European, Asian and US stocks were higher on Tuesday, putting a halt to the fastest selloff in global equity markets since March 2020.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index rose after Asian markets also closed higher, led by Japanese stocks after the country appeared to have moved early to enter trade talks with the US government. The country’s Nikkei 225 equity benchmark finished Tuesday’s session 6% higher, beating Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index, itself up 1.5%.
“From the investors’ perspective I wouldn’t expect a clear line of travel from here, it will likely be up and down as the news flow dictates,” Morningstar chief European markets strategist Michael Field said on Tuesday. “Europe will likely release a statement in the next week and it might be more the China approach than the Japan approach.”
In contrast with Japan’s diplomatic effort, China imposed a retaliatory 34% tariff on US goods last Friday, prompting US President Donald Trump to threaten a further escalation if they are not lifted by Tuesday.
“The one advantage of this crisis compared to those of the past is that this is entirely man-made and can be fixed quickly and easily,” according to Field.
US equities opened higher in New York as well as cyclical and technology names including Nvidia NVDA, Tesla TSLA and Palantir PLTR outperformed wider gains. The country’s equities narrowly avoided entering a bear market in Monday’s session after the technology-heavy Nasdaq-100 index had formally entered a bear market on Friday, meaning that it closed more than 20% below its most recent peak.
Aerospace and Defense Stocks Remain Erratic
European defense contractors were the region’s top-performing segment on Tuesday, with Sweden’s Saab AB SAABB, Italy’s Leonardo LDO and Rheinmetall RHM among the Stoxx 600’s top-performing members.
The sector was among the worst decliners in the global selloff since Thursday, after a steep two-month rally had cast doubts about its valuations. On Monday, defense titles initially plunged, before closing the session in positive territory as traders saw opportunities for entry. The most dramatic reversal of that session was Rheinmetall RHM’s 6% gain at the close, after the German weapons maker initially declined more than 10%, without company or sector-specific news to explain the move.
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