Author: Jamie Carpenter

Gold as the Top Safe Haven Gold surged to a record $3,200 per ounce on Friday, solidifying its position as the top safe-haven asset in light of escalating tensions between China and the US. The surge in gold prices came as the dollar and bonds both slid, reflecting investors’ shifting sentiments toward US assets amidst an intensifying trade war. Impact of US-China Trade War on Gold Prices On Friday, China announced it would raise duties on US goods to 125%, a direct response to the Trump administration’s move to increase reciprocal tariffs on China to 145%. While tariffs on other…

Crude Prices Plunge, Then Rebound Amid Trade War Chaos The oil market has been shaken by President Trump’s volatile tariff policy, with U.S. crude oil plunging to $55.12 — a 23% drop from early April — before bouncing back to $62.35 following a sudden 90-day tariff pause for most countries. However, with China still targeted by a 125% tariff, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) remains under pressure, and investor confidence is slipping fast. Energy Sector Faces Uncertainty as Investment Stalls Experts warn of “extreme uncertainty” in the U.S. oil sector, as producers hesitate to commit to new drilling. “There’s a pause…

Dimon Sees Recession Ahead as Trade War Escalates JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon expressed concerns on Wednesday, stating that the U.S. economy is likely heading toward a recession as President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to disrupt financial markets. Dimon’s comments came as the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China deepened, causing significant sell-offs in both stocks and bonds. Markets React to Escalating Trade War The escalation of the trade conflict saw U.S. stock futures tumble and bond yields rise sharply. Dimon highlighted the psychological impact of such market movements, noting that a 2,000-point drop in the Dow Jones…

Market Panic Follows Trump’s Tariffs Announcement Following President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs announcement, markets have been in turmoil, leading to what some executives are calling a “Trump recession.” According to a flash survey conducted by CNBC, a majority of CEOs predict that the U.S. economy will experience a recession, with many expecting it to occur this year. The survey reflects the deep concerns within the business community, triggered by Trump’s trade policies and the uncertainty they create. Trade War Fears: Recession and Job Losses Expected With a 10% drop in the S&P 500 and a subsequent global market downturn, executives…

Australian, Asian, and European Markets React to Tariffs On Monday, the Australian share market saw a staggering $110 billion in value wiped out, with the benchmark ASX 200 index plunging by 4.2%. This drop built upon previous losses from Friday and Thursday, marking a turbulent period for global markets. The slide followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariff announcements, which triggered massive declines across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. markets. China’s indices saw sharp drops, with the Shanghai Composite losing over 7% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng suffering a 13% wipeout. In Europe, Germany’s DAX dropped by 6%, while London’s…

Federal Reserve’s Cautious Stance Amid Trade Uncertainty Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell expressed concern on Friday over the potential impacts of President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, predicting that they would likely raise inflation and slow economic growth. In a speech delivered to business journalists in Arlington, Virginia, Powell emphasized that the central bank will remain cautious, refraining from adjusting interest rates until it gains a clearer understanding of the long-term effects of the tariffs. Uncertainty Over Tariffs’ Economic Effects Powell acknowledged that while the U.S. economy appears strong at the moment, the introduction of reciprocal tariffs by the U.S. president…

Taiwan’s Strong Opposition to New U.S. Tariffs On Thursday, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te condemned the new U.S. tariffs on the island, describing them as unreasonable and expressing concern about their potential impact on the global economy. Taiwan faces a 32% import duty on its products, part of a broader tariff package introduced by President Donald Trump targeting dozens of trading partners. The island, which runs a significant trade surplus with the U.S., plans to engage in discussions with Washington to address these measures. Tariff Announcement and Trade Imbalance Issues President Lai posted on his Facebook page after meeting with senior…

Trump’s workforce cuts ripple through labor market U.S. employers scaled back hiring plans in February, while federal government layoffs surged to their highest level since late 2020, according to Tuesday’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job openings fell to 7.57 million in February, down from 7.76 million in January. Despite the decline, overall labor market turnover remained steady, with little change in the rates of hires, quits, and total separations. However, layoffs rose to 1.79 million, up from 1.67 million the previous month. Federal job cuts hit four-year high The most…

Constellation Brands likely to suffer most from new trade measure The Trump administration will impose a 25% tariff on all imported canned beer and empty aluminum cans starting Friday, according to a notice issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The announcement precedes a broader unveiling of tariffs scheduled for 4 p.m. ET during a Rose Garden event hosted by President Donald Trump. The decision marks a significant escalation in the administration’s aluminum trade policy, with major implications for the U.S. beverage industry. Analysts say the move will especially impact Constellation Brands, which imports all its beer from Mexico. Constellation…

New tool enables multi-step web tasks with AI Amazon on Monday unveiled Nova Act, an AI model that allows software to perform complex tasks in web browsers on users’ behalf. The launch pits Amazon more directly against OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, all of which are racing to develop advanced AI agents capable of automating digital tasks. Nova Act is designed for developers looking to build agents that can autonomously complete multi-step operations. One demo showed Nova Act searching for “apartments by biking distance to the train station,” demonstrating its capability to handle nuanced queries. Rising competition in the AI agent…