Global Markets Rattle With Trump's Tariff, Dollar Weakens, Oil Tanks - Global Markets Today While US Slept

On Wednesday, April 2nd, U.S. markets closed mixed after a turbulent session as investors positioned themselves ahead of President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement. While stocks gained during regular trading, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures fell sharply afterward, reacting to a proposed 10% baseline import tariff and stricter measures on key trade partners, fueling market volatility and investor unease.

In economic data, U.S. private businesses added 155,000 jobs in March, beating expectations. Meanwhile, factory orders rose 0.6% in February, down from January’s revised 1.8% increase.

Most S&P 500 sectors closed higher, led by industrials and financials, though consumer staples and some consumer discretionary stocks ended lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.56% to 42,225.32, the S&P 500 gained 0.67% to 5,670.97, and the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.87% to close at 17,601.05.

Also Read: Markets Reel As Trump’s Tariffs Hit — Magnificent 7 Set To Shed Almost $700 Billion

Asia Markets Today

• On Thursday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed the session lower by 2.73% at 34,751.00, led by losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors.
• Japan’s Nikkei fell to an eight-month low after Trump unveiled steep tariffs, including a 24% levy on Japanese goods. This sparked a broad market selloff and investor risk-off sentiment.
• Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.94% and closed at 7,859.70, led by losses in the IT, Energy and Resources sectors.
• India’s Nifty 50 was down 0.38% to 23,243.10, and Nifty 500 declined 0.13% to 21,237.80.
• China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.24% to 3,342.01, while the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 slid by 0.59% to 3,861.50.
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 1.77%, ending the session at 22,792.00.

Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was down 2.12%.
• Germany’s DAX declined 1.52%.
• France’s CAC 40 fell 2.09%.
• U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded lower by 1.16%.
• European stocks tumbled as Trump’s sweeping tariffs on all U.S. imports sparked global trade tensions. Markets fear an economic slowdown, with oil prices sliding and the EU, China, and others planning retaliation.

Commodities at 05:45 AM ET

• Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 4.00% at $68.83/bbl, and Brent was down 3.83% at $72.08/bbl.
• Oil prices plunged Thursday as Trump’s steep new tariffs sparked fears of a global trade war, dampening growth and fuel demand.
• Natural Gas slid 0.20% to $4.047.
• Gold was trading lower by 0.56% at $3,148.31, Silver was down 4.75% to $33.008, and Copper fell 2.37% to $4.9215.

U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET

• Dow futures were down 2.44%, S&P 500 futures declined 3.03% and Nasdaq 100 futures slid 3.33%.
• U.S. stock futures fell sharply after President Trump announced sweeping new tariffs, including a 10% baseline on all imports and higher duties on countries like China, the EU, and Japan. Auto tariffs also took effect, fueling global trade tensions and recession fears.

Forex at 05:45 AM ET

• The U.S. Dollar Index fell 1.56% to 102.05, USD/JPY was down 1.86% to 146.50, and USD/AUD declined 0.66% to 1.5774.
• The dollar weakened on Thursday following President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement, as investor concerns over a potential global economic slowdown grew. Ongoing uncertainty and weaker U.S. data have continued to weigh on the dollar.

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