Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 
Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Gold Prices Slide Below $5,000 as Strong Dollar and Central Bank Outlook Weigh on Metals 
Instagram Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Users 
CK Hutchison Launches Arbitration After Panama Court Revokes Canal Port Licences 
Nvidia, ByteDance, and the U.S.-China AI Chip Standoff Over H200 Exports 
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026 
UBS strategists predict the S&P 500 will close 2025 at 6,400, driven by backloaded returns. Despite early-year challenges, U.S. equities are expected to outperform global counterparts, particularly European and emerging markets, amid a cooling global economy.
S&P 500 Gains Expected to Be Backloaded in 2025
UBS market analysts project that the S&P 500 will close the year 2025 at approximately 6,400. With returns "being backloaded," the bank noted in a note, this would represent an approximately 9% increase from the current levels.
"After a rally this year through Trump’s cabinet appointments, we see mild downside in equities in H1 next year amid a step down in US growth," wrote strategists led by Arend Kapteyn.
After more reasonable earnings predictions are made, the company believes that the equity markets will be in a better position in the second half of 2025.
U.S. Equities to Outpace Europe and Emerging Markets
According to Investing.com, although US stocks may underperform European shares for a few months, UBS predicts that US stocks will beat European equities in the long run. On the other hand, compared to EM stocks, European stocks are expected to do better.
When it comes to style, UBS says that quality equities will keep doing better than value companies, and that the US will be a shining example.
Among emerging markets, the bank has singled out Chinese internet companies as a prime target. Nevertheless, the business cautions against putting too much stock in trade gains involving China's other benefactors.
Global Growth Slows Amid Tariff Challenges
Global economic indicators such as falling inflation and interest rates, fastest-rising real earnings in 20 years, and early indications of a housing market revival are encouraging, but strategists predict a slowdown in growth.
In particular, they anticipate a slowdown in worldwide growth over the next two years, with estimates ranging from 2.6% to 3.2%. Reasons for this prediction include the thought that the US economy will slow down and, more importantly, the effect that US tariffs will have on China's economy, which is already in a precarious position.
