4 Best Performing Cryptos In 2025: BDAG, XRP, DOT, & ADA— Set To Deliver Massive Gains!

Cryptocurrency

Summary:

The focus on best-performing cryptos has brought Ripple, BlockDAG, Polkadot, and Cardano into sharp view. Each is making waves for its own reasons, including new updates and major market move

BlockDAG (BDAG): Presale Gem Set to Reach $1 Soon

BlockDAG (BDAG) iBlockDAG (BDAG) is a rising crypto project built with speed, scale, and practical use in mind—especially for running decentralised apps and smart contracts. It’s been developed from the ground up to support large-scale, high-performance systems. That’s one reason why so many are watching it closely even before launch.

A number of major events are lined up that could help BDAG’s value climb further. The final testnet released on March 28, opens the network for developers to test and build, which marks the beginning of real usage.

Also released on the same day was the much-awaited Keynote 3, which delivered major announcements—including confirmed centralized exchange listings and the official mainnet launch timeline. Both updates are now live and could trigger significant price movement in the coming days.

Right now, the coin is still in its presale stage, and the numbers show strong growth. BDAG has jumped from $0.001 in batch 1 to $0.0248 in batch 27, marking a 2,380% gain for those who got in early—well before it enters public trading. With more than $209.5 million raised and over 18.9 billion coins sold, this is currently the largest presale in the market.

Experts are now looking at a possible $1 target in 2025, with longer-term forecasts going even higher. As BlockDAG moves closer to launch, the attention around it keeps growing—and for those tracking the best-performing cryptos, BDAG is already standing out.

XRP (XRP): Focused on Global Payment Speed

XRP, created by Ripple, allows for low-cost and quick cross-border transactions. Transfers happen in seconds, making it useful for financial firms aiming to upgrade payment systems.

The price is now about $2.44. Some projections expect XRP to hit $10 by 2030, while others suggest slower growth. Future value depends on regulation and how Ripple expands its payment tools.

Polkadot (DOT): Connecting Multiple Blockchain Networks

Polkadot (DOT) makes it possible for different blockchains to work together and exchange data. As a Layer-0 protocol, it provides the base for many chains to operate securely as one system.

With a price near $4.63, DOT could reach $6 in 2025, based on adoption and market shifts. As more chains need to link, Polkadot's tech makes it a key part of the best-performing cryptos.

Cardano (ADA): Built for Strong, Secure Growth

Cardano (ADA) is a blockchain platform that supports smart contracts and person-to-person transactions. It focuses on keeping things scalable, eco-friendly, and secure. Its Proof-of-Stake method reduces costs and environmental harm.

ADA trades at about $0.75, with predictions ranging from $1.50 to $2.20, depending on growth and use. Thanks to its structure and developer support, ADA continues to rank among the best-performing cryptos today.

Wrapping Up 2025’s Best Performing Cryptos!

Cardano stands out with its strong base and focus on energy savings. Polkadot leads in cross-chain connections, linking different blockchains in a way few others match. XRP continues to focus on faster global payments and remains a key part of the crypto industry.

But BDAG leads the list. It’s still in presale, gaining speed, and every move boosts its progress. The testnet release, exchange plans, and huge presale are clear signs of strong support. Anyone watching for best performing cryptos should keep BDAG on their radar—it’s already ahead of the rest.

Source: CryptoSlate

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

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Devin

Economic

Stocks

At 12:58 ET (17:58 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.5%, and the NASDAQ Composite dropped 1.4%.

The major indices are on pace to end the month sharply lower, weighed by mounting trade and economic concerns.

Trump tariff jitters grow as ‘liberation day’ approaches

President Trump is set to unveil several more trade tariffs on April 2, a date he has repeatedly touted as “liberation day.”

A WSJ report over the weekend said Trump will consider higher tariffs against a broader range of countries, as he embarks on a trade agenda aimed at correcting alleged trade imbalances against the U.S.

The U.S. president rattled markets last week by imposing a 25% tariff on all non-American cars. The tariff will take effect from April 2, where Trump could also announce tariffs against other sectors such as commodities, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.

Markets fear that Trump’s tariffs, which will be borne by U.S. importers, will underpin inflation and compromise U.S. economic growth in the coming months.

Goldman Sachs sees a 35% chance of a recession in the next 12 months, and also expects inflation to rise further above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target in 2025.

Jobs report looms large

This week sees an abundance of major economic releases, including the all-important jobs report for March.

The U.S. economy is tipped to have added 139,000 roles in March, down from 151,000 in the previous month, while the unemployment rate is seen equaling February’s mark of 4.1%.

Prior to the release of the nonfarm payrolls figures on Friday, measures of private hiring and job openings will also be published, along with separate numbers tracking manufacturing activity.

Wall Street indexes fell sharply on Friday after PCE price index inflation- the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge- read higher than expected for February.

The reading gives the Fed more impetus to keep interest rates steady for longer, especially in the face of heightened uncertainty over the economy.

Tesla to reveal Q1 deliveries

In the corporate sector, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is expected to unveil first-quarter deliveries data this week, with analysts and investors bracing for a potential drop in the proxy for the electric vehicle maker’s sales.

The numbers, which are due out on April 2, are projected to show a decline in the figure versus the year-ago period, as the company contends with a backlash to CEO Elon Musk’s political activities that have led to protests at showrooms.

Coreweave drops; Mr. Cooper Group jumps on deal activity;

CoreWeave Inc (NASDAQ:CRWV) fell more than 5% just days after making its public debut. The Nvidia-backed company opened trading its below IPO price on Friday.

Mr. Cooper Group Inc (NASDAQ:COOP) shrugged off the broader market malaise, rising more than 12% after the mortgage services provider agreed to be aquired by Rocket Companies in a $9.4B deal.

Source: Investing

To stay updated on all economic events of today, please check out our Economic calendar

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

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Warren Takunda

Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin limps into the end of Q1 on 13% losses as fresh macroeconomic volatility looms.

BTC price action risks a fresh dip below $80,000 as new US trade tariffs weigh on risk-asset sentiment.

Crypto traders’ tariff woes focus on April 2, dubbed “Liberation Day” by US President Donald Trump, while gold heads higher.

Despite the doom and gloom, Bitcoin has had a relatively mild March, while Q1 threatens to be its worst in seven years.

Profitability currently points the way to a bull market drawdown with no realistic bottom in sight.

The Coinbase Premium puts up a fight amid the price dip, suggesting that panic sellers have already exited.

BTC price: “Bearish engulfing” sets the tone

Bitcoin traders are on edge this week as US trade tariffs follow the monthly and quarterly candle closes.

A recipe for risk-asset volatility has many market participants bracing for the worst as BTC price action edges increasingly close to $80,000.

The lowest levels in two weeks at about $81,200 accompanied the March 30 weekly close, data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView confirmed.

“In LTF, the first noticeable thing is this new wick to the downside,” trader CrypNuevo responded on X.

“The odds are on the side of it getting filled quite soon.” Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_1

BTC/USD 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Fellow trading account HTL-NL noted a “bearish engulfing” candle on the weekly chart.

“Let's see if it plays out,” he told X followers. Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_2

BTC/USD 1-week chart. Source: HTL-NL/X

The picture on longer timeframes, per trading resource Barchart, is no better unless the risk-asset landscape improves.

Bitcoin and US stocks are headed for so-called “death crosses,” it warned prior to the Wall Street open, as short-term losses catch up to the broader uptrend.

“What if price action is red heading into those Death Crosses with the actual Crosses marking the bottom like we've seen many times before?” Barchart queried. Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_3

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_3

BTC liquidation heatmap (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass

A look at exchange order book data from monitoring resource CoinGlass meanwhile shows bid and ask liquidity clustered tightly around price.

Continuing, CrypNuevo paid particular attention to the 50-day and 50-week exponential moving averages (EMAs).

“Seeing some compression between the 1W50EMA and 1D50EMA which always leads to an aggressive move,” he observed.

“It might take a bit more time based on previous cases. It's also quite common seeing multiple and consecutives retests of this bull market support.” Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_4

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_4

BTC/USD 1-day chart with 50-day, 50-week EMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

D-Day for US tariffs precedes jobs data onslaught

US employment data and Federal Reserve officials are among the key events on the radar for risk-asset traders this week.

Job openings, jobless claims and nonfarm payrolls are all due, with the first round of numbers released on April 2.

This may be overshadowed by the start of new US trade tariffs set to begin on the same day. As Cointelegraph continues to report, crypto remains highly sensitive to tariff news, with Trump giving mixed messages as to which measures will ultimately come into force.

In a dedicated X thread on the topic, trading resource The Kobeissi Letter noted that tariffs may impact about $1.5 trillion worth of US imports by the end of the month.

“President Trump has been discussing this Wednesday, April 2nd, for weeks. This is a day that he has named ‘Liberation Day’ where widespread new tariffs are coming,” it wrote.

“We believe April 2nd will be the biggest escalation of the trade war to date. Markets are in for a wild week.” Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_5

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_5

US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index. Source: The Kobeissi Letter/X

Kobeissi pointed to unusually high levels of market uncertainty, as represented by the Economic Policy Uncertainty Index.

With many a surprise to come, market commentators are not the only ones in “wait and see” mode.

April 4 will see Fed Chair Powell take to the stage with a speech on the economic outlook at the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) Annual Conference in Arlington, Virginia.

Earlier this month, Powell said that while it was not easy to pin inflation pressures on tariffs, he was in no hurry to lower interest rates — the key move awaited by risk-asset traders.

The latest estimates from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool continue to favor the Fed’s June meeting as the date of the next rate cut. Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_6

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_6

Fed target rate probabilities for June 18 FOMC meeting. Source: CME Group

Bitcoin rounds off a limp Q1

As both the monthly and quarterly candles prepare to close, Bitcoin is looking at a distinctly uninspiring mid-term performance.

Data from CoinGlass shows BTC/USD down 12.7% in Q1 at the time of writing, making it the worst first quarter of the year since 2018. Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_7

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_7

BTC/USD quarterly returns (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass

Conditions have worsened for hodlers thanks to gold outperforming as a safe-haven bet, hitting repeated all-time highs while BTC/USD fell 30% from its January peak.

That bull market correction, however, remains fairly standard in a historical perspective. Data from onchain analytics firm Glassnode confirms that the maximum drawdown in previous bull markets passed 60%.

“This cycle continues to be the least volatile of all,” it acknowledged in February. Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_8

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_8

Bitcoin bull market drawdowns. Source: Glassnode

Others agree that despite the frustrating lack of further price upside, Bitcoin has weathered the macroeconomic storm fairly well.

“Overall quarter not horrible,” trader Daan Crypto Trades summarized about the CoinGlass figures this weekend.

On a monthly basis, the picture remains far from the most bearish BTC price scenarios — 2.7% losses since March 1, making for a fairly average third month of the year. Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_9

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_9

BTC/USD monthly returns (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass

MVRV Ratio lacks “definitive bottom signal”

A key Bitcoin price metric continues to give off warning signals this week as the market flushes out “overheated” conditions.

The market value to realized value (MVRV) ratio, which compares the market cap to realized cap to determine short-term and long-term profitability, is trending back toward its long-term average.

In early March, the tool printed a so-called “death cross” — its short-term moving average crossed below a long-term equivalent, in keeping with the profit drawdown sparked by Bitcoin’s descent below $80,000.

“Much like in previous cycles, this cross was followed by a price decline after Bitcoin hit a local peak, reinforcing the MVRV's effectiveness as a market sentiment indicator,” Yonsei Dent, a contributor to onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant, wrote in one of its “Quicktake” blog posts on March 30.

“With the MVRV now converging toward its long-term historical average, it appears the market has exited the overheated zone. However, no definitive bottom signal has emerged yet.” Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_10

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_10

Bitcoin MVRV momentum chart. Source: CryptoQuant

Dent suggested that while current behavior mimics past BTC price cycles, market participants “should remain cautious of further downside risk.”

Last month, analysis predicted that Bitcoin still has room for fresh all-time highs on longer timeframes, based on MVRV ratio data.

Coinbase traders keep the faith

The return of the Coinbase Premium has been painfully slow this quarter as episodes of panic selling characterized recent market behavior.

The Premium, which is the difference in spot price between the Coinbase BTC/USD and Binance BTC/USDT pairs, currently hovers around neutral.

While unremarkable in and of itself, the metric’s resilience to ongoing BTC price pressure caught the eye of CryptoQuant contributor Crypto Sunmoon.

“Panic selling is decreasing,” he concluded in another Quicktake post this weekend.

A positive Premium reflects increasing US investor confidence in adding BTC exposure and is traditionally a key ingredient in sustainable Bitcoin bull markets.

Meanwhile, its resistance to the downside in the face of falling prices leads Sunmoon to suspect a “possible trend reversal.” Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_11

Worst Q1 for BTC Price Since 2018: 5 Things to Know in Bitcoin This Week_11

Bitcoin Coinbase Premium. Source: CryptoQuant

Source: Cointelegraph

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

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Warren Takunda

Economic

Donald Trump won back the White House with a promise to transform the US economy. Millions of Americans, struggling with higher prices and bigger bills, elected a president who pledged to revive his country’s industrial heartlands – and leave the rest of the world to pick up the bill.

On Wednesday – a day dubbed Liberation Day by the president and his aides – Trump has vowed to pull the trigger and impose an historic barrage of tariffs on goods from overseas he claims will fund an extraordinary revival.

Ten weeks after obtaining power, Trump has said he will raise tariffs on all products from countries that charge tariffs on US exports; hit goods from Canada and Mexico with sweeping duties; introduce steep tariffs on foreign cars, computer chips and drugs; and target countries importing oil from Venezuela with duties on their US exports.

This is “the big one”, according to the president. Business leaders and economists are certainly worried about the scale of his trade strategy, which the Tax Foundation already estimates could knock US gross domestic product (GDP) by roughly 0.7% and cost about 500,000 US jobs.

“The escalating tariffs are a body blow to the global trading system,” said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University, and a former official at the International Monetary Fund.

Wherever you stand, a move on this scale would constitute a radical shake-up – and set the stage for a fundamental overhaul of the US economy. And yet, even as he ramped up the rhetoric, Trump has appeared to tread carefully.

“I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families,” the president declared at his inauguration in January. “Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.”

While the threats were immediate, the action was not.

Take Canada and Mexico. The administration has adopted a strikingly hardline stance against the US’s largest and nearest trading partners, but its imposition of blanket tariffs has been hit by a dizzying array of shifting deadlines, delays and reversals.

An initial pledge to impose tariffs from “day one” shifted, without explanation, to February. When February rolled around, a last-ditch deal kicked the can to March. When the tariffs were finally imposed, it was a little over 24 hours before carmakers were granted a temporary exemption, and 48 hours before all goods covered by an existing trade deal between the US, Mexico and Canada were spared for another month.

All the while, Trump and his most senior officials have slowly, but surely, accepted the risks they are raising in pursuit of the rewards they have vowed to obtain.

“Tariffs don’t cause inflation,” the president claimed in January. OK, prices “could go up somewhat short term”, he conceded in February. “There’ll be a little disturbance,” he added in March, stressing that he was alright with that.

The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, acknowledged earlier this month that there may well be a “one-time price adjustment” as a result of Trump’s tariffs. “Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream,” he argued.

While Trump predicts that slapping high US tariffs on foreign goods will prompt an influx of international companies to make products inside the US, rather than out, companies and investors worldwide are already struggling to keep up with his administration’s erratic trade policymaking.

So far, since his return to office, Trump has hiked tariffs on Chinese exports to the US and raised tariffs on foreign steel and aluminium to 25%.

The average US tariff rate has already shot up from 2.5% to 8.4% this year, the highest level since 1946, according to the Tax Foundation.

Alex Durante, its senior economist, said the country is “inching towards” the kind of tariffs last seen since the 1930s, when the Smoot-Hawley bill, among the most decried pieces of legislation in US history, introduced tariffs on thousands of goods.

“With each tariff action we’re rapidly approaching a universal tariff that would be damaging to the economy,” said Durante. “Behind the scenes, I think there is probably some concern, even among some of [Trump’s] staff, that they’re rapidly approaching the point of no return.”

As his administration grappled with the fallout from the inadvertent inclusion of a journalist in a group chat about secret military plans last week, the president summoned reporters to the Oval Office to pre-announce tariffs on foreign cars. “This is very exciting,” he told them.

The excitement is far from universal. Prasad, at Cornell, said: “We are shifting to a world where a commonly accepted set of rules is being displaced by unilateral actions that ostensibly promote a fair trading system, but will instead create volatility and uncertainty, inhibiting the free flow of goods and financial capital across national borders.”

The car tariffs would be “a hurricane-like headwind to foreign (and many US) automakers”, said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, who suggested they would push up prices by as much as $10,000 in the US. “We continue to believe this is some form of negotiation and these tariffs could change by the week,” he added, “although this initial 25% tariff on autos from outside the US is almost an untenable head-scratching number for the US consumer”.

Such action is also widely expected to prompt retaliation – with US exporters in the firing line.

While a spokesperson for the European Commission stressed it was too early to detail the European Union’s response to actions “still not implemented” by the US, they added: “I can assure you that it will be timely, that it will be robust, that it will be well calibrated and that it will achieve the intended impact.”

Trump is watching closely. As countries and markets hit by new US tariffs consider how to hit back, the president publicly warned the EU and Canada that he would hit them with “far larger” duties if they worked together on their response.

Some doubt whether the federal government has enough capacity to execute the trade onslaught which Trump has said is coming. “I simply just don’t think that [the US Trade Representative] right now has enough staff to even figure out how to implement some of these tariffs,” said Durante.

But after myriad false starts and much fluctuation, the lingering question – despite all the shots, warnings and vows – is not how far Trump can take his trade wars, but how far he will.

The president is, at heart, a salesman. In business, he sold real estate – with mixed success. In television, and then politics, he sold stories – with extreme success.

Millions of Americans bought the image he constructed on The Apprentice of himself as a phenomenally successful entrepreneur. Millions more bought his promise on the campaign trail to share this phenomenal success with the rest of the nation.

Trump is no longer selling a promise, but his strategy to deliver it. He won the White House twice by using stories, sometimes unbound by truth, to bend perceptions, break norms and build support. But rhetoric – however bold, and brash – can’t change reality.

The president says unleashing a wave of tariffs, and triggering an abrupt surge in costs in the US and across the world, would cause just a “little disturbance”.

Should Wednesday’s action prove as drastic as billed, businesses and consumers may struggle to reconcile this description with what they encounter.

Liberation Day is the moniker coined by this administration. Liability Day might prove more apt.

Source: Theguardian

To stay updated on all economic events of today, please check out our Economic calendar

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

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Warren Takunda

Economic

The British Pound has recorded three consecutive weekly advances against the Euro, although upside momentum is soft and prone to mean reversion.

We saw a good example of such mean reverting tendencies on Friday, when a rally in the Pound-to-Euro exchange rate suddenly turned tail at 1.2025, resulting in a 0.35% daily close.

So, there is a decent amount of random volatility to watch out for here, even if the general drift of the past couple of weeks has been higher.

Pound Sterling is well supported against the Euro and we would look for buying support to come in at 1.1943, which is last Wednesday's low.

To be sure, we are close to this level on Monday amidst soft global equity market conditions that betray a sense of investor uncertainty regarding Wednesday's U.S. tariff announcements.

Generally, market selloffs weigh on the Pound-Euro exchange rate, which speaks of downside risks heading into Wednesday's tariff event.

Pound-to-Euro Week Ahead: Two-way Risks into 'Liberation Day'_1

Above: GBPEUR at daily intervals with annotations.

Nervousness about the scale and timeline of Trump's proposed tariffs will keep direction relatively random, confirming a distinct lack of conviction as to how the currency market should react to the announcements.

This will keep GBP/EUR churning around the nine-day exponential moving average (EMA), located at 1.1957.

The Week Ahead Forecast model looks for the area between 1.1943 and 1.1980 to account for the majority of price action in the first half of the week.

What happens beyond Wednesday is harder to discern as we have noted the Pound to be something of a hedge to tariff news. Because the UK is perceived to be relatively at little risk to U.S. tariffs, the British Pound has at times found itself well supported around tariff announcements.

If this is the case this week, then a rally to 1.2025 and even higher would be possible into the weekened.

But what if markets show some relief on Trump's midweek announcements? For instance, if the announcements aren't as severe as suspected, the Euro could be one of the bigger winners.

"Sell the rumour, buy the fact" price action is highly likely.

In this instance, the Euro ends the week stronger, pushing Pound-Euro to 1.1860.

"One could argue that given the elevated focus on tariffs, anything short of immediate implementation could drive some relief," says Goldman Sachs in a weekly FX briefing.

Heading into the midweek announcement GBP/EUR momentum is flat with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 50, which confirms neither the Euro nor the Pound has the upper hand at present.

Although we would be inclined to say the first half of the week will see flat trade ahead of Wednesday's announcement, beware of any leaks from the White House.

The Pound has proven resilient to tariff headlines as the UK is considered relatively immune to tariffs owing to a broadly balanced goods trade.

Last week's suggestions that VAT tax would not be in scope for reciprocal tariffs also helped the UK currency, as this was a potential weak spot for the UK.

Downing Street sources have meanwhile said UK negotiators were approaching last-ditch talks to secure a carve-out for Britain with "cool, calm heads", but were prepared to deploy "sharp teeth" if a response were needed.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke directly to Trump on Sunday.

Trump is planning to introduce sweeping tariffs on goods from all countries on April 2, which he has called "Liberation Day" for the U.S.

At the weekend, he confirmed tariffs "on all countries" were proceeding, and commentators said this is why global equity markets are under pressure on Monday.

However, Trump's comments offer us absolutely no new information, and the market selloff looks to be a positioning adjustment ahead of Wednesday, which makes a post-announcement relief rally all the more likely (GBP/EUR weakness).

How other countries respond will be important, as this will determine the extent to which the issue evolves into a true trade war.

The EU will be particularly important in this regard. The EU should "not back down in the face of the USA. Strength and self-confidence are required," said Germany's acting Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

"The only solution for the European Union will be to raise tariffs on American products in response," French Finance Minister Eric Lombard said.

Source: Poundsterlinglive

To stay updated on all economic events of today, please check out our Economic calendar

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

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Warren Takunda

Stocks

Asian shares tumbled Monday, with benchmarks in Tokyo and Taiwan falling more than 4%, while the price of gold hit a record high at nearly $3,150 an ounce.

Investors have pulled back and sought traditional safe havens like gold as worries build over a potentially toxic mix of worsening inflation and a U.S. economy slowing because households are afraid to spend due to the deepening trade war that has escalated under U.S. President Donald Trump.

U.S. futures and oil prices were lower.

Thailand’s SET lost 1.5% after a powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar rattled the region, causing widespread destruction in the country, also known as Burma, and less damage in places like Bangkok.

Shares in Italian Thai Development, developer of a partially built 30-story high-rise office building under construction that collapsed, tumbled 27%. Bangkok’s governor said authorities would investigate the cause of the disaster, which left dozens of construction workers missing.

Globally, the trade war is the abiding focus. Many of the countries that run trade surpluses with the U.S. and depend heavily on export manufacturing are in Asia, Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

“Asia is ground zero. Of the 21 countries under USTR (U.S. Trade Representative) scrutiny, nine are in Asia,” he noted.

Tokyo’s benchmark fell 4.1% to 35,617.56, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 1.2% to 23,135.01.

The Shanghai Composite index declined 0.5% to 3,335.67.

In South Korea, the Kospi fell 3% to 2,481.12, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 sank 1.7%, closing at 7,843.40.

Taiwan’s Taiex lost 4.2%.

On Friday, the S&P 500 dropped 2% to 5,580.94, for one of its worst days in the last two years. It was its fifth losing week in the last six.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 715 points, or 1.7%, to 41,583.90, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2.7% to 17,322.99.

Lululemon Athletica led the market lower with a drop of 14.2%, even though the seller of athletic apparel reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Oxford Industries, the company behind the Tommy Bahama and Lilly Pulitzer brands, likewise reported stronger results for the latest quarter than expected but still saw its stock fall 5.7%.

One of the main worries hitting Wall Street is that President Donald Trump’s escalating tariffs may cause U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending. Even if the tariffs end up being less painful than feared, all the uncertainty may filter into changed behaviors that hurt the economy.

A report on Friday showed all types of U.S. consumers are getting more pessimistic about their future finances. Two out of three expect unemployment to worsen in the year ahead, according to a survey by the University of Michigan. That’s the highest reading since 2009, and it raises worries about a job market that’s been a linchpin keeping the U.S. economy solid.

A separate report also raised concerns after it showed a widely followed, underlying measure of inflation was a touch worse last month than economists expected.

The Fed could return to cutting interest rates, like it was doing late last year, in order to give the economy and financial markets a boost. But such cuts would also push upward on inflation, which has been sticking above the Fed’s 2% target.

The economy and job market have been holding up so far, but if they were to weaken while inflation stays high, it would produce a worst-case scenario called “stagflation.” Policy makers in Washington have few good tools to fix it.

Stock markets worldwide appear shaky as a Wednesday deadline approaches for more tariffs. Trump has dubbed it “Liberation Day,” when he will roll out tariffs tailored to each of the United States’ trading partners.

In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 4 cents to $69.32 per barrel. Brent crude oil fell 2 cents to $72.74 per barrel.

The U.S. dollar fell to 149.02 Japanese yen from 149.84 yen. The euro rose to $1.0839 from $1.0803.

Source: Sharecast

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

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Warren Takunda

Stocks

London stocks fell sharply in early trade on Monday as Donald Trump threatened to impose reciprocal tariffs on "all countries".

At 0845 BST, the FTSE 100 was down 0.8% at 8,587.16.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, the US President said that his tariff announcement on 2 April would "start with all countries".

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "The last day of March is spring-loaded with uncertainty on financial markets. Unease about the effect of Trump’s tariffs has been amplified, causing sharp moves at the start of the week.

"London-listed stocks will not be immune to the tariff fall out, with the FTSE 100 set for a difficult start to the week as investors brace for the debilitating effect of widespread tariffs.

"There have been steep falls on indices in Asia as hopes for a more targeted set of fresh duties have evaporated. The President’s comments over the weekend appeared to indicate that blanket new tariffs would be unleashed on Wednesday, a day he’s dubbed ‘Liberation’ day but one which is likely to ensnare many more countries in his punishing trade policies.

"While the implications of his comments are still far from clear, he appears determined to target countries which are competitive in a whole range of sectors, to try spark a revival of home-grown industries.

"But building new manufacturing bases will take years, and much higher costs in the meantime, look set to raise prices and depress economic activity. Concerns about the depth of the tariff plan and the knock-on effects of a potential recession in the world’s largest economy is sparking this fresh round of nervousness, following Friday’s losses on Wall Street."

In equity markets, heavily-weighted miners were under the cosh, with Glencore, Anglo American, Antofagasta and Rio Tinto among the worst performers.

Associated British Foods was the biggest faller on the FTSE 100, however, as it said that Paul Marchant has resigned as Primark chief executive with immediate effect after a woman made a complaint about his behaviour "in a social environment".

Group finance director Eoin Tonge will act as Primark CEO on an interim basis. Marchant's departure follows an investigation, initiated by ABF and carried out by external lawyers. It was not clear whether the complaint was made by a staff member or third party.

Pets at Home tumbled as it said profits were set to fall next year as an uncertain economic backdrop and increased costs take their toll.

In an update for the year to 27 March, the company said group underlying pre-tax profit is expected to be £133m, in line with previous guidance. For FY26, however, underlying pre-tax profit is expected to decline to between £115m and £125m. Broker Shore Capital said consensus expectations were for growth to £142m.

Wood Group tanked after saying it was likely to suspend trading of its shares from the end of April as it needs more time to get its results out. The company said a review identified "material weaknesses and failures" in its "financial culture within the projects business unit and engagement between group finance and projects".

It also said it expects "material" prior year P&L and balance sheet adjustments for FY22, FY23 and HY24.

On the upside, defensive stocks rallied, with utilities such as Severn Trent, United Utilities and National Grid all higher, and tobacco firms Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco also in the black.

Aston Martin surged to the top of the FTSE 250 as the luxury car maker said that chairman Lawrence Stroll's Yew Tree Consortium would plough another £52.5m into the company, lifting its stake to around 33%.