New York Stock Exchange closed with volatile trend

US President Donald Trump’s announcement that tariffs on Canada and Mexico are “progressing as planned” has raised trade war concerns in global markets. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index rose 3.9 percent annually in December, showing that home prices are continuing their upward trend. The Conference Board Consumer Sentiment Index fell 7 points to 98.3 in February, the lowest level since June 2023 and the largest monthly decline since August 2021. Consumers’ 12-month inflation expectations rose to 6 percent from 5.2 percent in February. Analysts stated that increasing concerns about inflation led to a decline in consumer confidence. In the Stock Market, following the US’s new plans to restrict chip exports to China, shares of companies in the chip sector lost value: Nvidia fell by 3 percent, Broadcom by 2.6 percent, AMD by 3.8 percent, Lam Research by 3.6 percent, while Tesla lost more than 8 percent due to the sharp decline in European sales. Trump Media & Technology drew attention with a 7.5 percent decrease. The US 10-year Treasury bond yield fell by 9 basis points to 4.30 percent, reaching its lowest level since December 2023. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin emphasized that inflation had not yet returned to the targeted 2 percent level, but progress was being made, and stated that it was logical for monetary policy to remain tight for a while longer. It is stated that the Fed may shape expectations regarding the timing of the interest rate cut.