Asia Markets
Update: Nasdaq, S&P 500 Rise as Inflation Cools Most in Six Years, Trump Drops Strait of Hormuz Cargo Toll Plan
(Updates with index/price moves, macroeconomic data and company/geopolitical news from the first paragraph.)US equity indexes traded mixed, with the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 gaining, as the June inflation rate fell the most in more than six years and President Donald Trump withdrew plans to impose a levy on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.The tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 1% to 26,125.4, with the S&P 500 climbing 0.4% to 7,545.1 after midday Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average bucked the trend, slipping 0.1% to 52,429.5.Technology led gainers, while healthcare was the steepest decliner. IBM's (IBM) shares sank 25%, the steepest decline on the Dow and the S&P 500, after the tech giant issued Q2 guidance below Wall Street expectations.The US seasonally adjusted consumer price index fell by 0.4% month-over-month in June, the steepest drop since April 2020, compared with expectations for a 0.1% decrease in a Bloomberg-compiled survey and following a 0.5% increase in May, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, held steady, compared with the 0.2% growth estimate, in line with May's growth.The year-over-year rates for overall and core CPI slowed to 3.5% and 2.6%, respectively, from 4.2% and 2.9% in the previous month. The "super core", which is defined as core services excluding housing, saw the biggest sequential decline since May 2020, according to a note from Jefferies.US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 2.9 basis points to 4.58% and the two-year lower by 5.7 basis points to 4.21%.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump withdrew his proposal to charge a 20% toll on cargo transiting the Strait, according to his social media post on Tuesday. "Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States."There will be a "FULL Blockade, but only on Ships coming to and from Iranian ports, or carrying anything have to do with Iranian cargo," Trump said on Truth Social.The front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent rose 1.7% to $84.69 a barrel, and the US West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.3% to $79.18 a barrel, off session highs."Resumption of tension in the Strait of Hormuz risks a reversal, but this month's [inflation] data is a step in the right direction for the Fed," Jefferies Chief US Economist said in a note.The probability of the Federal Reserve leaving its policy unchanged in July soared to 83% following the inflation data, from 58% a day ago, the CME FedWatch tool showed Tuesday. The likelihood of the policy pause continuing across September, October, and December also jumped.Further in company news, traders digested the latest round of earnings from mega-cap banks. Goldman Sachs' (GS) Q2 results topped analysts' estimates as a record performance in the global banking and markets business propelled revenue growth. Shares jumped 7.7%, the Dow's leader.JPMorgan Chase (JPM) reported Q2 results above market expectations, driven by higher investment banking fees and markets revenue. Its shares rose 1.9%, one of the Dow's top performers.
Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$GS$IBM$JPM
