
S&P 500, Nasdaq close at records; Deckers soars on UGG demand
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland after EU officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. Trump said earlier that the odds of a U.S.-EU trade deal were "50-50".
Deckers Outdoor soared 11 per cent after results beat quarterly estimates, with strong demand in international markets.
Intel tumbled 8.5 per cent after the chipmaker forecast steeper quarterly losses than expected and announced plans to slash jobs.
Wall Street has surged to record highs in recent weeks, thanks to upbeat quarterly earnings, trade deals with Japan and the Philippines, and expectations that the White House will cement more agreements to avoid elevated tariffs threatened by Trump.
"The market has been anticipating that the deals are going to get done," said Thomas Martin, Senior Portfolio Manager at GLOBALT in Atlanta. "Personally, I have a bit more skepticism. You've got to be careful, because if they don't get done, there is more room for disappointment than there is upside."
The S&P 500 climbed 0.40 per cent to end the session at 6,388.64 points.
The Nasdaq gained 0.24 per cent to 21,108.32 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.47 per cent to 44,901.92 points.
Nine of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes rose, led by materials, up 1.17 per cent, followed by a 0.98 per cent gain in industrials.
For the week, the S&P 500 climbed 1.5 per cent, the Nasdaq added 1 per cent and the Dow rose 1.3 per cent.
The S&P 500 set a closing record every day this week. The last time the index had a "perfect week" of closing highs, Monday through Friday, was in November 2021, according to Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Investors next week will focus on the U.S. Federal Reserve, with policymakers on Thursday expected to hold interest rates steady as the central bank weighs the impact of tariffs on inflation.
Traders see about a 60 per cent chance of a rate cut in September, according to CME's FedWatch tool.
Trump said on Friday he believed that Fed Chair Jerome Powell might be ready to lower rates. Trump made a rare visit to the Fed on Thursday after calling Powell a "numbskull" earlier in the week for failing to slash rates.
Charter Communications slumped 18 per cent after the cable giant reported a deeper-than-expected broadband subscriber loss, hurt by competition from wireless carriers bundling high-speed internet services with 5G mobile plans.
Paramount Global dipped 1.6 per cent after U.S. regulators approved its $8.4-billion merger with Skydance Media.
Health insurer Centene rose 6.1 per cent after it said it expects to deliver improved profitability in its three government-backed healthcare insurance businesses in 2026.
S&P 500 companies are expected on average to increase their second-quarter earnings by 7.7 per cent year over year, according to LSEG I/B/E/S, with most of those gains coming from heavyweight tech-related companies.
Companies reporting next week include Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Meta Platforms.
Advancing issues outnumbered falling ones within the S&P 500 by a two-to-one ratio.
The S&P 500 posted 45 new highs and 6 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 68 new highs and 54 new lows.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
22 minutes ago
- Business Times
South Korea exports rise at fastest in 7 months before higher US tariffs kick in
[SEOUL] South Korea's exports rose for the second straight month in July, beating market expectations on strong chip demand and shipments being moved forward ahead of higher US tariffs, which are expected to weigh in the second half of the year. Exports from Asia's fourth-largest economy, an early bellwether for global trade, rose 5.9 per cent from the same month last year to US$60.82 billion, trade data showed on Friday, higher than the 4.3 per cent increase in June and the strongest since December 2024. The figure beat a median 4.6 per cent rise forecast for July in a Reuters poll of economists, who also noted signs of front-loading shipments ahead of an Aug 1 deadline for higher US tariffs. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday imposing reciprocal tariffs ranging from 10 per cent to 41 per cent on US imports from dozens of countries and foreign locations. With South Korea, Trump announced a trade deal on Wednesday setting tariffs at 15 per cent, lower than a threatened 25 per cent but higher than the current 10 per cent, which officials, companies and economists cheered for reducing uncertainty over the trade environment. 'Despite the trade deal, demand is still expected to weaken from August as overall tariff rates will increase,' said Lee Jeong Hoon, an economist at Eugene Investment Securities. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'Demand for artificial intelligence, however, will continue to be strong, while that for automobiles is growing in non-US markets.' A separate business survey showed on Friday South Korea's factory activity contracted for the sixth straight month in July, as uncertainty over US tariffs weighed on output and orders. The trade-reliant economy grew at the fastest pace in more than a year in the second quarter, buoyed by rebounding consumer spending and a surge in exports driven by demand for technology. Exports of semiconductors jumped 39.3 per cent in July, the biggest annual increase since October 2024, while cars rose by a five-month high of 8.8 per cent on robust demand in non-US markets such as Europe. Ship exports surged 107.6 per cent. By destination, shipments to the US rose 1.4 per cent, after three straight months of declines, as growing technology demand offset the impact of Trump's tariffs on steel and auto parts. Exports to China fell 3.0 per cent, while those to the European Union rose 8.7 per cent. Imports rose 0.7 per cent in July to US$54.21 billion, compared with a gain of 4.3 per cent in June and 2.0 per cent expected by economists. The monthly trade balance stood at a surplus of US$6.61 billion, narrower than the previous month's US$9.08 billion, which was the biggest since September 2018. REUTERS


Asia News Network
26 minutes ago
- Asia News Network
US President Trump's trade deal may present geopolitical challenges for Indonesia: analysts
August 1, 2025 JAKARTA – A celebratory and hopeful tone has been raised over the United States' decision to lower Indonesia's trade tariff to 19 percent, but analysts have warned that the country may still face tricky situations ahead as nonaligned Jakarta works to rebalance ties with other key economic partners. Indonesia's ambition to be less reliant on volatile superpowers could be challenged by its new obligation to purchase more American goods, observers have added, who also warned that the decision to significantly lower trade barriers for Washington may ruffle feathers among other key partners if not managed properly. Countries around the world are wrapping up their trade negotiations with Trump ahead of his Aug. 1 deadline for enforcing his so-called 'reciprocal tariff' policy. Some have finalized the trade agreement in the past weeks, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Vietnam. On July 15, US President Donald Trump announced a 19-percent tariff for Indonesia, significantly below the 32 percent level he threatened earlier. As part of the deal, Trump added that Indonesia agreed to purchase US$15 billion in oil and gas, $4.5 billion in agricultural products and 50 Boeing jets. Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) economist Dandy Rafitrandi suggested that the geopolitical repercussions have already appeared. 'I think, […] we can already tell that the [deal] carries quite a heavy weight because of its non-optional nature and other consequences,' he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. Indonesia was granted a lower levy at 19 percent following what Indonesian negotiators described as an 'extraordinary struggle' to reach a fairer deal with Trump. The 19-percent rate, which is the lowest Washington has extended to any country in Southeast Asia so far, may come at a cost, as Indonesia is required to commit to major US purchases and be willing to remove all nontariff barriers for US imports to grant further ease of access for American companies. Included in the list of nontariff barriers to be removed are import restrictions, licensing requirements on US remanufactured goods or parts and local content requirements. The government has so far welcomed the deal with a positive tone, with president Prabowo Subianto affirming his commitment to usher in a 'new era of mutual benefit between two great nations'. The Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister also hailed the deal as a 'huge win for Indonesia's labor-intensive industries', calling it a 'strategic achievement', as quoted in a statement issued earlier this month. Keeping everybody happy? But questions started to emerge over how Indonesia plans to fulfill its pledge to purchase more US goods given its limited fiscal space and longstanding partnerships with several countries over certain commodities. Concerns were also raised over Jakarta's nonaligned stance and growing ambition to deepen ties with alternative partners. Indonesia's obligation to, for example, purchase 50 Boeing planes from the US may consolidate the latter's position as its key aircraft supplier and reduce future orders from alternative companies such as French aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Provisions in the deal may make Indonesia more dependent on the US, making the agreement an obvious victory for Washington, according to international relations expert Ahmad Rizky M. Umar of Aberystwyth University. 'Indonesia has no choice but to buy these goods, which may cost more,' Ahmad said. 'This is also counterproductive to Jakarta's recent efforts to diversify its trading partners, including by finalizing the comprehensive economic partnership agreement with the EU [IEU-CEPA] earlier this month,' he went on to say, referring to the long-awaited deal with the EU to open wider market access. During its months-long negotiations with Washington, Indonesia, which has chosen to cooperate with the US, has at the same time intensified its efforts to strengthen its ties with alternative trading partners, seeking to buffer itself from the uncertainty of the US' increasingly unilateral trade moves. President Prabowo has traveled to at least 14 countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe since Trump's tariff announcement in April, which observers say were efforts to intensify Jakarta's economic partnerships amid tariff uncertainties. Yet, as Indonesia becomes increasingly reliant on the US for trade, its alternative partnerships could face challenges because of shifting constellations in economic ties. CSIS economist Dandy compared the deal with Trump with the IEU-CEPA: 'It took the EU a decade to score a zero-tariff deal with Indonesia, while Trump took weeks.' 'We have also now relaxed local content requirements for US imports. Our other trade partners will also want the same perk, and it will be a challenge for Indonesia to keep everyone happy.'


CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Japan's Mitsui Q1 net profit down 31%, beats forecasts
TOKYO :Japanese trading house Mitsui posted on Friday a net profit of 191.65 billion yen ($1.27 billion) for the quarter ended on June 30, down 31 per cent from a year earlier but ahead of analysts' forecasts. An LSEG poll of analysts had expected Mitsui to post a profit of 178.8 billion yen for the first quarter. The company recorded net profit of 276.11 billion yen a year earlier. This year, profit was down on the absence of asset sales and weaker iron ore and metallurgical coal prices, Mitsui said. The company kept its net profit forecast for the fiscal year ending next March unchanged at 770 billion yen. "Looking ahead, there are concerns about deterioration in the global economy due to the expansiveness and high-level of increases to tariffs by the U.S., which would negatively impact the global economy," Mitsui said. The uncertainty surrounding U.S. policy developments may lead to postponed business investments, the company added. ($1 = 150.7300 yen)