South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Russian Stocks End Mixed as MOEX Index Closes Flat Amid Commodity Strength 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs Monday, driven by gains in Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and other major tech stocks ahead of key earnings reports and potential trade developments. Alphabet surged 2.7% ahead of its Wednesday earnings, while Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), also reporting the same day, dipped 0.35%. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose 0.62% and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) climbed 1.43%, further boosting the indexes.
Verizon (NYSE:VZ) jumped over 4% after raising its annual profit forecast. Analysts expect S&P 500 companies to post a 6.7% increase in Q2 earnings, with Big Tech leading the gains, according to LSEG I/B/E/S. U.S. Bank strategist Tom Hainlin noted that earnings so far have met or exceeded expectations, with no signs of weakening corporate profits or consumer demand.
As President Trump’s August 1 tariff deadline nears, the S&P 500 has risen about 8% in 2025, fueled by hopes trade tensions will ease. Trump has warned of tariffs up to 50% on imports from several countries, including Mexico, the EU, and Japan. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick remains optimistic about a U.S.-EU deal despite European countermeasures.
The S&P 500 gained 0.14% to close at 6,305.60, the Nasdaq rose 0.38% to 20,974.18, while the Dow dipped 0.04% to 44,323.07. Seven of 11 S&P sectors advanced, led by communication services (+1.9%) and consumer discretionary (+0.6%). Trading volume hit 19.7 billion shares, above the 20-day average.
Investors now await Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Tuesday speech and Thursday’s jobless claims and business activity data for interest rate clues. A July rate cut is seen as unlikely, but markets price in a better-than-even chance of a cut by September, per CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) FedWatch tool.
