Global markets are trading lower early Tuesday after a shaky trading day on Wall Street that left investors uncertain about what comes next amid renewed beef between the world’s biggest economies, according to data from CNBC.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures inched up just 36 points, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures barely moved. On Monday, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones both rose by over 1%, with the S&P recording its strongest daily jump since May 27, as the Dow broke a five-day losing streak and recovered two-thirds of its crash from Friday.
In Europe, the Stoxx 600 was last trading 0.8% lower, with nearly every major sector in the red. Mining shares led the losses as the Stoxx Basic Resources Index dropped 2.2%, dragging the broader regional market down.
Ericsson stock jumped 13.4% after reporting third-quarter net income of 11.3 billion Swedish kronor ($1.2 billion), a 191% surge from last year, marking one of the few standouts in an otherwise grim trading day. Defense contractors were also weak, as Renk fell by 2.6%, Leonardo declined 1.7%, and Saab slipped by 1.7%.
Europe sees losses as currencies and chips tumble
The British pound dropped 0.5% against both the U.S. dollar and the euro after the Office for National Statistics said the U.K. unemployment rate rose to 4.8% in the three months to August, slightly above the 4.7% predicted by analysts.
The data added pressure on traders already worried about slowing job growth and higher inflation under President Donald Trump’s trade stance with Europe.
In Asia, the Shanghai-listed Wingtech Technology, one of China’s biggest chipmakers, crashed 10% for the second day in a row after the Dutch government took over its Netherlands-based unit, Nexperia.
The Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, Micky Adriaansens, said the decision under the “Goods Availability Act” was made “to prevent a situation in which the goods produced by Nexperia (finished and semi-finished products) would become unavailable in an emergency.”
Nexperia produces chips used in cars, electronics, and industrial systems, making it critical to Europe’s tech supply chains.
Asia markets plunge as investors retreat from tech and energy
The South Korean Kospi reversed earlier gains and ended 0.63% lower at 3,561.81, after touching a new high of 3,646.67 earlier in the session. Construction and mining stocks were among the few winners; Korea Zinc jumped 20%, while Tongyang Inc soared 30%.
LG Energy Solution climbed 6.94%, its second day of gains after forecasting a 34% jump in third-quarter profit, driven by strong U.S. electric vehicle demand before government incentives expired on September 30.
South Korea’s Kosdaq index also slipped 1.46% to 847.96 after an early rally. Samsung Electronics’ stock erased its earlier gains, closing 1.82% lower after the company projected a 32% rise in third-quarter profit year on year, at about 12.1 trillion Korean won ($8.48 billion), beating LSEG SmartEstimates of 10.1 trillion won.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.58% to 46,847.32, and the Topix lost 1.99% to 3,133.99, extending a week-long decline, while India’s Nifty 50 slid by 0.55%, and the Sensex fell by 0.53%, though LG Electronics India rocketed by 50% on debut after its IPO drew record demand, the strongest since 2008, according to data from CNBC.
Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 rose 0.19% to 8,899.4, while the Hang Seng Index tumbled by 1.74%, the Hang Seng Tech Index plunging by 3.7%, and China’s CSI 300 losing 1.2%, showing just how fragile the market mood remains.
Investors will now be watching for news from the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Washington. The IMF is set to release its latest World Economic Outlook report Tuesday.
The meetings bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, the private sector, civil society and academia to discuss issues of global concern, including the global economy, poverty eradication and economic development.
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