TOKYO (AP) — Global shares retreated on Thursday, with Tokyo’s benchmark losing more than 1,300 points at one point and closing down more than 3%, as pessimism set in over a nose-dive on Wall Street.
France's CAC 40 slipped 1.5% in early trading to 7,400.08. Germany's DAX fell 1.2% to 18,161.70, while Britain's FTSE 100 shed 1.1% to 8,066.27.
The future for the S&P 500 fell 0.2% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%.
U.S. stock indexes suffered their worst losses since 2022 after profit reports from Tesla and Alphabet helped suck momentum from Wall Street’s frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology.
In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 3.3% to 37,869.51, its lowest close since April.
The recently strengthening yen, which has recovered from trading above 160 Japanese yen to the dollar earlier this month, hurts profits of Japanese exporters when they are brought back to Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. shares dropped 2.6%, while Sony Group's sank 5.4%.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged down to 152.50 yen from 153.89 yen. The euro cost $1.0844, up from $1.0841.
The yen has been gaining against the dollar largely because of speculation the Bank of Japan will raise its near-zero benchmark interest rate soon. The central bank's next policy meeting ends on July 31.
“The major risk is that the BOJ might refuse to hike next week, causing the entire long yen trade to collapse. But that’s probably just a bad thought,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.
Chinese shares fell as investors questioned a central bank decision to cut another key interest rate after several similar moves earlier this week.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.7% to 17,021.91, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.5% to 2,886.74.
South Korea’s Kospi declined 1.7% to 2,710.65 after the government reported the economy contracted at a 0.2% rate in the last quarter.
Among the region’s technology shares, Samsung Electronics fell nearly 2%, while Nintendo lost 2.4%. Tokyo Electron tumbled nearly 5%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.3% to 7,861.20.
Wednesday on Wall Street, the S&P 500 tumbled 2.3% for its fifth drop in the last six days, closing at 5,427.13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.2% to 39,853.87, and the Nasdaq composite skidded 3.6% to 17,342.41.
Profit expectations are high for U.S. companies broadly, but particularly so for the small group of stocks known as the “ Magnificent Seven.” Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla need to keep delivering powerful growth after being responsible for most of the S&P 500’s run to records this year.
Tesla was one of the heaviest weights on the market and tumbled 12.3% after reporting a 45% drop in profit for the spring, and its earnings fell short of analysts’ forecasts.
Tesla has become one of Wall Street’s most valuable companies not just because of its electric vehicles but also because of its AI initiatives, such as a robotaxi. That’s a tough business to assign a value to, according to UBS analysts led by Joseph Spak, and the “challenge is that the time frame, and probability of success is not clear.”
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude lost 59 cents to $77.00 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 56 cents to $81.26 a barrel.
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without much of the economic data it typically relies on from the government. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that there were “strongly differing views” at the central bank's policy meeting about to proceed going forward.
The Federal Reserve will almost certainly cut its key interest rate on Wednesday and could signal it expects another cut in December as the central bank seeks to bolster hiring. A cut Wednesday would be the second this year and could benefit consumers by bringing down borrowing costs for mortgages and auto loans. Since Fed chair Jerome Powell strongly signaled in late August that rate cuts were likely this year, the average 30-year mortgage rate has fallen to about 6.2% from 6.6%. Still, the Fed is navigating an unusual period for the U.S. economy and its future moves are harder to anticipate than is typically the case.
Stocks are rallying toward more records ahead of a week packed with potentially market-moving events. The S&P 500 rose 1% Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 224 points, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.7%. Stocks also climbed in Asia ahead of a meeting on Thursday between the heads of the United States and China. The hope is that the talks could clear rising tensions between the world’s two largest economies. This upcoming week will feature profit reports from some of Wall Street's most influential companies and a meeting by the Federal Reserve on interest rates. Gold fell back toward $4,000 per ounce.
U.S. and Chinese officials say a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies is drawing closer. The sides have reached an initial consensus for President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to aim to finalize during their high-stakes meeting Thursday in South Korea. Any agreement would be a relief to international markets. Trump's treasury secretary says discussions with China yielded preliminary agreements to stop the precursor chemicals for fentanyl from coming into the United States. Scott Bessent also says Beijing would make “substantial” purchases of soybean and other agricultural products while putting off export controls on rare earth elements needed for advanced technologies.
Some seniors say the Social Security Administration's cost-of-living adjustment won’t help much in their ability to pay for their daily expenses. The agency announced Friday the annual cost-of-living adjustment will go up by 2.8% in 2026, translating to an average increase of more than $56 for retirees every month. Eighty-year-old Florence, South Carolina, resident Linda Deas says it does not match the current "affordability crisis.” The benefits increase will go into effect for Social Security recipients beginning in January. Friday’s announcement was meant to be made last week but was delayed because of the federal government shutdown. Recipients got a 2.5% COLA boost in 2025 and a 3.2% increase in 2024.
Wall Street is heading for records after an update said U.S. households are feeling a bit less pain from inflation than feared. The S&P 500 climbed 1% Friday and was on track to top its all-time high set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 529 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.3%. Both are also heading toward records. The inflation data could clear the way for the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates in hopes of helping the slowing job market. A strong earnings reports from Ford Motor and continued gains for AI stars also drove stocks higher.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that a sharp slowdown in hiring poses a growing risk to the U.S. economy.
Three researchers who probed the process of business innovation have won the Nobel memorial prize in economics for explaining how new products and inventions promote economic growth and human welfare, even as they leave older companies in the dust.
U.S. stocks are rising and recovering some of their sell-off from Friday. The S&P 500 climbed 1.6%.
President Donald Trump says “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China restricted exports of rare earths needed for American industry. The Republican president suggested Friday he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves. Trump says one of the policies the U.S. is calculating is "a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States." A monthslong calm on Wall Street was shattered, with U.S. stocks falling on the news. The Chinese Embassy in Washington hasn't responded to an Associated Press request for comment.
