Wall Street Slides as Iran War Uncertainty, Oil Surge, and AI Fears Rattle Markets 
Oil Prices Climb as Iran Reviews U.S. Peace Proposal Amid Middle East Tensions 
UK Consumer Confidence Weakens Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Living Costs 
Bank of Japan Officials Signal Continued Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Concerns 
Iran-Israel Missile Strikes Continue Amid Mixed Signals on U.S.-Iran Diplomacy 
U.S. Stock Futures Steady as Iran Reviews U.S. Ceasefire Proposal 
Japan Eyes Oil Futures Intervention to Stabilize Yen Amid Middle East Crisis 
U.S. Dollar Weakens as Trump Signals Iran Deal Possibility 
Gold Prices Climb as Middle East Ceasefire Talks Stir Market Optimism 
WTO Reform Talks Begin in Cameroon Amid Global Trade Tensions 
Bank of Japan Eyes April Rate Hike Despite Inflation Dip, ING Says 
Japan's Private Sector Growth Slows in March Amid Rising Costs and Middle East Uncertainty 
U.S. Futures Slide as Iran Denies Nuclear Talks with Washington 
Oil Prices Plunge Over 6% as Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Ease Supply Fears 
Currency Markets Show Caution Amid U.S.-Iran Negotiations 
Australia's Inflation Eases in February but Core Pressures Persist 
Wall Street suffered its steepest two-day drop since the pandemic, as mounting global trade tensions and sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration triggered a major market selloff. The Nasdaq Composite officially entered a bear market Friday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average confirmed a correction.
Over Thursday and Friday, the Dow fell 9.3%, the S&P 500 dropped 10.5%, and the Nasdaq plunged 11.4%. The selloff wiped trillions off U.S. company valuations, with the CBOE Volatility Index hitting its highest level since April 2020.
Investor panic surged after Trump raised tariffs to their highest level in over a century, prompting concerns over a looming global recession. Global responses added fuel to the fire—China’s finance ministry announced a 34% tariff on all U.S. goods starting April 10, while leaders from the UK, Australia, and Italy discussed retaliation.
On Friday alone, the Nasdaq dropped 962.82 points (5.82%) to 15,587.79, the Dow fell 2,231.07 points (5.50%) to 38,314.86, and the S&P 500 slid 322.44 points (5.97%) to 5,074.08—its lowest close in 11 months. Weekly losses stood at 10% for the Nasdaq, 9.1% for the S&P 500, and 7.9% for the Dow.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned the tariffs could spark inflation and slow growth, possibly influencing future monetary policy. The 10-year Treasury yield dipped below 4%, adding pressure to bank stocks, with the S&P Banks index dropping 7.3%.
All 11 S&P sectors fell over 4.5%, with energy leading losses, down 8.7% as U.S. crude slid 7.3%. Tech and China-exposed stocks plunged, including Apple (-7.3%), Alibaba, and JD.com (both down over 7.7%). Chipmakers, heavily reliant on U.S.-China supply chains, dropped another 7.6%.
