General Market Analysis – 01/05/25

US Stocks Flat but Rally After the Bell – Dow up 0.35%

US stocks recovered in trading yesterday to close near flat, but futures rallied after the bell on good earnings reports from both Meta and Microsoft. The Dow closed the session up 0.35%, the S&P up 0.15%, and the Nasdaq dipped just 0.09%. The dollar gained back some of its lost ground again, the DXY up 0.49% to 99.63, whilst Treasury yields slipped again, the 2-year down 4.7 basis points to 3.603% and the 10-year down 1 basis point to 4.163%. Oil prices were smashed again to lock in the worst month for over three years, Brent down 3.37% to $61.15 and WTI down 3.66% to $58.72 a barrel. Gold also slipped again, losing 0.85% on the day to close at $3,287.72.

Investors Hoping We May Have a Smoother Month Ahead

Some investors will be happy to see the end of what has been one of the most volatile months the market has seen for years. The major focus for markets over the course of the last four weeks has been US tariffs and President Trump’s back-flipping of proposed tariff levels and implementation plans that has left even the most experienced traders in a state of confusion. Traders are now hoping that the peak of tariff confusion is behind us and the next few weeks will bring more clarity to the market and allow for more informed investment decisions to be made. If we do start to get some trade deals completed in the near term, then expect optimism to creep back in, but if uncertainty and delays continue, we could see further downside across all products.

Choppy Calendar Day Ahead for Traders

It could be a choppy day ahead for global markets today with several major financial centers closed for holidays and some major macroeconomic events scheduled. The Asian session has Chinese markets closed today, but the major focus will be on Japan, with the Bank of Japan due to deliver its latest rate call during the day. There is little on the calendar in the London session, with Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland markets all closed for May Day holidays, which will see liquidity diminished and any moves exacerbated. The New York session sees more key data releases today, with the Weekly Unemployment Claims (exp. 224k) and the ISM Manufacturing PMI data (exp. 48.0) the highlights.

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