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US stocks: Dow drops nearly 650 points on Trump tariff concerns – The Times of India

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US stocks: Dow drops nearly 650 points on Trump tariff concerns – The Times of India


People work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York.

US stocks fell sharply on Monday, wiping out much of their gains since President Donald Trump’s election, after he announced that tariffs on Canada and Mexico would take effect within hours.
The S&P 500 dropped 1.8% following Trump’s statement that there was “no room left” for negotiations to lower the tariffs, which will begin Tuesday. The move dashed Wall Street‘s hopes for a softer trade policy.
Why it matters
Monday’s losses cut the S&P 500’s post-Election Day gains to just over 1%, down from a peak of more than 6%. The market had rallied on hopes that Trump’s policies would strengthen the economy, but recent trade tensions and economic data have raised fears of a slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 649 points, or 1.5%, while the Nasdaq composite slumped 2.6%.
Between the lines
The market decline came amid broader concerns about US economic growth. A report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Monday showed that manufacturing activity remained in expansion but at a slower pace than economists expected. More concerningly, manufacturers saw a contraction in new orders, while prices rose amid discussions over who will bear the cost of Trump’s tariffs.
Timothy Fiore, chair of ISM’s manufacturing survey committee, noted, “Demand eased, production stabilized, and destaffing continued as panelists’ companies experience the first operational shock of the new administration’s tariff policy.”
What they’re saying
Wall Street had anticipated that Trump might use the tariffs as leverage for negotiations rather than enforcing them. However, the decision to proceed unsettled investors already wary of economic uncertainties.
“Markets were looking for another 11th-hour deal to further delay tariffs, but aren’t going to get one this time,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. “The next phase is to endure them. Markets have to price that reality, and those numbers are painted red.”
James St Aubin, chief investment officer at Ocean Park Asset Management, echoed the concerns: “It’s just more of a continuation of a string of bad economic news that tends to put a little bit of a dampener on the optimism we saw from fourth-quarter earnings.”
Zoom in
Certain sectors and stocks were hit particularly hard. Nvidia fell 8.8%, and Tesla slipped 2.8%. Retail giant Kroger dropped 3% after its Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen resigned following an internal investigation into his personal conduct.
Even stocks connected to cryptocurrency took a hit. MicroStrategy, now known as Strategy, slid 1.8%, while Coinbase dropped 4.6% despite Trump’s weekend announcement that his administration was moving forward with a crypto strategic reserve.
The global picture
The effects of Trump’s trade policies are being felt worldwide. In China, manufacturers reported an increase in orders in February as buyers rushed to secure goods ahead of higher US tariffs. Trump’s 10% tariff on Chinese imports rose to 20% on Tuesday, and the administration has also ended the “de minimis” loophole that exempted imports worth less than $800 from tariffs.
European markets, in contrast, performed better. Germany’s DAX surged 2.6%, and France’s CAC 40 rose 1.1% following a report that showed inflation was easing in February. This bolstered expectations that the European Central Bank may cut interest rates later this week. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, bubble tea chain Mixue Bingcheng soared 43% in its market debut, boosting the Hang Seng index by 0.3%.
What’s next
Investors will be closely watching upcoming economic reports and Federal Reserve signals. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.16% from 4.24% before the manufacturing report’s release, reflecting concerns about a slowing economy. Typically, falling Treasury yields can boost stocks, but this time the decline is driven by fears of a broader economic downturn.
With inflation worries still present, the Federal Reserve may have limited room to cut interest rates to stimulate growth. Market expectations currently point to at least two 25-basis-point rate cuts by the end of the year, but economic conditions could force a reassessment of that outlook.
(With inputs from agencies)





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Cyient Q4 net declines 5% to ₹186.4 crore 

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Intelligent engineering and technology solutions provider Cyient’s consolidated net profit for the quarter ended March declined more than 5% to ₹186.4 crore from ₹196.9 crore a year earlier.

The lower net profit came on an over 3% increase in total income to ₹1,950.2 crore (₹1,884.2 crore).

In a release, Cyient said during the quarter its Digital, Engineering, and Technology (DET) segment revenue declined 1.2% at ₹1,472 crore, while net profit at ₹163 crore was a year on year de-growth of 6%. The company has declared a final dividend of ₹14 per share (par value of ₹5 each) for 2024-25.

For the fiscal, Cyient DET net profit was 12.2% lower at ₹605 crore. It came on a 1.6% decline in revenue to ₹5,816 crore.

“Our top customers demonstrated strong growth this fiscal year despite the headwinds in demand. While there are some uncertainties in the near term, we are working very closely with our customers in navigating through the current challenges. We expect this to last at least through the first half of FY26,” executive vice chairman and managing director of Cyient Krishna Bodanapu said.

At a group level, “we now have three well-balanced growth vectors for the future. Our recent carve-out, Cyient Semiconductors, focuses on technology development and disruption led by AI. The DET business focuses on technology services with engineering competence as the core, and our DLM business focuses on engineering-led product manufacturing opportunities. With this, we are well-positioned to address a wide spectrum of growth opportunities in this emerging macro and geopolitical environment,” he said in a release.



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US Markets Today: S&P 500, Dow Jones reflect investor caution as US -China trade deal hopes stay murky – Times of India

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US Markets Today: S&P 500, Dow Jones reflect investor caution as US -China trade deal hopes stay murky – Times of India


US markets opened on a mixed note Thursday morning as investors closely monitored ongoing signals about global trade negotiations, particularly between the United States and China.Lingering uncertainty around tariff talks, paired with cautious sentiment from key officials, continued to shape investor behaviour across asset classes.
As of 9:42 AM GMT-4, US stock markets showed a mixed performance with investors closely monitoring the status of trade talks between the United States and China. The S&P 500 was up 15.05 points, or 0.28%, at 5,390.91, reflecting cautious optimism in the broader market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 100.3 points, or 0.25%, to 39,506.27 as of the same time, dragged lower by weakness in industrial and financial stocks, which are more exposed to global trade tensions. In contrast, the Nasdaq rose 107.29 points, or 0.64%, to 16,815.34, lifted by gains in large-cap tech names.
Gold climbed $41.10, or 1.25%, to $3,335.20, while oil prices also advanced, with West Texas Intermediate crude up $0.58, or 0.93%, at $62.85 per barrel. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note dropped 5.1 basis points to 4.336%, reflecting a shift toward safer assets.
In currency markets, the euro traded at $1.137, up 0.006 or 0.522% against the US dollar as of the latest reading. The VIX, Wall Street’s fear gauge, declined 0.92 points, or 3.23%, to 27.53.
Meanwhile, Stock markets mostly fell on Thursday after China dismissed US President Donald Trump‘s upbeat comments about progress in trade negotiations, casting doubt on the prospects of a deal to end the ongoing US-China trade war.
Markets had rallied the previous day when Trump suggested that tariffs on Chinese goods could be significantly reduced and that a “fair deal” with Beijing was within reach.
However, China on Thursday stated that claims of active trade talks with Washington were “groundless,” dampening investor optimism.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added to the uncertainty, saying that the two countries were “not yet” discussing the lowering of tariffs.
“The investing world went back to clinging to every word from the White House, but with such a confusing and often contradictory stance on tariffs, volatility was all that could really be expected,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
European stock markets fell as investors also focused on a series of corporate earnings reports for clues about how tariffs might affect business outlooks moving forward.
“Comments about tariffs from business leaders were everywhere, and investors were eager to see how companies planned to manage potential cost pressures,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Amid the uncertainty, the US dollar weakened, as investors turned to traditional safe-haven assets like the Swiss franc, the yen, and gold.
In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.5 percent higher, while Shanghai ended the day flat and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped nearly one percent.
Bessent also addressed US-Japan trade talks, stating that there were “absolutely no currency targets,” despite Trump’s previous remarks expressing a desire for a stronger yen.
Seoul’s stock market declined after South Korea’s economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.1 percent in the first quarter of 2025.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 had closed 1.7 percent higher on Wednesday, reflecting previous optimism.
In corporate news, Japanese automaker Nissan issued a stark profit warning, adding to investor concerns. Conversely, Nintendo shares surged as much as 5.5 percent following stronger-than-expected pre-order demand in Japan for its upcoming Switch 2 console.
French software company Dassault Systèmes saw its shares drop around seven percent in Paris after reporting a decline in net profit and revising its 2025 operating margin forecast downward.
Luxury group Kering fell roughly four percent in Paris as its Gucci brand continued to experience a sales slump.
Carmaker Renault, also based in Paris, rose around two percent after announcing further cost-cutting plans in response to US tariffs and reporting a slight increase in sales volumes.
In Frankfurt, German sportswear maker Adidas jumped about three percent as its first-quarter profit nearly doubled, surpassing market expectations.
Key Figures at 1100 GMT:

  • London – FTSE 100: Down 0.1% at 8,399.18
  • Paris – CAC 40: Down 0.2% at 7,464.88
  • Frankfurt – DAX: Down 0.3% at 21,907.84
  • Tokyo – Nikkei 225: Up 0.5% at 35,039.15 (close)
  • Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: Down 0.7% at 21,909.76 (close)
  • Shanghai – Composite: Flat at 3,297.29 (close)
  • New York – Dow: Up 1.1% at 39,606.57 (close)

Currencies:

  • Euro/Dollar: Up to $1.1383 from $1.1317
  • Pound/Dollar: Up to $1.3307 from $1.3257
  • Dollar/Yen: Down to 142.48 from 143.49
  • Euro/Pound: Up to 85.57 pence from 85.34

Commodities:

  • West Texas Intermediate: Up 1.2% at $63.02 per barrel
  • Brent North Sea Crude: Up 1.1% at $65.88 per barrel





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Stock markets decline after 7-day rally; HUL drops 4% post earnings

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Stock markets decline after 7-day rally; HUL drops 4% post earnings


Image used for representational purpose.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Thursday (April 24, 2025) amid profit-taking after a seven-day rally and disappointing earnings from Hindustan Unilever.

Selling in blue-chips ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel and a largely muted trend in Asian and European equities also dragged the markets lower.

The 30-share BSE benchmark declined 315.06 points or 0.39% to settle at 79,801.43. During the day, it dropped 391.94 points or 0.48% to 79,724.55.

The NSE Nifty went down by 82.25 points or 0.34% to 24,246.70.

In the past seven trading days, the BSE benchmark gauge zoomed 6,269.34 points or 8.48% and the Nifty jumped 1,929.8 points or 8.61%.

From the Sensex firms, FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) dropped 4% after the firm reported a decline of 3.35% in consolidated net profit at ₹2,475 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2025 on lower margins.

Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Eternal, Mahindra & Mahindra, HCL Technologies, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tata Consultancy Services and Bajaj Finance were also among the laggards.

Nestle India Ltd on Thursday reported a 6.5% decline in consolidated net profit at ₹873.46 crore for March quarter of FY25 as the FMCG industry faced food inflation and moderation in urban consumption.

IndusInd Bank, UltraTech Cement, Tata Motors, Tech Mahindra, Titan and Asian Paints were among the gainers.

“The domestic market witnessed mild profit-booking after the recent rally. Similarly, global markets too experienced selling pressure as the market participants scaled back the possibility of a quick resolution of tariff disputes between the U.S. and China.

“FMCG majors’ Q4 results were weak, impacted by subdued volumes and margin pressure, which led the sector to underperform,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng settled lower while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 and Shanghai SSE Composite ended in the positive territory.

European markets were quoting lower.

U.S. markets ended sharply higher on Wednesday. Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.50%, S&P 500 surged 1.67% and Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.07%.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude dipped 0.03% to $66.10 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹3,332.93 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

The BSE benchmark jumped 520.90 points or 0.65% to settle at 80,116.49, the highest closing level since December 18, on Wednesday. The Nifty rallied 161.70 points or 0.67% to 24,328.95.



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