The global economy is entering a period marked by significant transitions. Trade tensions, evolving energy markets, shifting monetary policies, and technological innovations are collectively shaping economic prospects for 2025 and beyond. Recent analyses from Bloomberg, Reuters, and TradingEconomics offer insights into the multifaceted challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. This article examines key developments, from tariff strategies and corporate investments to inflation trends and sector-specific forecasts, providing a comprehensive overview of the current economic landscape.

Welcome back to our market update blog! Over the past 24 hours, the business world has been abuzz with a mix of inflation surprises, corporate restructuring, and evolving policy signals. Let’s break down the key stories that are shaping today’s trading environment. Inflation – The Unwelcome Surprise U.S. inflation has been a hot topic lately. The latest Consumer Price Index for January registered a 3% annual increase—higher than what many economists had expected.

It’s a fair question. Everywhere you look, there are warning signs—rising debt, stubborn inflation, and falling job openings. Governments are talking about cutting spending, while central banks are hinting at rate cuts. And yet, the stock market keeps humming along, seemingly oblivious. So, what’s going on? The Economy Runs on Debt—And That’s a Problem For decades now, economic growth has been driven by one thing: debt.

11-Feb-25 Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum ImportsUS President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports with no exceptions or exemptions, set to take effect on March 4. The US gets most of its steel from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea. The US relies on imports for nearly half of its aluminum consumption, with Canada being the largest supplier, followed by the UAE.

11-Feb-25 Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum ImportsUS President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports with no exceptions or exemptions, set to take effect on March 4. The US gets most of its steel from Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea. The US relies on imports for nearly half of its aluminum consumption, with Canada being the largest supplier, followed by the UAE.

10-Feb-25 Dollar Strengthens Amid New TariffsThe dollar index climbed to 108.3 after President Trump announced a sweeping 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports. Trump also indicated that additional tariffs would be unveiled on Tuesday or Wednesday. The latest trade policy threats heightened inflation concerns, potentially reducing the likelihood of future rate cuts. Jun-25 c.50% chance of 25bps cut.

07-Feb-25 US Job Growth Slowed More than ExpectedThe US economy added 143K jobs in January, following a revised 307K in December, and missing market forecasts of 170K, likely affected by wildfires in LA and harsh winter conditions. Employment declined in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry. The unemployment rate went down to 4%. 0.5% increase in wages despite a lower than expected NFP number will likely reduce chance of Fed cuts.

Market and NVDA fans did not see this coming and market is short-term overbought.

NQ took off at 7am CT on no news. Seemingly it was just 1pm volume coming in to the market. There was some housing data at 7:30am CT but nothing market shifting. Prior day we ended on lows but at a key level around 21,200. That level might provide support for the day and continue the upswing off the 20,700 swing low from the 13th Jan.