Market Update
NY WEDNESDAY
Barry Adams
26 Aug, 2025
New York City
Wall Street indexes extended recent losses, and investors soured after the U.S. president ramped up his attacks on the Federal Reserve.
The S&P 500 index decreased 0.2%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.3% amid growing realization that Donald Trump is looking to compromise the U.S. Federal Reserve's independence.
Earlier in the month, Trump fired the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics chief because the latest nonfarm payrolls data revisions highlighted the negative impact his administration's policy on the labor market.
The Trump's action to remove the head of one of the key data collection agency raises questions about the future credibility of the U.S. data under his administration.
The 10-year Treasury yield inched higher to 4.28% after Fed Chair Jerome Powell clarified that rate cuts next month are possible but not certain.
On the economic front, U.S. monthly durable goods orders declined for the second consecutive month in July, but the pace of decline slowed from the previous month.
Durable goods orders
U.S. Stock Movers
EchoStar Corp. soared 70% to $51.01 after the company agreed to sell its spectrum licenses for $23 billion to A&T.
Japan Indexes Struggled to Gain Traction Amid U.S. Trade Policy and Rate Path Worries
Akira Ito
26 Aug, 2025
Tokyo
Japan's stock market indexes traded in a tight range with a downward bias for the second session in a row in cautious trading.
Trade tensions resurfaced after the U.S. president threatened sky-high additional tariffs on Chinese goods if China failed to export rare-earth magnets.
Moreover, the constantly shifting U.S. trade policy and lack of agreements with Mexico, Canada, and India are also weighing on the global market sentiment.
Closer to home, investors are awaiting the release of industrial output, retail sales, and consumer confidence data later in the week.
Market sentiment in Tokyo turned cautious after the U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell clarified that rate cuts are possible but not certain next month.
The uncertainty about the U.S. rate path dominated the market sentiment, and the Japanese yen traded at 147.74 against the U.S. dollar, and the yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds hovered at 1.62%.
Japan Indexes and Stocks
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average decreased 0.9% to 42,435.37, and the Topix dropped 1% to 3,077.86.
Tokyo Electron decreased 0.4% to ¥20,150.0, Advantest Corp. fell 0.7%, and Lasertec Corp. dropped 2% to ¥15,665.0.
Seven & I Holdings fell 1.3% to ¥1,970.50, Aeon Co. Ltd. dropped 0.7% to ¥5,432.0, and Fast Retailing decreased 1.6% to ¥47,740.0.
Toyota Motor Corp. decreased 1.3% to ¥2,902.50, Honda Motor Corp. fell 1.7% to ¥1,667.0, and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. declined 6% to ¥341.50.