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US close: Stocks close higher as Trump delays next round of China tariffs

By Iain Gilbert

Date: Tuesday 13 Aug 2019

US close: Stocks close higher as Trump delays next round of China tariffs

(Sharecast News) - Stocks on Wall Street soared on Tuesday, with major indices almost completely erasing the serious losses seen during the previous session after Washington removed several items from its list of new Chinese tariffs.
At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.44% at 26,279.91, while the S&P 500 was ahead 1.48% at 2,926.32 and the Nasdaq Composite traded 1.95% firmer at 8,016.36.

The Dow closed 372.54.63 points higher on Tuesday, bouncing back from sharp losses in the prior session as a result of mounting fears that ongoing tensions between the US and China could lead to a global recession.

Although futures had stocks opening lower again, the main market gauges turned green after the US Trade Representative's office said on Tuesday that certain items were being removed from its new Chinese tariff list because of "health, safety, national security and other factors" while levies on some other goods would not go ahead.

The products in the group that will have tariffs delayed include "cell phones, laptop computers, video game consoles, certain toys, computer monitors, and certain items of footwear and clothing."

Tariffs on the remaining goods will be pushed out until 15 December as part of an effort to avoid any potential impact on holiday shopping.

Despite the boost to sentiment at home, market participants were still digesting sell-offs in other regions, with protests in Hong Kong and a falling Argentine peso having driven investors towards "safe haven" assets like US Treasuries and gold the day before.

Something else that investors remained wary of was the fast narrowing spread between the two-year and 10-year Treasury yields, which narrowed to only 1.5 basis points on Tuesday - the flattest level since 2007.

On the data front, small businesses in the US recovered their confidence last month amid increased optimism for business conditions, real sales, and expansion, the results of a widely-followed survey showed.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses' small business confidence index rose by 1.4 points from the month before in July to reach 104.7.

"This is a confirmation that small business owners remain very optimistic about the economy despite all the talk about 'slowing'," the NFIB report said.

"Expectations for business conditions, real sales, and expansion posted solid gains."

Elsewhere, the cost of living in the US rose more quickly than anticipated in July amid broad-based gains in prices for goods ranging from energy to shelter or medical care services.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, headline consumer prices increased at a month-on-month clip of 0.3% last month, pushing the year-on-year rate of increase to 1.8%, versus the previous month's level of 1.6%.

In corporate news, retailers got a boost on the back of the tariff news, with Best Buy soaring 6.39%, while Macy's and Nordstrom picked up 0.41% and 1.82%, respectively.

Nike jumped 1.97%, while Apple shares closed 4.23% firmer.

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