Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
Fed Governor Lisa Cook Warns Inflation Risks Remain as Rates Stay Steady 
South Korea’s Weak Won Struggles as Retail Investors Pour Money Into U.S. Stocks 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
The S&P 500 fell sharply Monday as renewed trade war fears rattled markets after President Donald Trump confirmed tariffs on Mexico and Canada will take effect Tuesday. He also signed an order to impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports, bringing the total levy to 20%.
At market close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 648 points (1.5%), the S&P 500 declined 2%, and the Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.6%. The latest tariffs come as negotiations with Mexico and Canada failed to yield a deal, increasing concerns over economic growth.
Manufacturing data further fueled worries, with the ISM Manufacturing PMI rising to 50.3 in February, below expectations of 50.6. While this marked a second consecutive month of expansion after 26 months of contraction, demand weakened, and companies continued cutting staff. The Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model now projects a 2.8% contraction in the U.S. economy for Q1, worsening from last week’s 1.5% decline estimate.
Tech stocks took a hit, with NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) tumbling over 8% after reports that Chinese buyers are bypassing U.S. export bans to access its Blackwell chips. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) lost 4% despite earlier gains following reports that it is running manufacturing tests with Nvidia and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO).
Bitcoin dropped over 8%, reversing earlier gains despite optimism over Trump’s proposed U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve, which he said would include Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, and Cardano.
In M&A news, Capri Holdings (NYSE: CPRI) is reportedly nearing a deal to sell Versace to Prada for approximately $1.6 billion.
Markets remain volatile as investors assess the impact of tariffs and economic uncertainty.
