DailyEdge

European auto giants reported a sharp drop in first-quarter profit, and many suspended or cut full-year financial guidance, partially attributing the industry pain to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.

On Wednesday, it was reported that China had quietly compiled a list of US-made goods exempt from its 125% tariffs, aiming to ease trade tensions without public concessions. Companies, particularly those reliant on US technologies—such as pharmaceuticals and chipmakers—are being discreetly informed about these exemptions.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appeared to confirm reporting on​ Monday that a deal has been reached with automakers to​ ease tariffs, in another potential policy reversal that could grant a major reprieve for a beleaguered industry.

Wall Street enters a pivotal time this week with stocks nearly back to pre-tariff levels and a flood of key economic data and corporate earnings on deck.

US stock futures climbed for a fourth straight day on Friday, on track for their longest winning streak in more than two months, as trade tensions eased and Federal Reserve officials signaled they may cut rates sooner than expected.

Treasury yields declined on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that high tariffs on China may be coming down, and backtracked plans to fire the Federal Reserve chief. At 5:30 a.m. ET, the 10-year Treasury yield was down over 3 basis points at 4.349%, while the 2-year Treasury yield was down nearly 3 basis points at 3.832%.

President Trump told reporters "I have no intention of firing" Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell even though he wants the policymaker to lower interest rates, making the comment less than a week after Trump asserted on social media that "Powell's termination cannot come fast enough."

Tesla investors are anxious to know if plans to roll out a cheaper car and a robotaxi service this year are on track, and whether CEO Elon Musk is ready to ditch his role in the Trump administration soon and get back to managing the company more closely.

US stock futures fell early Monday as investors prepared for another week of developments on President Trump's fast-moving tariff policies and for the kickoff of Big Tech earnings reports. Futures tied to the S&P 500 were down 1%, while those on the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 1.1%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also dropped 0.9%.

On Thursday, all eyes were on the trade negotiations that began between the US administration and Japan. President Trump had previously touted "big progress" in tariff talks, but Japan's Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato expressed concerns over the global economic fallout from tariffs. He warned that the market volatility could potentially disrupt Japan's economic recovery.