Stocks took a significant hit on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average experiencing its worst day in nearly two years. The Dow dropped a staggering 1,033.99 points, or 2.6%, to close at 38,703.27. The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 also saw significant losses, with the Nasdaq falling 3.43% and closing at 16,200.08, and the S&P 500 sliding 3% to end at 5,186.33. This marked the biggest daily losses for the Dow and S&P 500 since September 2022.
The global market sell-off was sparked by concerns over the health of the U.S. economy. Japan’s stock market experienced its worst drop since Wall Street’s Black Monday in 1987, adding to fears of turmoil in the markets worldwide. The main culprit for the market meltdown was fears of a U.S. recession following Friday’s disappointing July jobs report. Investors were also worried that the Federal Reserve was not moving quickly enough to cut interest rates to support the economy, opting to keep rates at their highest level in two decades.
Tech stocks were among the worst performers on Monday, with investors continuing to sell off megacap tech stocks and the once-hot artificial intelligence trade. In Asia, Japan’s stocks confirmed a bear market as investors in the Asia-Pacific region reacted to the disappointing U.S. jobs figures from Friday. The Nikkei closed at 31,458.42, marking a 12.4% loss and the largest point drop in its history.
Other global markets were also significantly affected by the sell-off. U.S. Treasury yields fell as investors sought safety in bonds, with the benchmark 10-year note yielding 3.78%, its lowest level since June 2023. Bitcoin also tumbled from nearly $62,000 on Friday to around $54,000 on Monday. Europe’s Stoxx 600 was down by 2.2%, and the Cboe Volatility Index, known as Wall Street’s „fear gauge,“ climbed to its highest level since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
There was also speculation about the unwind of the yen „carry trade“ contributing to the global market decline. The Bank of Japan’s decision to raise interest rates last week reduced the interest rate differential between Japan and the U.S., causing the yen to rise in value against the dollar. This ended the practice of traders borrowing in the cheap yen to buy other global assets.
Market experts like Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research, noted that the market was vulnerable to a correction, and the weaker economic and employment data provided the catalyst for the sell-off. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee hinted that interest rates at their current level may be too restrictive and that the central bank would take action if economic conditions deteriorated significantly.
In a brutal session for investors, only 22 stocks in the S&P 500 ended the day higher. The market turmoil on Monday highlighted the fragility of the global economy and the importance of closely monitoring economic indicators and central bank actions to navigate volatile market conditions.