade talks stalled. "The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with," Trump posted on Truth Social. "Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending...

The US dollar is under pressure as global investors grow increasingly wary of America's fiscal trajectory. Once seen as a reliable safe haven, the greenback is now facing renewed skepticism, with strategists telling Yahoo Finance that capital is shifting toward undervalued currencies in Europe and Asia amid expectations of foreign stimulus and more attractive valuations abroad. The US Dollar Index (DX-Y.NYB) — which tracks the dollar's value against a basket of major currencies including the euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Canadian dollar, Swedish krona, and Swiss franc — has dropped...

US stock futures traded flat as a vote on President Trump's "big, beautiful" tax bill neared. Futures attached to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) slipped 0.1%. Futures attached to the benchmark S&P 500 (ES=F) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) flatlined. On Wednesday evening, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to move ahead with a vote on Trump's tax legislation as soon as tonight despite Republican lawmakers in the House Freedom Caucus maintaining the bill is "not ready." Johnson revealed earlier on Wednesday the bill would include a...

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that the US Treasury will stop minting new pennies next year, bringing an end to the country's smallest monetary denomination. According to the Journal, the Treasury lost $85 million last year on new pennies, with 3 billion new one-cent pieces minted and then sent into circulation. The move is expected to save the government $56 million annually. For businesses, the lack of new pennies in circulation will mean cash transactions need to be rounded up or down to the nearest 5 cents, with...

US economic output rebounded in May as businesses digested President Trump's tariff rollback. S&P Global's flash US composite PMI, which captures activity in both the services and manufacturing sectors, came in at 52.1 in May, up from 50.6 in April. Increased activity in both the services and manufacturing sectors helped drive the gains. S&P's services PMI increased to 52.3 in May, up from 50.8. Meanwhile, the manufacturing PMI also increased, rising to 52.3, above the 50.2 seen the month prior. “Business confidence has improved in May from the worrying slump...

The S&P 500's (^GSPC) macro moment may be over. As tariff news whipsawed markets to start the second quarter, stocks moved roughly in unison. In April, the one-month correlation of stock movements within the benchmark index soared to nearly 0.7, a level only seen in the past five years when the Federal Reserve began hiking interest rates in 2022 and during the onset of the pandemic. But as President Trump has dialed back the height of his tariffs on other nations, the correlation between stocks in the S&P 500 has...