China's AI Surprise Sends Shockwaves Through Global Markets

0

The move by DeepSeek has stirred significant market reactions, particularly in Europe and Asia, where shares took a noticeable hit. The pan-European STOXX 600 index, largely driven by its technology sector, saw a decline, with the Euro STOXX 50 dropping 1.4% during early trading hours.

Meanwhile, the tech-focused STOXX 600 technology index experienced a steep fall of 4.6%, marking its most significant one-day decline since October. Similarly, US futures linked to tech giants also took a dive, with Nasdaq Composite futures plummeting by more than 3.1% and S&P 500 futures decreasing by 2.0%.

George Lagarias, an investment strategist at Forvis Mazars, commented on the situation by stating, "China and DeepSeek say, at the very least, that they can deliver what ChatGPT can deliver today at a fraction of the cost—markets question the narrative that has been underpinning the whole market. It's a very frothy market, so it doesn't really take that much for investors to take some profit."

This development has particularly impacted AI bellwether companies like Nvidia, which saw its shares decrease by over 7.0% in pre-market trading. The ripple effect also reached Asian markets, with Japan's Nikkei dropping 0.9%, New Zealand's benchmark index slipping 0.2%, and Singapore's Straits Times index dipping 0.1%. Despite this, Hong Kong's Hang Seng saw a rally of 0.7% amid a contraction in Chinese manufacturing. On the mainland, blue-chip stocks fell by 0.4%.

The currency markets also reacted to geopolitical tensions and tariff considerations. The US dollar dipped amid uncertainty regarding broad US import tariffs. Although US President Donald Trump had previously threatened Colombia with tariffs over deportation disputes, the situation was temporarily defused when Colombia agreed to accept the flights, putting US sanctions on hold.

In regional currency fluctuations, the dollar gained 1% against the Mexican peso and a slight 0.1% against the Canadian dollar. This uncertainty reflects unease as Trump hinted at potential tariff impositions on key US trading partners, which are anticipated to commence on February 1.

Nomura's strategist, Naka Matsuzawa, offered insights saying, "As a trend, Trump is taking a more realistic, less aggressive stance on tariffs." He added, "Bottom line: Trump doesn't want big tariffs because he's worried about inflation. The dollar will be overall weaker."

This tumultuous market backdrop signals a crucial week ahead for financial markets, as the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, among others, are poised to announce monetary policy decisions. Concurrently, several Asian bourses extend their closures for the Lunar New Year celebrations, with South Korea and Taiwan markets already closed on Monday and China expected to remain shut until February 5.

Elsewhere, global commodity markets saw moderate movements. Brent crude futures inched up by 0.3% to $78.75 a barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.2% to reach $74.80 a barrel. Gold, however, saw a slight decline of 0.3%, pricing at $2,764 per ounce. Cryptocurrency leader Bitcoin also witnessed a slump, falling over 5.0% to drop below $100,000, marking its first dip under that level in a week.

This article was inspired by insights from a Reuters report, originally authored by Samuel Indyk and Kevin Buckland.

Published:Tuesday, 28th Jan 2025
Source: Paige Estritori

Share this news item:

Finance News

Clear

Cost of Financial Advice and Client Retention Challenges Revealed 27 Mar 2025: Paige Estritori Recent findings by Netwealth indicate that the cost of financial advisory services is a significant factor for nearly half of clients discontinuing their adviser relationships. Specifically, 43% of former advised clients cite high costs as a primary concern, especially when they perceive inadequate value for complex financial situations. - read more

Monthly CPI Falls Short Again as Key Components Decline 26 Mar 2025: Paige Estritori A recent release by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicates that the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) is underwhelming expectations once more. The seasonally adjusted CPI increased by 2.4%, while the CPI excluding volatile items like holiday travel posted a 2.7% rise. Similarly, the annual trimmed mean registered a 2.7% uptick. - read more

Value Seekers Fuel Melbourne's Property Price Resurgence 25 Mar 2025: Paige Estritori Melbourne's property market is experiencing a notable rebound in house prices, driven primarily by value-conscious buyers looking for more affordable options. According to CoreLogic's latest house price report, Melbourne has emerged as the most affordable major capital city in Australia, with a median home price of $772,561 as of February 28, 2025. - read more

Unexpected Unemployment Data Sparks RBA Rate Cut Speculation 21 Mar 2025: Paige Estritori The latest labour market statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) presented a mixed picture, despite initial promising indicators. Although the headline unemployment rate in February remained steady at 4.1% (or 4.05% considering unrounded figures), there was an unexpected decline in employment numbers. - read more

OECD Warns of Sluggish Australian Economic Growth Amid Global Trade Concerns 18 Mar 2025: Paige Estritori The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has issued a warning about a potential slowdown in Australia's economic growth over the next two years. This prediction comes against the backdrop of heightened global uncertainty, spurred by trade policies introduced by US President Donald Trump. The OECD projects Australia’s GDP to rise to 1.9% in 2025 but slip slightly to 1.8% in 2026, falling short of earlier expectations laid out in their December report. - read more