The major U.S. indexes swung like a pendulum Wednesday, starting deep in the red and ending the day erasing their losses and then gaining more ground.
The Dow opened more than 500 points down then made a 700-point turn, ending the day up by 230 points. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both started the day almost 2 percent down. At the closing bell, both indexes had climbed back up to clock in gains of more than one percent.
But not all market watchers were fazed by the swing. “We have been spoiled for the last five years of low levels of volatility,” said Omar Aguilar, Chief Investment Officer for Equities at Charles Schwab Investment Management.
“These swings in the market are not very atypical. [But] the long term trajectory of the market is very positive. The economy’s good, earnings are good, and overall the global recovery is still in the same place.”
Much of the initial sell-off was spurred by China’s overnight announcement of new tariffs on over 100 U.S. products, including soybeans, corn, and orange juice.
China’s decision was motivated by the Trump administration’s announcement that it had intended to tax $50 billion worth of Chinese products.
The tariff announcements rattled both investors and industry leaders, who worried that the tit-for-tat actions were bringing the two largest economies in the world closer to a no-holds barred trade war.
“We’ve been strongly supportive of the Trump administration doing this investigation [into China’s trade policies],” said Josh Kallmer, Senior Vice President for Global Policy at the Information Technology Industry Council that represents the interests of the tech world.
“That said…tariffs are not the remedy,” said Kallmer, pointing out that the consumer would be the one caught in the crosshairs.
But Larry Kudlow, President Trump’s new chief economic advisor, managed to quell most of the market worry after saying the Trump’s tariff announcement could be just a negotiating tactic Wednesday. "It's part of the process,” he said. "You know, there are carrots and sticks in life, but he is ultimately a free trader.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/market-movers-boeing-drags-down-index-on-concerns-of-trade-war).
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
