Markets

Stock exchanges, Wall Street: DJ flat, S&P and Nasdaq up. Trump reignites tariffs war with EU

Tokyo closed slightly higher. Japan intervenes to curb the yen's decline

by Editors Online

1 May 2026

Operatori al lavoro nella sala delle contrattazioni della Borsa di New York, l’1 maggio 2026 REUTERS

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

S&P and Nasdaq continued in the positive, while the Dow Jones was flat, after the US president, Donald Trump, reignited the trade war with the European Union, announcing a increase in tariffs on cars and trucks to 25 per cent, and expressed unhappiness with the talks with Iran for a peace agreement.

On the stock market, Apple shares rose 4.2%, after the tech giant posted better-than-expected fiscal second quarter results in terms of earnings and revenue; the revenue outlook for the current quarter was also better than expected. Roku stock rose 4.7% after the company posted above-expected earnings and revenue; the outlook was also better than consensus. Estée Lauder shares fell 0.9%, despite better than expected third quarter sales; the cosmetics giant also announced plans to cut more jobs as part of its recovery plan.

Rivian stock dropped nearly 7%, despite the electric vehicle maker reporting a better-than-expected quarterly report and reaffirming its sales forecast for 2026. The stock of Roblox plunged 16% after the online gaming platform revised down its full-year revenue forecast.

Around 8 p.m. the Dow Jones gained 2.43 points (0.00%), the S&P 500 added 43.11 points (0.60%), the Nasdaq was up 288.37 points (+1.16%). Wti oil at the Nymex dropped 2.96% to $101.96 per barrel. Gold gained $15.20, 0.33%, to $4,629.90 an ounce, for a weekly decline of 2%. Euro steady at $1.1740. Bitcoin up 2.40% to $78,238.

On Wall Street, a solid quarterly earnings season, coupled with hopes of an easing of tensions in the Middle East, pushed up equities in recent weeks. The S&P 500 closed above the 7,200-point mark yesterday for the first time ever; record highs also for the Nasdaq. Both indices recorded their best month since 2020. The Dow Jones, for its part, saw its best monthly performance since November 2024.

Tokyo closes higher

The Tokyo Stock Exchange closed modestly higher, buoyed by gains in a small group of technology stocks and Wall Street's performance, while the strengthening yen contributed to a rebound in government bond yields. Japanese authorities intervened in the currency market to curb the yen's rapid decline against the dollar, the first such intervention in nearly two years.

On a day marked by the closure of most stock exchanges, the main Nikkei index closed the day up 0.38% to 59,513.12 points. The broader Topix index recovered its initial losses, closing up 0.04% at 3,728.73 points.

Japan intervenes on forex to stem yen decline

The Japanese authorities have intervened in the currency market to curb the yen's rapid fall in the exchange rate against the dollar: the first such intervention in almost two years. This was reported by government sources to the Kyodo news agency, after a series of warnings by Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama herself, about the possibility of "decisive action" to halt the currency's depreciation - which on Thursday had touched 160.70 yen against the greenback, the lowest in 22 months. After the move, the yen stood at 155 against the dollar, also appreciating against the euro to 184.40.

BTp: spread halted at opening at 82 points, yield at 3.85%

Stable opening for the spread between the BTp and Bund. At the start of the day, the yield spread between the benchmark ten-year BTp and the German ten-year peer maturity stood at 82 points, the same level as yesterday's closing. Also flat was the yield on the Italian ten-year benchmark maturity, which remained at 3.85%, the same as yesterday's closing.

Mercati, per saperne di più

I podcast con i dati e le analisi

Cosa sta accadendo alle Borse, qual è stato il fatto chiave del giorno? Appuntamento quotidiano con la redazione Finanza e Risparmio che cura il podcast quotidiano “Market Mover”. Ascolta il podcast

Borsa in video

La redazione di Radiocor cura ogni giorno - dal lunedì al venerdì - pIù video al giorno (metà seduta, borsa in un minuto, chiusura borse europee) con tutti i dati fondamentali della giornata della Borsa di Milano e un’analisi dei titoli in maggiore evidenza. Guarda i video

Le notizie per approfondire

Gli approfondimenti delle notizie di Finanza e Risparmio sono l’elemento distintivo di Mercati+, la sezione premium del Sole 24 Ore. Qui per scoprire come funziona e i servizi che offre.
Per gli aggiornamenti dei dati delle Borse ecco la sezione Mercati
qui i link per consultare direttamente i prezzi di oro, petrolio, spread e cambio €/$
mentre per le notizie in tempo reale c’è il rullo di Radiocor.
Infine, ecco le nostre newsletter tra cui “Market Mover”