Timothy St. John•Monday, February 10, 2025•2 min read
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The Monday stock market opened up after investors digested more tariff and inflation news as well as the previous week’s quarterly earnings.
The Nasdaq Composite, Dow Jones, and S&P 500 all climbed slightly on Monday as markets opened, showing that the stock market is not too bothered by tariffs or the possibility of rising inflation.
The Consumer Price Index will release this week, which is a strong indicator of inflation and where it is headed. That has not stopped investors from making the stock market very busy, with Nvidia (NVDA) looking very good after an increase of 3.75% in early Monday trading. Although the AI chipmaker has struggled recently, they are surging now and could retain their stronghold on the market for a long time to come.
Inflation Fears
There is worry that the US inflation rate will rise as the Consumer Price Index will be revealed on Wednesday. If the Federal Reserve knows what they are doing as they pull back on interest rate cuts due to high inflation, then investors may have something to worry about.
The Fed has said it will limit rate cuts until the inflation rate drops. Right now, that inflation rate is holding fast at 2.9%, where it has remained for about 12 months. With the inflation rate high, the Fed is unlikely to issue more cuts, and there is likely to be more worry about how long the rate will remain high.
Over in China, the Consumer Price Index is on the rise after a trade war erupted between them and the United States. There is concern that a similar problem will occur in the US.
Tariff Concerns
President Donald Trump had been engaged in a battle of the tariffs with China, imposing a 10% tax on all Chinese goods imported into the United States. China responded with tariffs of their own, but so far, the Chinese people have suffered more. Their stock market is low and their CPI is high.
Trump had also issued a tariff warning for Mexico and Canada if they did not comply with his demands for increased border security. However, they acceded, and Trump postponed the tariffs to their goods for 30 days.
The healthy US stock market could quickly disappear as concerns over the trade war continue. If China steps up its taxes on US goods, consumers in the US may start to feel the pinch.
Timothy St. John
Financial Writer – European & US Desks
www.fxleaders.com