The US dollar saw some recovery against most major currencies on Wednesday as reflected by a 0.33% increase in the dollar index (USDX) on the iFOREX trading platform. Escalating his tariff agenda with a 25% tax on all automobile imports, the U.S. President heightened investor caution. This drove safe-haven buying of the dollar, amid fears he would enact further tariffs.
Elsewhere, Asian stock markets largely declined Thursday, reacting to President Trump's proposed auto tariffs which heightened trade uncertainty. The Japan 225 suffered the most due to its heavy exposure to auto and tech sectors. Tech and chip stocks across the region also fell, mirroring U.S. trends, amid worries about AI supply oversupply. In contrast, Hong Kong's stock market saw gains, particularly in local tech companies, which have shown increasing divergence from global trends, fueled by optimism regarding China's AI development and anticipated stimulus measures from Beijing.
In corporate news, major Asian automakers saw significant declines, with Japanese firms Honda, Nissan, and Toyota dropping by 4.8%, 2.06% and 4.11% respectively on the iFOREX trading platform. South Korea's Hyundai fell even further, down 4.71%, despite its recent $21 billion U.S. investment intended to mitigate tariff impacts.
Wall Street sentiment shifted back to negative on Wednesday as the impact of trade tariffs pressured tech stocks, causing the main U.S. stock indices to decline on Wednesday. This broader market downturn was largely driven by a pullback in big tech, with NVIDIA Corporation and Tesla Inc leading the selloff amid ongoing tariff uncertainty. Adding to the negative sentiment surrounding Nvidia was a Financial Times report suggesting that Beijing's new energy efficiency regulations could potentially restrict Chinese companies from purchasing Nvidia's top-selling processors. Meanwhile, Tesla's slump interrupted a five-day streak of gains that followed a meeting led by CEO Elon Musk, which had previously helped to reassure investors.
Energy prices extended their recent gains, with both WTI and Brent crude oil reaching new monthly highs due to renewed supply concerns and government data confirming a larger-than-anticipated decrease in U.S. crude stockpiles. This drawdown significantly exceeded analysts' expectations, indicating a tightening supply in the crude oil market. In the meantime, the U.S. mediated separate agreements between Ukraine and Russia to stop attacks on maritime and energy infrastructure. In exchange, Washington pledged to push for the removal of specific sanctions on Moscow, especially those impacting Russian agriculture and fertilizer exports.
The announcement of U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% automobile import tariffs, set for April 2nd, contributed to a global market downturn, which in turn caused leading cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum to decline by 0.57% and 2.75% respectively, reflecting the negative sentiment also seen on Wall Street.
For Thursday, attention will likely turn to U.S. GDP numbers, weekly jobless claims and pending home sales data and a speech by ECB’s Lagarde at an event hosted by the Central Bank of Chile. On the earnings front, Lululemon Athletica and Walgreens Boots are releasing their quarterly reports later today. Later this week, some price action is anticipated upon the release of Friday’s Core PCE Price Index the Fed’s primary gauge of inflation.