Sentiment mixed as US trade war extends into services [Video]

Markets kicked off the week on a mixed note. Last week’s Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut gave equities a boost, but news that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) may begin reducing its ETF holdings added some caution. But Wall Street shrugged it off, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting fresh record highs, while the Nikkei and European indices saw modest pressure. Nikkei is up this morning, but equities in China are down on no major clarity on US-China trade war, while massive rise in H-1B visa costs are weighing on Indian tech stocks this morning.

The US dollar is better bid, while gold and oil continue to attract inflows amid tensions in the Middle East, while uranium surged on Trump’s nuclear expansion orders on Friday. Energy, tech and AI-related stocks remain in focus as investors weigh policy, earnings and geopolitical signals.

This week brings US GDP and inflation updates, global PMIs and the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) policy decision — all closely watched for cues on the next market moves.