FX.co ★ US Stocks Lack Direction

In the afternoon trading session, US stocks faced volatility as investors remained cautious, concerned about slowing economic growth amidst intensifying trade tensions. The S&P 500 managed to offset earlier losses and was up by 0.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by over 300 points, while the Nasdaq 100 faced a 0.4% decline. Investor sentiment was dampened following President Trump's announcement of broader tariffs than previously anticipated, including a 25% tariff on all foreign-manufactured cars, effective April 2. This uncertainty drove traders towards safer options, boosting shares of companies like Coca-Cola and Walmart, both increasing by over 2%. On the other hand, technology stocks encountered significant selling pressure, with Nvidia and Microsoft decreasing by 2.5% and 1.6%, respectively. The auto industry experienced mixed results—Tesla shares fell by 2.3% due to worries about increased input costs, while General Motors and Ford saw gains of 0.7% and 2.9%, respectively, as some investors speculated they might benefit from the newly proposed tariffs.