Asian equities declined Monday as investors reacted to weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data and fresh concerns over US credit risk.
China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported April industrial output rose 6.1% year-over-year, slowing from 7.7% in March but beating forecasts. Retail sales climbed 5.1%, below the expected 5.5% and down from March’s 5.9%.
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The broader markets are under pressure after one of the credit rating agencies downgraded U.S. debt. Today’s declines come on the heels of a positive week in the stock market.
» Read more about: S&P 500 (NYSEARCA: SPY) Live: Markets Surrender Ground on US Debt Downgrade »
A Friday evening markdown by the Big Four credit rating agency is compounding risks from tariff threats and long-simmering fiscal issues.
US stocks fell and Treasury yields rose as a downgrade from Moody’s Ratings on the US government’s credit rating renewed pressure on American assets.
The S&P 500 Index sank 1% as of 9:32 a.m.
» Read more about: S&P 500 slumps as Moody's US downgrade sinks in »
Mutual fund assets surged 23 per cent or over Rs 12 lakh crore year-on-year to reach a record of Rs 65.74 lakh crore in FY25, propelled by robust net inflows and mark-to-market gains amid buoyant equity and debt markets.
In comparison, the assets under management of the industry stood at Rs 53.40 lakh crore in March 2024.
The one asset class that benefitted the most from trade wars and recent equity market volatility was gold. Besides trade wars, the past year witnessed interest rate uncertainty in the US, a slowing Chinese economy, tensions in the Middle East, and an election-driven atmosphere in India — all of which made the markets somewhat fragile and benefitted gold price.
» Read more about: Gold mutual funds or equity funds: Return comparison over 1, 5 and 10 years »
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reported a record $348 billion in cash and Treasury bills on its balance sheet in March, a warning to Wall Street that stocks are still expensive.
Berkshire in the first quarter added to its position in Domino’s Pizza, a company that ranks as the world leader in pizza sales due consistent technology and menu innovation.
NEW YORK — US stocks, US bonds and the value of the US dollar are all falling on Monday following the latest reminder that the US government seems to be hurtling toward an unsustainable mountain of debt.
The S&P 500 was 0.9 percent lower in early trading after Moody’s Ratings became the last of the three major credit-rating agencies to say the US federal government no longer deserves a top-tier “Aaa” rating.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is facing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) dilemma. Although a pioneer of the tech industry, APPL has been struggling with AI integration, which risks undermining its SMART-Phone market dominance.
10 Smartphones with the Best Cameras and Battery Life
As per a report on Bloomberg on Sunday,
» Read more about: Apple Inc. (AAPL) Faces AI Roadblock as Competition Heats Up »
DAYTON, Wash. – Back in the New Deal era, the Northwest’s mighty rivers were dammed allowing barges to cheaply bring grain from the wheat fields of eastern Washington to the coast for export.
Today, at ports along the Snake River, trucks unload grain to five-storey high bins along the banks. Most barges that pull up to the terminals carry the equivalent of 150 semi trucks worth of grain downriver to Portland.