S&P500 Forecast: SPX slumps as Trump trade tariffs fuel trade-war fears
US futures
Dow future -1.4% at 45004
S&P futures -1.6% at 5937
Nasdaq futures -1.87% at 21065
In Europe
FTSE -1.43% at 8557
Dax -1.58% at 21378
- Trump announced trade tariffs on Canada, Mexico & China
- Risk appetite sours, and USD rises on safe-haven flows
- Automakers and chip stocks are among the heavy fallers
- Oil jumps on supply worries post tariff announcement
Trump announces trade tariffs
US stocks are set to open lower after President Trump unveiled tariffs against key trading partners over the weekend, fueling fears of a full-on trade war.
Tariffs will take effect on Tuesday, and they include 25% duties on Canada and Mexico and 10% on China. Trump warned that these actions may cause short-term pain for Americans.
The announcement has fueled risk-off trade across the financial markets, with U.S. stocks heading for a sharply lower open after the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 reached record highs last week.
There are rising concerns that trade tariffs will bring inflationary pressures, as companies pass higher costs to customers. This could limit the Federal Reserve's ability to cut interest rates. Last week, the Fed left rates on hold at 4.25% to 4.5% and said it was in no rush to move rates until the data showed it necessary to do so.
Attention will now turn to the ISM manufacturing PMI, which is expected to show that the sector remained in contraction in January at 49.8, up from 49.3 in December. The prices paid by the sub-component are also expected to rise from 52.6 to 52.5.
The data comes ahead of services PMI later in the week and US non-farm payroll figures on Friday, which could provide further insight into the health of the US economy and the future path for rate cuts.
Corporate earnings will continue to roll this week, with big names in tech, such as Alphabet and Amazon, due to release figures this week. However, trade war worries threaten to overshadow announcements.
Corporate news
General Motors is set to open 7% lower, and Ford has fallen 4% pre-market as investors weigh up the implications of Trump's new tariffs on American companies. GM manufactures its cars in Mexico more than any other automobile maker.
Tesla falls 3% pre-open, with the EV maker unlikely to avoid the impact of tariffs.
Chip stocks such as NVIDIA, AMD Broadcom, and Qualcomm are all sharply lower as escalating trade tensions fuel uncertainty.
Planantir is set to open dissent lower as the software firm releases Q4 earnings after the close.
Crypto stocks such as Coinbase and MicroStrategy are sharply lower as Bitcoin prices tumble in risk-off trade.
S&P 500 forecast – technical analysis.
The S&P 500 ran into resistance at 6120 last week before falling sharply lower. The aggressive break below the 50 SMA and the RSI below 50 keeps sellers hopeful of further losses. However, support at 5915, at last Monday’s low, held again. Sellers will need to break below here and the 100 SMA at 5870. A break below here brings 5850 support zone into play. Any recovery would need to retake the 50 SMA at 6000 to build gains towards 6100.
FX markets – USD rises, EUR/USD falls
USD is rising on expectations that Trump’s trade tariffs will be inflationary and could limit the Federal Reserve’s ability to cut rates. The USD is also benefiting from safe-haven flows.
EUR/USD is falling to 102 after Trump warned that trade tariffs would be applied to the European Union. ECB policymakers have warned that trade tariffs will increase economic uncertainty in the region, where growth has already stalled. Meanwhile, eurozone inflation rose to 2.5% in January, and core inflation held at 2.7%.
USD/CAD has spikes higher as the loonie loses value amid concerns over the impact of trade tariffs on the already weak economy. The BoC could be forced to cut interest rates at a faster pace to support the economy, where inflation has already eased considerably.
Oil jump on supply fears
Oil prices have jumped at the start of the week after Trump announced trade tariffs on Mexico Canada and China fueling supply disruption concerns.
Canada and Mexico are key oil suppliers for the US and have vowed to retaliate, raising fears of tit for tat trade war which could impact supply could be impacted. These worries are overshadowing fears that a trade war could slow global growth and weaken the oil demand outlook.
OPEC meeting today, however, it is an advisory meeting rather than a main policy decision meeting. The group is expected to discuss a planned increase supply later in the year.
StoneX Financial Ltd (trading as “City Index”) is an execution-only service provider. This material, whether or not it states any opinions, is for general information purposes only and it does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. This material has been prepared using the thoughts and opinions of the author and these may change. However, City Index does not plan to provide further updates to any material once published and it is not under any obligation to keep this material up to date. This material is short term in nature and may only relate to facts and circumstances existing at a specific time or day. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment, legal, tax or other advice and no reliance should be placed on it.
No opinion given in this material constitutes a recommendation by City Index or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although City Index is not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, City Index does not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination. This material is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.
For further details see our full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. CFD and Forex Trading are leveraged products and your capital is at risk. They may not be suitable for everyone. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved by reading our full risk warning.
City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd. Head and Registered Office: 1st Floor, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5ET. StoneX Financial Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales, number: 05616586. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Register Number: 446717.
City Index is a trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd.
The information on this website is not targeted at the general public of any particular country. It is not intended for distribution to residents in any country where such distribution or use would contravene any local law or regulatory requirement.
© City Index 2025