Morgans AM
A daily bulletin featuring an overnight sharemarket summary and economic news from across the globe, broadcast in the Morgans studio before the Australian stock market opens each morning.
Wednesday, 18 June 2025: Markets fall as Israel-Iran conflict continued to dominate investor sentiment
US equity markets fell as the Israel-Iran conflict continued to dominate investor sentiment and drive volatility and a fresh spike in oil prices - Dow lost -299-points or -0.70%. Merck & Co Inc (down -3.31%) and Nike Inc (-3.07%) both fell over >3%. Amazon.com Inc (down -0.59%) said its Prime Day discount event for Prime members next month will extend to four days (8 July-11 July).
Tuesday, 17 June 2025: Iran Nuclear Talks Spark Market Rally
US equity markets rebounded amid reports that Iran is willing to negotiate over its nuclear program in an effort to contain the conflict with Israel - Dow rose +317-points or +0.75%, with American Express Co (+2.23%), Cisco Systems Inc (+2.22%), investment banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+2.33%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (+2.04%), Nike Inc (+2.26%), and Salesforce Inc (+2.12%) Microsoft Corp +0.88% touched a record all-time intra-day high of US$480.69
Monday, 16 June 2025: Israel launch wave of Airstrikes on Iran and Nuclear Facilities
US equity markets retreated on Friday (13 June) after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran and its nuclear facilities, pushing oil prices sharply higher - Dow dropped -770-points or -1.79% Sherwin-Williams Co -5.7% was the worst performer in the 30-stock index, with analysts at Citigroup cutting their recommendation on the stock to "neutral" from "buy," indicating that the persistence of high mortgage rates and softness in the housing market could weigh on the paint distributor's performance in the near term.
Tuesday, 10 June 2025: Modest gains across US Equity Markets
US equity markets settled with modest gains, building on last week’s advance that saw the benchmark indices log weekly gains of over >1% as investors awaited news from trade talks taking place between the U.S. and China - Dow flat at 42,761.76. Apple Inc -1.21% as its annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicked off overnight, with the company announcing its first new iPhone operating system redesign since 2013. However, there were no highly anticipated updates around artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced Siri features, with Senior Vice President of...
Thursday, 5 June 2025: US equity markets mixed as investors awaited concrete developments on the trade front
US equity markets mixed as investors awaited concrete developments on the trade front and digested softer-than-expected employment data - Dow eased -92-points or -0.22%, snapping a four-session streak. Chevron Corp (down -1.56%) and Verizon Communications Inc (-1.35%) dropped over >1%.
President Trump was active on social media platform Truth Social overnight, observing "I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!"
Monday, 2 June 2025: US Markets have little changed and China Markets Closed for Dragon Boat Festival
US equity markets settled little changed following a volatile session to close out a volatile month as U.S. President Trump slammed China before sounding upbeat about reaching a trade deal - Dow added +54-points or +0.13% Nvidia Corp -2.92%
Friday, 30 May 2025: Markets Advance after Solid Q1 NVIDIA Result
US equity markets advanced and remain on track to log weekly and monthly gains, buoyed by a solid first quarter result from chip giant Nvidia Corp (up +3.25%) that saw its data centre business record . However, gains were capped as investors monitored judicial developments surrounding President Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs - Dow rose +11-points or +0.28% Boeing Co +3.32% and hit a 52-week high after Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kelly Ortberg said its airplane deliveries to China will resume next month after handovers were paused amid a trade w...
Thursday, 29 May 2025: Markets Retreat and Settle Near Session Lows
US equity markets retreated and settled near their session lows ahead of the highly anticipated first quarter result from ‘Magnificent Seven’ and Dow component Nvidia Corp after the closing bell - Dow fell -245-points or -0.58%
Tuesday, 27 May 2025: Memorial Day Markets Closed Overnight
US equity and bond markets were CLOSED overnight in observance of Memorial Day. However, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were over >1% higher after President Trump delayed the 50% tariffs which were set to be imposed on the European Union (EU) on 1 June.
Monday, 26 May 2025: Trump Reignites Tariff Concerns with Social Media Posts
US equity markets fell on Friday (23 May) after President Trump reignited tariff concerns with a series of social media posts - Dow lost -256-points or -0.61%, with Salesforce Inc (down -3.63%) the worst performer in the 30-stock index.
Apple Inc (down -3.02%) fell for an eighth straight session after President Trump posted on his Truth Social website that the technology giant will have to pay a tariff of at least 25% for iPhones made outside the United States. "I...
Friday, 23 May 2025: US equity markets steadied after steep losses in the previous session
US equity markets steadied after steep losses in the previous session, - Dow flat, unwinding an earlier rally of as much a +-points. Nike Inc gained +2.23% and was the leading Dow component overnight after confirming that it will resume selling apparel and footwear on Amazon.com Inc’s (+0.98%) platform for the first time since 2019. Separately, Nike said it intends to increase the prices of certain items by 1 June. UnitedHealth Group Inc (down -2.08%) was the worst performer in the 30-sto...
Thursday, 22 May 2025: Markets Fell Sharply and Pushed the Dow & S&P Back into Negative Territory
US equity markets fell sharply, pushing the Dow and S&P 500 back into negative territory for the calendar year-to-date as longer dated Treasury yields jumped and as investors kept close tabs on a sweeping tax and spending bill that's moving through Congress and could dramatically increase the federal deficit - Dow dropped -817-points or -1.91% UnitedHealth Group Inc (down -5.78%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index overnight, having been the leading Dow component for the past three sessions. The Guardian...
Wednesday, 21 May 2025: Treasury Yields Ticked Higher and Paused the Recent Rally
US equity markets recent rally paused as Treasury yields ticked higher - Dow eased -114-points or -0.27%. Nvidia Corp fell -0.88% Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang said Monday (19 May) the company would be opening its artificial-intelligence server platform to rival chip makers but he also warned the U.S. government’s move to limit chip exports to China could hit revenue by $15B. UnitedHealth Group Inc (up +1.8%) was the leading Dow component for a third consecutive session, continuing to rebound from steep losses last week...
Wednesday, 14 May 2025: Markets React to Inflation Data, UnitedHealth's Woes, and Nvidia's AI Surge
US equity markets advanced as investors digested a cooler-than-expected inflation report that revived hopes of interest rate cuts later this year - Dow fell -270-points or -0.64%. UnitedHealth Group Inc slumped -17.79%, alone wiping ~410-points off the 30-stock index after the insurance giant withdrew its full-year outlook and announced the surprise exit of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Witty after four years in the role. The withdrawal of the 2025 outlook comes less than a month after the company slashed its 2025 guidance, saying costs rose as M...
Monday, 12 May 2025: A relatively muted end to the week for US equity markets
A relatively muted end to the week for US equity markets following two-days of gains as investors braced for news from highly anticipated trade talks that are scheduled for this weekend in Switzerland between U.S. and Chinese officials - Dow eased -119-points or -0.29%
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “substantial progress” had been made in the weekend trade negotiations between US and China trade officials, adding that the Trump administration “will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks w...
Friday, 9 May 2025: US equity markets advanced but settled well off their session highs
US equity markets advanced but settled well off their session highs, with investor sentiment buoyed a new trade agreement forged between the United States and Britain, while President Trump indicated upcoming talks with China would be “very substantive” and, if productive, could lead to tariff reductions - Dow rose +254-points or +0.62% to 41,368.48, just failing to exit official correction territory. Boeing Co rallied +3.31% and was the leading performer in the 30-stock index after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the UK would buy US$10B of aircra...
Thursday, 8 May 2025: Markets Advance after a Choppy Session
US equity markets advanced after a choppy session as investors digested the latest corporate earnings releases and the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision and soundbites from President Trump on tariffs and trade restrictions - Dow rose +285-points or +0.70%.
Monday, 5 May 2025: Positive Momentum as Markets React to Strong Monthly Employment Data
US equity markets advanced to cap as investors reacted to strong monthly employment data and news that China is evaluating the possibility of trade talks with the U.S. - Dow rose +564-points or +1.39% to 41,317.43. American Express Co (up +3.09%), 3M Co (+3.03%) and Nike Inc (+3.22%) all climbed over >3%. Nvidia Corp rose +2.59% a report in The Information that the artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker is working to design semiconductors to sell in China that would comply with U.S. trade r...
Friday, 2 May 2025: US Markets Kick Off Positively for the New Month
US equity markets made a positive start to May, with the Dow and S&P 500 extending their rally into an eighth consecutive session amid fresh gains for megacap technology stocks - Dow added +84-points or +0.21% Microsoft Corp +7.63% was the leading performer in the 30-stock index the technology giant reported better-than-expected third-quarter financials after the close of the previous session amid soaring cloud demand. Nvidia Corp rose +2.47% investors welcomed the news that Microsoft and Meta Platforms Inc expect t...
Thursday, 01 May 2025: A Late rally saw US Markets In The Green for the 7th Consecutive Day
A late rally lifted the Dow and S&P 500 into positive territory for a seventh consecutive session to cap a very volatile month, erasing earlier declines that followed data recording that the US economy contracted for the first time in three years in the first quarter - Dow rose +142-points or +0.35%, recovering from an earlier slide of more than >780-points. Verizon Communications Inc (up +2.58%) and Chevron Corp (down -2.33%) were the best and worst performers respectively in the 30-stock ind...
Wednesday, 30 April 2025: Sixth Consecutive Rally for US Markets
The Dow and S&P 500 extended their rally into a sixth consecutive session after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration has negotiated its first trade deal with an unnamed country - Dow rose +300-points or +0.75%, logging its longest winning streak since the period ended 17 July, 2024.
Tuesday, 29 April 2025: Dow and S&P Post Fifth Consecutive Gains Session
The Dow and S&P 500 posted a fifth consecutive session of gains, booking their longest winning streak of 2025 to date and settling well off their session lows in a muted trading to open a very busy week of corporate earnings and economic data - Dow rose +114-points or +0.28%. Boeing Co rose +2.44% to US$182.30, buoyed by an upgrade from analysts at Bernstein to ‘outperform with a target price of US$218 (from US$181 previously), and as its deal to reacquire S...
Monday, 28 April 2025: US equity markets extended their strong rebound
US equity markets extended their strong rebound into a fourth consecutive session on Friday (25 April), lifting the S&P and Nasdaq to their highest settlements since 2 April (the day the Trump administration unveiled sweeping tariffs on America's trading partners) – Dow edged +20-points or +0.05% higher after climbing +487-points or +1.23% last Thursday (24 April). Nvidia Corp (up +4.30%) was the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Merck & Co Inc rose +3.63% a day after the pharmaceutical major delivered better-than-expected first-quarter financial result, w...
Thursday, 24 April 2025: US Markets Advance, Consolidating Previous Strong Gains
US equity markets advanced, consolidating the strong gains recorded in the previous session and lifting the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their highest settlements since 15 April as investors continued to cheer a cooling President’s rhetoric around tariffs and his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell- Dow rose +420-points or +1.07% to 39,606.57, paring an earlier rally of as much as 1,189-points that lifted the index to 40,376.11. Amazon.com Inc (up +4.28%) and Nvidia Corp (+3.86%) both gained ~4%.
Wednesday, 23 April 2025: Markets Rebound Strongly and Recoup Previous Losses
US equity markets rebounded strongly, more than recouping the previous session’s sharp declines as investors digested a busy corporate earnings calendar and comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent - Dow rose +1,017-points or +2.66%, with all 30 index components advancing. Nvidia Corp +2.04% after Amazon.com Inc (+3.50%) pushed back against reports that it was pulling back on building artificial-intelligence (AI) infrastructure. “This is routine capacity management, and there haven’t been any recent fundamental changes in our expansion plans,” wrote Kevin Miller, vice presid...
Tuesday, 22 April 2025: Steep losses amongst the Magnificent Seven
US equity markets resumed trading following the Good Friday holiday with steep losses, with the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ cohort of large capitalisation technology stocks under particular pressure - Dow shed -972-points or -2.48%, extending its decline into a fourth consecutive session. UnitedHealth Group Inc (down -6.34%) was the worst performing Dow component overnight, extending the health insurer’s two-day decline to -27.3% - the stock’s worst two-day performance since 7 August, 1998 – after releasing its first quarter result last Thursday (17 April) and...
Thursday, 17 April 2025: Markets Tumble after Chip Export News
US equity markets tumbled as investors digested news of U.S. restrictions on chip exports to China and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's latest assessment of the economy - Dow dropped -700 or -1.73% Nvidia Corp -6.87% after disclosing in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the close of the previous session that sales of its H20 chips to China would require licenses from the Department of Commerce “for the indefinite future”. The chipmaker said it would record charges in its fiscal first...
Wednesday, 16 April 2025: Markets Retreat in Muted Trading
US equity markets retreated in muted trading - Dow fell -156-points or -0.38% Boeing Co fell -2.36% and was the worst performer in the 30-stock index after a Bloomberg report said China ordered its airlines not to take any further deliveries of the company’s jets, marking the latest escalation in the trade war between Washington and Beijing.
Nvidia Corp fell over >5.5% in extended trading (after rising +1.35% in the regular session) after the company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that fu...
Monday, 14 April 2025: US equity markets advanced as investors digested another busy slate of information
US equity markets advanced as investors digested another busy slate of information including the latest developments in a trade war with China, earnings reports from major banks and economic data - Dow rose +619-points or +1.56%, with the 30-stock index trading in an 1,150 point range after swinging more than >2,000 points between its high and low for the day in each of the preceding four (4) trading sessions. Apple Inc (up +4.06%) was the leading Dow component on Friday (11 April) amid growing optimism th...
Friday, 11 April 2025: China Tariffs Now 145% As Markets Retreat
US equity markets retreated, handing back a portion of the huge gains logged in the previous session’s near record breaking rebound. Losses accelerated after the White House confirmed that the cumulative tariff rate on China would actually total 145% (consisting of the new 125% duty on goods, on top of the 20% rate levied in response to the fentanyl crisis), overshadowing cooler-than-expected inflation figures.
Dow fell -1,015-points or -2.50% Nike Inc (down -8.29%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index, Nvidia Corp fell -6...
Thursday, 10 April 2025: Markets Soar as Trump Announces a 90 Day Tariff Pause
Wednesday, 9 April 2025: Another Volatile Day In Markets As Tariff's Continue
A late session slide erased earlier strong gains on US equity markets to cap another volatile session after Beijing vowed to "fight to the end" in response to President Trump's threat of imposing new 50% tariffs unless China rapidly removed its retaliatory measures - Dow settled -320-points or -0.84% lower, having been up as much as +1,461-points or +3.85% at its session peak – marking the biggest erased percentage gain since April 2020. Apple Inc (down -4.98%) extended its decline into a fourth straight session, wit...
Tuesday, 8 April 2025: Ongoing Volatility as Trump's Sweeping Tariffs Continue
US equity markets mixed after another volatile as the sweeping Trump administration tariff measures continued to reverberate, with the president threatening even higher rates against China and the White House denying reports that they were considering a 90-day tariff pause on all countries except China - Dow fell -349-points or -0.91%, spiking as much as +2.3% during a brief morning session surge. The Dow swung more than >2,500 points between its intra-day low and high, its largest intra-day points swing on record and all wi...
Monday, 7 April 2025: Another Brutal Session for Us Markets as China Responds to Tariffs
Friday (4 April) marked another brutal session for US equity markets as China responded in kind to the Trump administration’s tariff measures and further fanned recession fears - Dow dropped -2,231-points or -5.50% , with Boeing Co (down -9.49%) and 3M Co (-9.18%) both fell over >9% to lead all 30-index components lower with the exception of Nike Inc (up +3%). The latter was buoyed by a friendly social-media post from President Trump about Vietnam, a country Nike relies on hea...
Friday, 4 April 2025: Markets Tumble as Recession Fears Increase
US markets tumbled overnight as fears around a potential recession pick up. The US markets appearing to be the biggest losers after the tariff announcement. The Dow closed down -3.98% to 40,545. Insurance company UnitedHealth Group was the top performer, up 3.3%. Meanwhile Nike was the worst impacted, dropping -14.44%. The vast majority of Nike’s imports into the US are from Southeast Asia, which will attract tariffs of between 25% and 54%.
Thursday, 3 April 2025: Liberation Day Tariff Promises Begin
The US stock market turned up late overnight, as investors await Trumps so called “Liberation Day” tariffs. However, since the announcement the markets have dropped in aftermarket trading, with the Dow futures down -1.8%, S&P500 futures down > -3%, and the Nasdaq futures down > -4%. So far Trump has promised a minimum 10% tariff on all countries, with larger tariffs on certain countries and industries. So far the major tariffs are 34% on China, 20% on the EU, 26% on India, and 10% on Australia and the UK. The Dow closed up 0.56% to 42,225.
Wednesday, 2 April 2025: Mixed Stock Market Ahead of Trumps "Liberation Day" Tomorrow
The US stock was mixed overnight.
The Dow closed mostly flat, down -0.03% to 41,989 points.
Nike was the top performer, up 2.02%. While pharma companies were all sold off, with the three worst performing stocks including Johnson & Johnson down -7.59%, Merck down -2.94%, and Amgen down -1.49%. Johnson & Johnson has just had a federal judge reject a $10b class action settlement over cancer claims relating to its baby powder.
Monday, 31 March 2025: 2nd Worst Day in 2025 For US Equities
The US stock market fell for the third day in a row on Friday – the 2nd worst day for US equities in 2025 due to tariffs expected this week and hotter than anticipated inflation numbers.
The Dow fell -1.69% to 41,538 points, ending the week with a loss of -0.96%. 26 of the Dow 30 closed in the red.
Amazon was the worst among them, falling -4.29%, alongside fell consumer stock Nike which fell -3.81%.
Friday, 28 March 2025: Tariffs, Inflation, and Corporate Earnings: What’s Shaping the Market?
The US stock market fell for the second day in a row on Thursday after trading sideways for most of the session. Traders remained cautious ahead of Friday’s release of the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. Dow fell -155-points to trade below 42,300 points. Shares of Goldman Sachs (-2.61%), 3M co (-2.78%) and NIVIDIA (-2.05%) each contributing to the decline, falling over >2.00%.
Thursday, 27 March 2025: Three Day Winning Streak Snapped
All three major U.S. stock indices snapped a three-day winning streak as an imminent tariff announcement from President Trump derailed the recovery from a month-long selloff - Dow fell -132.71-points or 0.31% lower. Nvidia Corp fell -5.74% amid concerns about possible new restrictions on the chipmaker's sales in China. Regulators in China have been discouraging the country’s large technology companies from purchasing Nvidia’s H20 chip - specifically designed to satisfy U.S. sanctions on exports - as it breaches...
