Global Markets Today: Asian Stocks Rise Cautiously; Nikkei Gains as Wall Street Rebounds Despite Fed Jitters

Nikkei 225 climbs over 146 points; US stocks mixed amid Fed caution, Nvidia drag, and UnitedHealth earnings shock.

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April 18, 2025 | Global markets opened Friday on a cautious note, as Asian equities edged up after a volatile week on Wall Street. The Nikkei 225 posted modest gains, climbing 146 points to 34,523.67, while Kospi traded flat and Hong Kong markets remained muted. Several regional exchanges stayed closed due to local holidays.

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In contrast, China’s Shanghai Composite dipped marginally to 3,279.74, weighed down by subdued investor sentiment and lingering economic concerns.

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📈 US Market Recap: Dow Dives on UnitedHealth Slump

Wall Street wrapped up a truncated trading week with mixed performance:

• S&P 500: +0.13% to 5,282.70
• Nasdaq Composite: -0.13% to 16,286.45
• Dow Jones: -1.33% or 527.16 points to 39,142.23

The Dow’s sharp decline was largely due to UnitedHealth’s 22% plunge following disappointing Q1 earnings. Adding to the pressure, Nvidia fell another 3%, extending its two-day losses to nearly 10%, after disclosing a $5.5 billion quarterly charge tied to US export curbs on its AI-focused H20 GPUs.

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💊 Pharma & Tech Help Cushion Losses

Despite market volatility, some major stocks provided relief:

• Eli Lilly surged 14% on the back of positive results from its weight-loss drug trials.
• Netflix gained 1%, ahead of its upcoming earnings announcement.

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🏛️ Fed Caution & Trump Criticism Add to Market Anxiety

Markets remained jittery after Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled a “wait-and-see” approach regarding rate cuts, despite inflation concerns stemming from the ongoing US-China trade war.

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President Donald Trump, frustrated with the Fed’s inaction, lashed out at Powell, stating via social media that “his removal couldn’t come soon enough.” He later reaffirmed his belief that he has the authority to fire the Fed Chair if needed.

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🧭 Outlook

With Fed uncertainty, geopolitical trade tensions, and tech-sector volatility dominating sentiment, global markets are likely to remain choppy. Investors will be watching key earnings, especially from tech giants and the next set of inflation data, for clearer direction.

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🏷️ Tags:

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