Morgans AM

US equity markets mixed as investors awaited concrete developments on the trade front and digested softer-than-expected employment data - Dow eased -92-points or -0.22%, snapping a four-session streak. Chevron Corp (down -1.56%) and Verizon Communications Inc (-1.35%) dropped over >1%.President Trump was active on social media platform Truth Social overnight, observing "I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!"

US equity markets settled little changed following a volatile session to close out a volatile month as U.S. President Trump slammed China before sounding upbeat about reaching a trade deal - Dow added +54-points or +0.13% Nvidia Corp -2.92%

US equity markets advanced and remain on track to log weekly and monthly gains, buoyed by a solid first quarter result from chip giant Nvidia Corp (up +3.25%) that saw its data centre business record . However, gains were capped as investors monitored judicial developments surrounding President Trump's “reciprocal” tariffs - Dow rose +11-points or +0.28% Boeing Co +3.32% and hit a 52-week high after Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kelly Ortberg said its airplane deliveries to China will resume next month after handovers were paused amid a trade war with the Trump administration. Mr Orberg also said Boeing could ramp up production of its best-selling Max jets to 47 a month by the end of the year. Salesforce Inc dropped -3.3% and was the worst performing Dow component overnight the cloud software giant

US equity markets retreated and settled near their session lows ahead of the highly anticipated first quarter result from ‘Magnificent Seven' and Dow component Nvidia Corp after the closing bell - Dow fell -245-points or -0.58%

US equity and bond markets were CLOSED overnight in observance of Memorial Day. However, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were over >1% higher after President Trump delayed the 50% tariffs which were set to be imposed on the European Union (EU) on 1 June.

US equity markets fell on Friday (23 May) after President Trump reignited tariff concerns with a series of social media posts - Dow lost -256-points or -0.61%, with Salesforce Inc (down -3.63%) the worst performer in the 30-stock index. Apple Inc (down -3.02%) fell for an eighth straight session after President Trump posted on his Truth Social website that the technology giant will have to pay a tariff of at least 25% for iPhones made outside the United States. "I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else," President Trump wrote. Bank analysts estimated that a $US1200 iPhone would, if made in America, jump in price anywhere from US$1,500 to US$3,500.

US equity markets steadied after steep losses in the previous session, - Dow flat, unwinding an earlier rally of as much a +-points.  Nike Inc gained +2.23% and was the leading Dow component overnight after confirming that it will resume selling apparel and footwear on Amazon.com Inc's (+0.98%) platform for the first time since 2019. Separately, Nike said it intends to increase the prices of certain items by 1 June. UnitedHealth Group Inc (down -2.08%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index for a second session running, under fresh pressure after the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it plans to take a more "aggressive" approach to auditing Medicare Advantage plans.

US equity markets fell sharply, pushing the Dow and S&P 500 back into negative territory for the calendar year-to-date as longer dated Treasury yields jumped and as investors kept close tabs on a sweeping tax and spending bill that's moving through Congress and could dramatically increase the federal deficit  - Dow dropped -817-points or -1.91% UnitedHealth Group Inc (down -5.78%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index overnight, having been the leading Dow component for the past three sessions. The Guardian reported that the health insurer giant had secretly paid nursing homes to reduce transfers of residents in need of care to hospitals. The company denied the allegations.

US equity markets recent rally paused as Treasury yields ticked higher  - Dow eased -114-points or -0.27%.  Nvidia Corp fell -0.88% Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang said Monday (19 May) the company would be opening its artificial-intelligence server platform to rival chip makers but he also warned the U.S. government's move to limit chip exports to China could hit revenue by $15B. UnitedHealth Group Inc (up +1.8%) was the leading Dow component for a third consecutive session, continuing to rebound from steep losses last week that was spurred by the departure of its CEO and reports that the health insurer faces a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and that saw the stock fall over >20% to hit 5-year low last Thursday (15 May).The broader S&P500 lost -0.39%, snapping a six-session winning streak. Energy (down -0.99%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard for a second consecutive session and led eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. Utilities (up +0.29%), Health Care (+0.27%) and Consumer Staples (+0.24%) all added ~0.3%.

US equity markets advanced as investors digested a cooler-than-expected inflation report that revived hopes of interest rate cuts later this year - Dow fell -270-points or -0.64%. UnitedHealth Group Inc slumped -17.79%, alone wiping ~410-points off the 30-stock index after the insurance giant withdrew its full-year outlook and announced the surprise exit of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Witty after four years in the role. The withdrawal of the 2025 outlook comes less than a month after the company slashed its 2025 guidance, saying costs rose as Medicare Advantage care activity had increased at twice the expected rate. Nvidia Corp rallied +5.63% and climbed back above the US$3 trillion level in market capitalisation terms for the first time since February, buoyed by a Bloomberg report that President Trump is planning to unveil a deal that would afford Saudi Arabia more access to advanced chips manufactured by the company and the likes of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Inc (+4.01%). To deal with the U.S.'s national security concerns, the U.S. and Saudi governments have reportedly discussed creating data embassies, where data centres will fall under foreign regulations rather than local laws around data protection. Meanwhile, Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang announced a deal to deploy 18,000 chips with newly launched Saudi AI firm Humain for a data centre that is expected to reach 500 megawatts. AMD also announced a US$10B partnership with the artificial intelligence (AI) company to build out its AI infrastructure over the next five years. Boeing Co rose +2.46% following reports that China had lifted its ban on deliveries of US-made aircraft.

A relatively muted end to the week for US equity markets following two-days of gains as investors braced for news from highly anticipated trade talks that are scheduled for this weekend in Switzerland between U.S. and Chinese officials - Dow eased -119-points or -0.29%U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “substantial progress” had been made in the weekend trade negotiations between US and China trade officials, adding that the Trump administration “will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks were productive.” In the same statement, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer agreed that it was “a very constructive two days. It's important to understand how quickly we were able to come to agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not so large as maybe thought.” China's delegation later described the weekend meetings as “candid, in-depth and constructive dialogue,” and said a joint statement would be issued Monday (12 May). No specific details of possible points of agreement were revealed by either side. On Friday (9 May), Trump floated the idea of bringing down China's tariff rate to 80%.

US equity markets advanced but settled well off their session highs, with investor sentiment buoyed a new trade agreement forged between the United States and Britain, while President Trump indicated upcoming talks with China would be “very substantive” and, if productive, could lead to tariff reductions - Dow rose +254-points or +0.62% to 41,368.48, just failing to exit official correction territory.  Boeing Co rallied +3.31% and was the leading performer in the 30-stock index after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the UK would buy US$10B of aircraft from the aerospace company. Walt Disney Co +2.97% a day after the entertainment giant posted a stronger-than-expected adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and revenue and unveiled a plan to build a theme park in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

US equity markets advanced after a choppy session as investors digested the latest corporate earnings releases and the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision and soundbites from President Trump on tariffs and trade restrictions - Dow rose +285-points or +0.70%.

 US equity markets advanced to cap as investors reacted to strong monthly employment data and news that China is evaluating the possibility of trade talks with the U.S. - Dow rose +564-points or +1.39% to 41,317.43. American Express Co (up +3.09%), 3M Co (+3.03%) and Nike Inc (+3.22%) all climbed over >3%. Nvidia Corp rose +2.59% a report in The Information that the artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker is working to design semiconductors to sell in China that would comply with U.S. trade restrictions. Microsoft Corp rallied +2.32%, lifting its market capitalisation to ~US$3.235 trillion and pushed passed Apple Inc (down 3.74%, market capitalisation ~US$3.067 trillion) to become the largest company in the U.S. by market capitalisation as investors responded to the latest quarterly results from the technology giants last week. Apple CEO Tim Cook said Trump administration tariffs could cost the iPhone maker US$900M this quarter. Meanwhile, Microsoft closes Skype tonight AEST, the pioneering video-calling service it acquired for US$8.5B 14 years ago.  

US equity markets made a positive start to May, with the Dow and S&P 500 extending their rally into an eighth consecutive session amid fresh gains for megacap technology stocks - Dow added +84-points or +0.21% Microsoft Corp +7.63% was the leading performer in the 30-stock index the technology giant reported better-than-expected third-quarter financials after the close of the previous session amid soaring cloud demand. Nvidia Corp rose +2.47% investors welcomed the news that Microsoft and Meta Platforms Inc expect to continue investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI)  infrastructure

A late rally lifted the Dow and S&P 500 into positive territory for a seventh consecutive session to cap a very volatile month, erasing earlier declines that followed data recording that the US economy contracted for the first time in three years in the first quarter - Dow rose +142-points or +0.35%, recovering from an earlier slide of more than >780-points.  Verizon Communications Inc (up +2.58%) and Chevron Corp (down -2.33%)  were the best and worst performers respectively in the 30-stock index overnight

The Dow and S&P 500 extended their rally into a sixth consecutive session after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration has negotiated its first trade deal with an unnamed country  - Dow rose +300-points or +0.75%, logging its longest winning streak since the period ended 17 July, 2024.

The Dow and S&P 500 posted a fifth consecutive session of gains, booking their longest winning streak of 2025 to date and settling well off their session lows in a muted trading to open a very busy week of corporate earnings and economic data - Dow rose +114-points or +0.28%. Boeing Co rose +2.44% to US$182.30, buoyed by an upgrade from analysts at Bernstein to ‘outperform with a target price of US$218 (from US$181 previously), and as its deal to reacquire Spirit AeroSystems Holdings (+2.61%) cleared another hurdle. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp +1.61% after pledging a US$150B investment over the next five years to aid the development of technology in the U.S. The company said it would invest more than US$30B in research and development to continue its domestic manufacturing of mainframe and quantum computers. Nvidia Corp fell -2.05% following a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that China's Huawei Technologies has developed a new chip called the Ascend 910D, with hopes it will become be more powerful than Nvidia's H100. Huawei is already poised to ship more than 800,000 of its Ascend 910B and 910C chips to customers including state-owned telecommunications carriers and private AI developers, such as TikTok's parent ByteDance, according to the WSJ. Nvidia's H100 was released in 2022 and has since been superseded by later generations of its Hopper chips and its new Blackwell AI semiconductors. Nvidia is prohibited from selling its most powerful AI chips to Chinese companies.

US equity markets extended their strong rebound into a fourth consecutive session on Friday (25 April), lifting the S&P and Nasdaq to their highest settlements since 2 April (the day the Trump administration unveiled sweeping tariffs on America's trading partners) – Dow edged +20-points or +0.05% higher after climbing +487-points or +1.23% last Thursday (24 April).   Nvidia Corp (up +4.30%) was the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Merck & Co Inc rose +3.63% a day after the pharmaceutical major delivered better-than-expected first-quarter financial result, with EPS of US$2.22 (versus consensus US$2.13) and revenue of US$15.5B (versus consensus US$15.4B) topping consensus analysts forecasts. The pharmaceutical major slightly lowered its earnings forecast for 2025 to account for a US$200M upfront payment to Hengrui Pharma in a licensing deal, now projecting non-GAAP EPS of between US$8.82 and US$8.97 (down from a range of between US$8.88 and US$9.03 previously).

US equity markets advanced, consolidating the strong gains recorded in the previous session and lifting the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their highest settlements since 15 April as investors continued to cheer a cooling President's rhetoric around tariffs and his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell- Dow rose +420-points or +1.07% to 39,606.57, paring an earlier rally of as much as 1,189-points that lifted the index to 40,376.11. Amazon.com Inc (up +4.28%) and Nvidia Corp (+3.86%) both gained ~4%.

US equity markets rebounded strongly, more than recouping the previous session's sharp declines as investors digested a busy corporate earnings calendar and comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent  - Dow rose +1,017-points or +2.66%, with all 30 index components advancing.  Nvidia Corp +2.04% after Amazon.com Inc (+3.50%) pushed back against reports that it was pulling back on building artificial-intelligence (AI) infrastructure. “This is routine capacity management, and there haven't been any recent fundamental changes in our expansion plans,” wrote Kevin Miller, vice president of global data centres (DC) at Amazon Web Services (AWS), in a post on LinkedIn late Monday (21 April) in response to reports that the Cloud business delayed several new DC leases. Boeing Co rose +2.00% after the aerospace company agreed to sell portions of its Digital Aviation Solutions business to private-equity firm Thoma Bravo in a deal worth US$10.55B.

US equity markets resumed trading following the Good Friday holiday with steep losses, with the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven' cohort of large capitalisation technology stocks under particular pressure - Dow shed -972-points or -2.48%, extending its decline into a fourth consecutive session. UnitedHealth Group Inc (down -6.34%) was the worst performing Dow component overnight, extending the health insurer's two-day decline to -27.3% - the stock's worst two-day performance since 7 August, 1998 – after releasing its first quarter result last Thursday (17 April) and lowering its annual profit forecast on expectations of high medical costs for the rest of the year.   Nvidia Corp lost -4.51% after Reuters reported that Huawei Technologies planned to begin mass shipments of an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chip to customers in China as early as next month. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday (21 April), following a meeting with Chinese leaders in Beijing last Thursday (17 April). Nike Inc (up +0.65%) was the only Dow component to advance overnight.

US equity markets tumbled as investors digested news of U.S. restrictions on chip exports to China and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's latest assessment of the economy - Dow dropped -700 or -1.73% Nvidia Corp -6.87%  after disclosing in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the close of the previous session that sales of its H20 chips to China would require licenses from the Department of Commerce “for the indefinite future”. The chipmaker said it would record charges in its fiscal first quarter of up to US$5.5B for inventory and cancelled sales.

US equity markets retreated in muted trading  - Dow fell -156-points or -0.38% Boeing Co fell -2.36% and was the worst performer in the 30-stock index after a Bloomberg report said China ordered its airlines not to take any further deliveries of the company's jets, marking the latest escalation in the trade war between Washington and Beijing.Nvidia Corp fell over >5.5% in extended trading (after rising +1.35% in the regular session) after the company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that future sales of its H20 AI accelerators to China would require a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The licenses are unlikely to be forthcoming. As a result, Nvidia will take a US$5.5B charge in the current (first) quarter for H20 inventory and cancelled sales.

US equity markets advanced as investors digested another busy slate of information including the latest developments in a trade war with China, earnings reports from major banks and economic data - Dow rose +619-points or +1.56%, with the 30-stock index trading in an 1,150 point range after swinging more than >2,000 points between its high and low for the day in each of the preceding four (4) trading sessions.  Apple Inc (up +4.06%) was the leading Dow component on Friday (11 April) amid growing optimism the iPhone maker could win an exemption from the Trump administration's tariffs. Nvidia Corp, which outsources manufacturing to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Ltd (up +3.94% on the New York Stock Exchange), gained +3.12% after the China Semiconductor Industry Association said chips made by U.S. firms with outsourced manufacturing operations would not be subject to tariffs on U.S. goods. Meta Platforms Inc (up +7.7%) and the Federal Trade Commission face off tonight AEST over antitrust allegations which could force the social media giant to unwind its acquisition of messaging platform WhatsApp and photo-sharing app Instagram. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg is expected to appear in the witness stand.

US equity markets retreated, handing back a portion of the huge gains logged in the previous session's near record breaking rebound. Losses accelerated after the White House confirmed that the cumulative tariff rate on China would actually total 145% (consisting of the new 125% duty on goods, on top of the 20% rate levied in response to the fentanyl crisis), overshadowing cooler-than-expected inflation figures.Dow fell -1,015-points or -2.50% Nike Inc (down -8.29%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index, Nvidia Corp fell -6.79% after soaring +18.72% in the previous session.  A report from NPR said the White House has paused plans to put additional restrictions on sales of Nvidia's H20 artificial-intelligence chips after CEO Jensen Huang attended a dinner hosted by Trump and promised more investment in U.S.-based AI data centres. Separately, Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore kept Nvidia as a top pick, reiterating his Overweight rating and price target of $162. Walt Disney Co fell -6.79%, with China said it would reduce the number of U.S. movies it imports.  Amazon.com Inc (-5.17%), American Express Co (-5.9%), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (-5.24%), and Merck & Co Inc (-5.32%) all dropped over >5%.  

A late session slide erased earlier strong gains on US equity markets to cap another volatile session after Beijing vowed to "fight to the end" in response to President Trump's threat of imposing new 50% tariffs unless China rapidly removed its retaliatory measures - Dow settled -320-points or -0.84% lower, having been up as much as +1,461-points or +3.85% at its session peak – marking the biggest erased percentage gain since April 2020. Apple Inc (down -4.98%) extended its decline into a fourth straight session, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying that President Trump “absolutely” wants iPhones to be manufactured in the U.S. (the company currently assembles a large majority of its products in China). The Times of India reported that Apple transported five planes full of iPhones and other products from India to the US in just three-days during the final week of March to avoid a 10% reciprocal tariff that took effect on 5 April. Nike Inc (-4.21%) also fell over >4%. Nvidia Corp (fell -1.37%)

US equity markets mixed after another volatile as the sweeping Trump administration tariff measures continued to reverberate, with the president threatening even higher rates against China and the White House denying reports that they were considering a 90-day tariff pause on all countries except China - Dow fell -349-points or -0.91%, spiking as much as +2.3% during a brief morning session surge.  The Dow swung more than >2,500 points between its intra-day low and high, its largest intra-day points swing on record and all within the opening hour of trading. Apple Inc fell -3.67% after declining -7.3% last Friday (4 April) and was the worst performing Dow component overnight. The iPhone maker, which assembles a large majority of its products in China, slumped -13.6% last week to see US$443.5B wiped off its market capitalisation, the largest weekly market cap decline on record, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Home Depot Inc (down -3.5%) and Travelers Companies Inc (-3.48%) both fell ~3.5%. Nvidia Corp (up +3.53%) was the leading performer in the 30-stock index.

Friday (4 April) marked another brutal session for US equity markets as China responded in kind to the Trump administration's tariff measures and further fanned recession fears - Dow dropped -2,231-points or -5.50% , with Boeing Co (down -9.49%) and 3M Co (-9.18%) both fell over >9% to lead all 30-index components lower with the exception of Nike Inc (up +3%). The latter was buoyed by a friendly social-media post from President Trump about Vietnam, a country Nike relies on heavily to manufacture their products.China's finance ministry announced its own 34% tariff on all US imports, effective 10 April. The levy matches the 34% import duty the White House said it would impose on Chinese products slated to go into effect no later than 9 April. Beijing said Trump's tariffs were "inconsistent with international trade rules, seriously undermines China's legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice." In addition to the tariffs, China imposed export bans on select rare earth materials and added two US drone manufacturers to its "unreliable entities" list, effectively restricting their access to Chinese components. It also expanded its “unreliable entity list” by 11 American companies and launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of medical CT tubes from the U.S. and India.

US markets tumbled overnight as fears around a potential recession pick up. The US markets appearing to be the biggest losers after the tariff announcement. The Dow closed down -3.98% to 40,545. Insurance company UnitedHealth Group was the top performer, up 3.3%. Meanwhile Nike was the worst impacted, dropping -14.44%. The vast majority of Nike's imports into the US are from Southeast Asia, which will attract tariffs of between 25% and 54%.

The US stock market turned up late overnight, as investors await Trumps so called “Liberation Day” tariffs. However, since the announcement the markets have dropped in aftermarket trading, with the Dow futures down -1.8%, S&P500 futures down > -3%, and the Nasdaq futures down > -4%. So far Trump has promised a minimum 10% tariff on all countries, with larger tariffs on certain countries and industries. So far the major tariffs are 34% on China, 20% on the EU, 26% on India, and 10% on Australia and the UK. The Dow closed up 0.56% to 42,225.  

The US stock was mixed overnight.  The Dow closed mostly flat, down -0.03% to 41,989 points.  Nike was the top performer, up 2.02%. While pharma companies were all sold off, with the three worst performing stocks including Johnson & Johnson down -7.59%, Merck down -2.94%, and Amgen down -1.49%. Johnson & Johnson has just had a federal judge reject a $10b class action settlement over cancer claims relating to its baby powder.

The US stock market fell for the third day in a row on Friday – the 2nd worst day for US equities in 2025 due to tariffs expected this week and hotter than anticipated inflation numbers.The Dow fell -1.69% to 41,538 points, ending the week with a loss of -0.96%. 26 of the Dow 30 closed in the red.Amazon was the worst among them, falling -4.29%, alongside fell consumer stock Nike which fell -3.81%.

The US stock market fell for the second day in a row on Thursday after trading sideways for most of the session. Traders remained cautious ahead of Friday's release of the Fed's preferred inflation gauge.  Dow fell -155-points to trade below 42,300 points. Shares of Goldman Sachs (-2.61%), 3M co (-2.78%) and NIVIDIA (-2.05%) each contributing to the decline, falling over >2.00%.

All three major U.S. stock indices snapped a three-day winning streak as an imminent tariff announcement from President Trump derailed the recovery from a month-long selloff -  Dow fell -132.71-points or 0.31% lower. Nvidia Corp fell -5.74% amid concerns about possible new restrictions on the chipmaker's sales in China. Regulators in China have been discouraging the country's large technology companies from purchasing Nvidia's H20 chip - specifically designed to satisfy U.S. sanctions on exports - as it breaches energy-efficiency rules, the Financial Times reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Boeing Co fell -2.1% after a federal judge ordered the airplane maker to go to trial in June in a criminal case related to two 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday (24 March) that Boeing sought to withdraw an earlier agreement to plead guilty in the case that blamed it for deceiving regulators before the crashes. The broader S&P500 shed -1.1% and the biggest decline in almost 2 weeks. Consumer staples rose +1.42%, leading five of the eleven primary sectors higher. Information technology was the worst hit -down -2.46% and sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard followed by Communication services- down 2.04%

US equity markets climbed slightly on Tuesday, boosted by a late rally in big tech, however gains slowed after a strong start to the week. Investors shrugged off weaker March consumer confidence data, focusing instead on economic risks and the looming threat of a trade war.

US equity markets settled with modest gains on Friday (21 March) following a late-session rally, erasing earlier losses after comments from U.S. President Trump provided hope that previously announced tariffs expected to begin in early April may not be as burdensome as feared - Dow edged +32-points or +0.08% higher, with Boeing Co rising +3.06% after the Trump administration awarded the plane maker a contract to build the U.S. Air Force's most sophisticated fighter jet (to be called the F-47), beating out rival Lockheed Martin Corp (down -5.79%). While financial details were not disclosed, The Wall Street Journal estimated that research, development, and acquisition costs could exceed >US$50B. Nike Inc fell -5.42% and was the worst performing Dow component after posting its fiscal third quarter result after the close of the previous session and projected a sharper decline in fourth-quarter revenue than analysts had anticipated.The broader S&P500 inched +0.08% higher, with Communication Services (up +1.0%) leading just three of the eleven primary sectors higher. Real Estate (down -1.03%) and Materials (-1.0%) both fell ~1%. Economic bellwether FedEx Corp fell -6.45% to be the worst performer in the S&P 500 after the package delivery giant reported a solid quarter result after the close of last Thursday's (20 March) session but cut its full-year profit and revenue forecasts, citing continued weakness and uncertainty in the U.S. industrial economy.

US equity market  ticked lower on Thursday as uncertainty around the U.S. economy continued to weigh on equities, thwarting the market's attempts at recovery from a monthlong rout.The Dow Jones closed around the flatline -11.31 points, or 0.03%, closing at 41,953.32. The S&P 500 lost -12.40 points or 0.22%, to close at 5,662.89. The Nasdaq Composite dipped -59.16 points or 0.33% to 17,691.63.The Small-cap Russell 2000 continued the trend losing -0.65%.

US equity markets rallied on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 clawing back more of the rout since late February that took the benchmark briefly into correction territory.The Dow Jones climbed 383.32 points, or 0.92%, closing at 41,964.63. The S&P 500 added 60.63 points or 1.08%, to close at 5,675.29. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 246.67 points or 1.41% to 17,750.79.The Dow and the S&P 500 are more than 6% and more than 7%, respectively, below their recent closing highs. The Nasdaq, meanwhile, is roughly 12% off its record close.

US equity markets rose on Monday, building on their comeback from a four-week rout on Wall Street after mixed economic data and ahead of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the Ukraine war. The S&P 500 gained 0.65% to close at 5,675.12, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.31% and ended at 17,808.66. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also advanced 353.44 points, or 0.85%, to end at 41,841.63. The 30-stock index was bolstered by gains in Walmart and International Business Machines

US equity markets weaker on Wednesday, big tech continuing to hurt indices, with select Consumer names also being sold off. US PPI came in a touch below expectations, which followed a CPI print below expectations the day prior, but tariffs (and the threat of tariffs) were louder and seemed the focus of market moves.The Dow fell 537 points or -1.30%.Apple continued its negative trajectory, shares down another -3.36%, extending a string of recent losses on concerns over delayed Siri features and the impact of tariffs. The stock fell for the third-straight session after Apple on Friday reportedly pushed back the launch of certain Apple Intelligence features for Siri until 2026. The stock is -20% off its highs set in late December. 

US equity markets mixed on Wednesday, select beaten up tech names in the green, while large Consumer Staples continued to pull back, as US annual inflation rate fell to 2.8% in February, below forecasts of 2.9%. The core rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was 3.1% versus expectations of 3.2%.The Dow slipped 82 points or -0.20%.

US equity markets were again weaker on Tuesday, tariffs (both actual and threatened) making investors skittish. The Dow fell 478 points or -1.14%.Verizon Communications, the worst performer in the Dow, fell -6.58% after the telecommunications company said at a conference that it has "been a challenging quarter from a competitive intensity standpoint." Verizon anticipates first-quarter postpaid phone gross additions to be flat to slightly down from the prior-year period.Citi became the latest Wall Street investment bank to downgrade its stance on U.S. equities, downgrading its recommendation to "neutral" from “overweight” and citing recession fears. Citi's global head of macro strategy, Dirk Willer, cited two key market signals as factors signalling weakness ahead. Firstly, the S&P 500 broke below its 200-day moving average and secondly, the underperformance of market-leading stocks. He noted that while US equities may regain their edge once the artificial intelligence (AI)-driven rally resumes, near-term growth is expected to lag behind global markets.

US equity markets were again weaker on Monday, investors worried that tariff policy uncertainty would tip the economy into a recession, something President Donald Trump did not rule out over the weekend in an interview. 'Risk-off' sentiment can definitely be seen in US market trading. The Dow fell 890 points or -2.08%, the 30-stock index dragged down by Nvidia, Goldman Sachs and Apple, down -5.07%, 5%, and 4.85% respectively.Canada's next prime minister, former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, took aim at President Trump in his victory speech. "There's someone who's trying to weaken our economy: Donald Trump," he said. Carney won with leadership of the Canadian Liberal party with 86% of the vote. He will be sworn in as the country's new prime minister in the coming days. He said he will seek new trading partnerships with "reliable partners." Carney has also vowed to maintain retaliatory tariffs "until the Americans show us respect."  

US equity markets advanced, recovering from steep losses earlier in the session following a lacklustre jobs report and after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the economy remains in good shape. The Dow was up 222 points or 0.52%, the 30-stock index led by IBM (up 5.1%), and Verizon Communications (up 4.14%) leading the charge.The broader S&P500 gained +0.55%, with Utilities (up +1.84%) and Energy (+1.64%) leading eight of the eleven primary sectors higher. 

U.S. equity markets were down overnight as the market digests Trumps whipsawing tariff decisions.   The Dow was down -0.92% to 42,612 points.Nvidia was the main drag, falling -5.52% after CFO Colette Kress stated it would take some time for them to meet demand for their Blackwell chips.Goldman Sachs was also weak, falling -4.27%.The broader S&P500 fell -1.69% to 5,743 points. Energy was the top performing sector, up 0.63%. Consumer Discretionary and Real Estate sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard, down -3.01% and -2.61% respectively. Trading platform MarketAxess was the top performer, closing up 5.26% after reporting stronger institutional trading volumes.BestBuy closed up 4.21% to partially recover from its strong sell off earlier in the week.

US equity markets advanced following two session of heavy losses as investors eyed a near term reprieve for the automotive sector from President Trump' tariff measures that may be a portent of further concessions - Dow rose +486-points or +1.14% Microsoft Corp (up +3.23%) and Caterpillar Inc (+3.59%) both rallied over >3% to be the leading performers in the 30-stock index.

US equity markets weaker, extending the steep losses recorded a day earlier albeit settling off their worst levels of the session as tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico took effect - Dow shed -670-points or -1.55% to 42,520.99, having fallen as much a -843 points at its session low.  A close below 40,512.64 would mark a correction (defined as a 10% fall from the most recent peak) from the index's record close of 45,014.04, set on 4 December. Boeing Co (down -6.56%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index. Nvidia Corp rose +1.67%, recouping some of the previous session's -8.81% decline that dragged the chipmaker into official correction territory (after settling more than >20% below its record all-time closing high of US$149.43 set on 6 January).

US equity markets fell sharply, unwinding opening gains as President Trump said that tariffs against Mexico and Canada will go ahead as planned tonight AEST (and also signed an action to impose an additional 10% duty on China, according to an administration official), while investors also digested signs of a fresh spike in inflation pressures - Dow dropped -650-points or -1.48%. Nvidia Corp fell 8.81% to US$114.22 to be the worst performer in the 30-stock index overnight, with the stock falling into official correction territory after settling more than >20% below its record all-time closing high of US$149.43 set on 6 January. There were reports that Nvidia and Broadcom Inc (-6.05%) are testing Intel Corp's (-4.17%) chip manufacturing process. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday (2 March) that Chinese buyers were finding ways to buy Nvidia's chips despite President Trump's attempts to limit sales to Beijing. Elsewhere, Amazon.com Inc (down -3.42%), Caterpillar Inc (-3.46%) and Chevron Corp (-3.49%) all fell over >3%.

Benchmark US equity indices settled with solid gains on Friday (28 February) on heavy volume to close out a dreary February on a brighter note, with investors digesting the latest inflation figures that pushed US Treasury yields to fresh multi-month lows  - Dow rose +601-points or +1.39%, with 26 of 30 index components advancing.