Key Takeaways
- Trump agrees to keep U.S.–China tariffs on hold for another 90 days, easing trade tensions.
- Putin and Trump to meet in Alaska, while Kyiv demands a place at the table.
- Dollar edges higher ahead of CPI, while oil steadies and gold dips on tariff clarity.
- Bitcoin trades near record as U.S. policy shifts lift crypto sentiment.
Geopolitics & Market Sentiment
On Aug. 12, markets were mixed as investors weighed a U.S.–China tariff truce extension against looming U.S. inflation data and upcoming Trump–Putin talks in Alaska.
On the geopolitical front, President Donald Trump extended the U.S.–China tariff truce by 90 days, preventing steep duty increases of up to 145% on Chinese goods and 125% on U.S. exports. This move kept communications alive and eased immediate market tension.
Meanwhile, Washington confirmed that Nvidia and AMD can resume some advanced chip sales to China under new licenses, but with a requirement to remit 15% of related revenue to the U.S. Treasury.
In Ukraine, Trump said both Kyiv and Moscow would “have to” trade territory for peace, framing his Aug. 15 Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin as exploratory. However, On the ground, Russian strikes hit Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, while Ukraine stepped up drone attacks inside Russia.
On the other hand, tensions remain elevated In the Middle East, with Israel declaring the ground moves could still be weeks away, leaving a window for diplomacy.
On the economic front, U.S. stocks dipped on Tuesday as traders stay focused on inflation data and are monitoring U.S.–China trade developments.
The dollar edged higher ahead of U.S. CPI and after news of the China tariff truce extension, with recent gains in cryptocurrencies lending a mild lift to sentiment.
In commodities, held steady to slightly lower as markets looked ahead to U.S.–Russia talks in Alaska, while gold slipped after Trump confirmed the metal would not face tariffs.
Meanwhile, In crypto, Trump’s Aug. 7 executive order opened the door for 401(k) plans to hold digital assets, and was seen as a structural boost for the sector.
Global Indices
- S&P 500 (SPX): 6,373.46 (-0.25%)
- Dow Jones (DJI): 43,975.09 (-0.45%)
- Nasdaq Composite (IXIC): 21,385.40 (-0.30%)
- Nikkei 225 Futures (NK2251D): 42,940.0 (+2.68%)
- Euronext 100 (N100): 1,578.30 (-0.09%)
- FTSE 100 (FTSE): 9,140.3 (+0.12%)
Stocks
- Nvidia (NVDA): $182.06 (-0.35%)
- Tesla (TSLA): $339.03 (+2.85%)
- Microsoft (MSFT): $521.77 (-0.05%)
- Meta Platforms (META): $765.87 (-0.45%)
- Apple (AAPL): $227.18 (-0.95%)
- Amazon (AMZN): $221.30 (-0.62%)
Commodities
- Gold (XAUUSD): $3,350.50 (+0.25%)
- Silver (XAGUSD): $37.875 (+0.72%)
- WTI Crude (USOIL): $64.11 (+0.19%)
- Brent Crude (BRENT): $68.66 (-3.68%)
Forex
- U.S. Dollar Index (DXY): 98.515 (+0.02%)
- EUR/USD: 1.20185 (+0.11%)
- GBP/USD: 1.3429 (+0.05%)
- USD/JPY: 148.43 (+0.20%)
Cryptocurrency
- Bitcoin (BTCUSD): $118,943 (+0.19%)
- Ethereum (ETHUSDT): $4,292.39 (+1.64%)
- BNB (BNBUSDT): $809.66 (+0.57%)
- Solana (SOLUSDT): $175.38 (+0.31%)
- BTC Dominance (BTC.D): 60.5% (-0.27%)
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