Australian Household Spending Rebounds Strongly in May as Travel and Dining Drive Consumer Growth 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
World Bank Approves $1.1 Billion Emergency Funding for Bangladesh Amid Food and Energy Price Pressures 
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen 
Gold Prices Fall Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar, Fed Rate Hike Bets Weigh on Bullion 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
South Korea’s KOSPI Jumps Over 5% as Samsung, SK Hynix Rally on Micron Earnings Boost 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
U.S. stocks closed lower Thursday as investors reacted to President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of new auto tariffs, which sent shares of major automakers and parts suppliers tumbling. The S&P 500 slipped 0.33% to 5,693.31, while the Nasdaq lost 0.53% and the Dow Jones fell 0.37%.
Trump’s plan includes a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks starting April 3, with auto parts tariffs following on May 3. The move triggered a sharp sell-off in automakers, with General Motors (NYSE:GM) plunging over 7% and Ford (NYSE:F) dropping 3.9%. Car parts suppliers Aptiv (NYSE:APTV) and BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA) fell around 5% each.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) gained 0.4% as its domestic production may shield it from the worst of the tariff impact. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose 1.05%, helping to offset broader losses.
Uncertainty around Trump’s shifting trade policies continues to weigh on investor sentiment. “People are cautious not just because of the policies but because of the constant flip-flopping,” said portfolio manager Jed Ellerbroek of Argent Capital.
Eight of the 11 S&P 500 sectors closed in the red, led by energy and communication services. Despite a dip in weekly jobless claims and a Q4 GDP revision up to 2.4%, markets remained under pressure.
Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR) jumped 11% after announcing the sale of its Family Dollar unit for $1 billion, earning bullish analyst upgrades.
Investors are now turning to Friday’s release of the February PCE price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, for further clues on monetary policy. So far in 2025, the S&P 500 is down 3%, while the Nasdaq has slid nearly 8%, both poised to end Q1 in the red.
