| Name | Daily Close | Daily Change | Daily Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 42,587.50 | 4.18 | 0.01% |
| S&P 500 | 5,776.65 | 9.08 | 0.16% |
| Nasdaq | 18,271.86 | 83.26 | 0.46% |
| VIX | 17.15 | -0.33 | -1.89% |
| Gold | 3,025.40 | -0.5 | -0.02% |
| Oil | 69.3 | 0.3 | 0.43% |
US MARKET
The S&P 500 rose 0.1% on Tuesday, and the Nasdaq gained 0.5%, marking their third consecutive session of gains. The Dow Jones remained flat as investors weighed the impact of looming tariffs and economic uncertainty. Monday’s rally, sparked by optimism over more targeted tariff measures, lost steam after President Trump suggested certain countries could be exempt from reciprocal duties set to take effect on April 2, while also hinting at potential new tariffs on pharmaceuticals and autos.
Tesla rose 3.4% following its 12% surge on Monday, while Nvidia declined 0.6%. KB Home tumbled 5.1% after lowering its sales forecast, and UniFirst plunged 14.1% as Cintas withdrew from acquisition talks. Adding to market concerns, consumer confidence fell to a four-year low, with future expectations sinking to their weakest level in 12 years.
AUSTRALIAN EQUITY MARKET WRAP
The S&P/ASX 200 Index inched up 0.07% to close at 7,943 on Tuesday, hitting its highest level in over two weeks during the session before paring gains. The gains mirrored Wall Street’s overnight rally, driven by optimism that US President Donald Trump may adopt a more selective approach to tariffs
Obviously last night we had the federal budget. It has boosted futures as banks and economic analysts concurred that the government’s spending plan will have little impact on monetary easing. ANZ said the budget, which included a surprise $17.1 billion in tax cuts, would not impact its growth, inflation or forecasts for the Reserve Bank of Australia’s interest rate cuts.
Traders are now turning their attention to Wednesday’s February consumer price index reading. Expectations are mixed, with NAB forecasting it would fall to 2.4 per cent from 2.5 per cent in January. Australia’s next quarterly CPI on April 10 will likely hold more significance for rate cut sentiment.