Public Markets 3d Briefing
×Market Volatility & AI Concerns
Stocks slipped bloomberg.com as software selloffs sparked AI concerns, with the Dow falling over 800 points on uncertainty. The S&P 500 ended the week lower bloomberg.com marking its first two-week loss since June. Bitcoin bloomberg.com extended its decline, putting the token on course for its steepest monthly drop since the crypto collapse of June 2022.
Tariff Developments & Trade Policy
President Trump's new baseline global tariff bloomberg.com of 10% took effect after the Supreme Court struck down his earlier sweeping levies. Trump investing.com now considers raising the rate to 15% following the ruling. The US Supreme Court bloomberg.com ruled that Trump overstepped his authority on tariffs, a decision that Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford bloomberg.com said he was not anticipating.
Asian Markets & Chinese Tech
Chinese stocks bloomberg.com gained after reopening from the Lunar New Year holiday on tariff relief hopes and AI buzz. China's BYD wsj.com logged nearly threefold growth in European sales last month as electric and hybrid vehicles remained in high demand. Zhipu AI investing.com shares rebounded after tumbling on compute shortage concerns.
European Financial Performance
European traders celebrated decade-beating performance ft.com as investment banks capitalized on volatility, with Barclays and Deutsche Bank leading the pack. Air France-KLM and Accor SA bloomberg.com will pay bond penalties for missing greenhouse gas targets. Enel investing.com jumped after unveiling a €53 billion investment plan focused on renewables.
Banking & Financial Services
Jamie Dimon bloomberg.com sees parallels to the pre-crisis era as rivals engage in "dumb things" across the financial industry. Standard Chartered wsj.com exceeded its 13% return on tangible equity target a year earlier than planned. Singapore's UOB investing.com missed Q4 profit estimates as trading income weakened.
Commodity Markets
Copper bloomberg.com jumped as China traders cheered the prospect of lower US levies. Gold wsj.com edged higher amid ongoing tariff risks, snapping a four-day winning streak amid profit-taking. Soybeans bloomberg.com reversed earlier losses to turn higher as traders assessed changes to Trump's tariff regime.
Private Markets & Investment
The private equity logjam ft.com hit record levels as firms struggled to sell, with the value of companies sitting in buyout funds reaching $3.8 trillion. Blue Owl ft.com became a warning of what happens when exotic products do not go to plan. Amundi bloomberg.com warmed to Japanese government bonds for the first time in three decades.
Technology & AI Disruption
The AI upheaval ft.com put software investors on edge as markets weighed whether incumbents will adapt or be sidelined by AI agents. Indian IT stocks bloomberg.com saw selloffs deepen on AI scare after a Citrini report. Millennium Management's exit bloomberg.com spawned two new hedge funds seeking $1.4 billion.
Emerging Markets & Currency
South Africa traders bloomberg.com became most bearish on the rand in three years as they questioned the currency's rally. India's central bank bloomberg.com is likely to buy dollars for reserves should the rupee strengthen to around 88-89 per dollar. The dollar bloomberg.com edged higher as traders mulled Trump's next trade steps.
Corporate & Legal Developments
Jane Street bloomberg.com was sued for alleged insider trading by the administrator winding up Terraform Labs' affairs. Marsh bloomberg.com mulled the sale of PCS, its financial risk manager for high-net-worth individuals in Asia. First Brands wsj.com laid off employees as buyer interest faded.