Your Weekly Market Snapshot 📈

Mar 02, 2025

Sunday Morning Markets

Trading Week 9, covering Monday, Feb 24 through Friday, Jan 28. Your weekly financial markets update, in less than 5 minutes.

Recession Signal: Yield curve inverts as Fed projects 1.5% drop in Q1 GDP.
Confidence Drop: Consumer sentiment plunges to 98.3, worst since 2021.
Housing Slump: Pending home sales hit record low, down 4.6% in Jan.
Fed Inflation Gauge: 2.6% YoY, markets see 70% chance of June cut.
Trump Tariffs: Canada & Mexico levies to proceed after delay.
China Tariff Panic: Firms scramble to relocate as U.S. tariffs hit key industries.
Tesla EU Crash: Sales plunge 45%, rivals gain market share.
Meta AI App: Meta to launch a standalone app to rival ChatGPT.
Tesla Ridehail: Applies for permit, but no robotaxis yet.
Alexa+ Launch: Amazon debuts $19.99 AI-powered Alexa, free with Prime.
Earnings: Nvidia, Salesforce, Snowflake

Key recession indicator flashes red as yield curve inverts amid fears that Trump’s trade policies may hurt growth. The Atlanta Fed now projects a 1.5% GDP contraction in Q1.
Consumer confidence posts biggest drop since 2021, falling to 98.3 in February, well below forecasts. Concerns over inflation, tariffs, and a slowing economy drove pessimism.
Pending home sales hit a record low in January, dropping 4.6% from December. High mortgage rates and elevated prices strained affordability despite rising inventory and more sellers cutting prices.
Fed’s preferred inflation gauge eases to 2.6% in January, in line with estimates, as incomes rise 0.9% but spending falls. Markets now see a 70% chance of a June rate cut.
Meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy erupts into a shouting match as Trump accuses Zelenskyy of not being “ready for peace.” Tensions put a critical minerals deal at risk.
Apple to open AI server factory in Texas as part of $500B U.S. investment, set to launch in 2026. The plan includes 20,000 new jobs and expanded R&D amid pressure to boost U.S. manufacturing.
Trump signs order enforcing healthcare price transparency, requiring hospitals and insurers to disclose actual procedure costs, drug prices, and negotiated rates. Agencies have 90 days to implement.

Trump says tariffs on Canada and Mexico ‘will go forward’ after a monthlong delay. The move risks trade tensions as both nations had pledged tougher border security to avoid the levies.
India’s economy accelerates with 6.2% growth in Q3 as manufacturing rebounds and government spending jumps 8.3%. Analysts see signs of a sustained recovery.
Germany’s conservatives win election as economy struggles with Friedrich Merz poised to become chancellor. GDP shrank 0.2% in late 2024, adding pressure amid complex coalition talks.
Trump vows to impose 25% tariffs on EU imports, targeting cars and accusing the bloc of unfair trade, claiming the EU was “formed to screw the U.S.” The euro fell 0.2% after his remarks.
Tesla's sales in Europe plunge 45% in January, despite the overall BEV market surging 37%. Supply issues, bad publicity, and Model Y updates hurt demand as rivals gain ground in key markets.
Chinese manufacturers scramble as new U.S. tariffs spark panic, with some rushing to shift production to Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, China vows retaliation with countermeasures targeting key U.S. industries.
Alibaba to invest over $52B in AI and cloud by 2028, surpassing its past decade’s spending. The move aims to boost growth, compete globally, and capitalize on China’s AI boom.

Meta plans to launch a standalone AI app to rival ChatGPT with a release in Q2, marking a major step in Zuckerberg’s AI ambitions and potentially including a paid subscription model.
Tesla applies for California ridehail permit but not for robotaxis yet. The permit allows Tesla-owned vehicles with employee drivers, the first step toward future autonomous services.
Amazon launches AI-powered Alexa+ for $19.99/month, free for Prime members. The upgrade enhances Alexa’s capabilities, handling bookings, shopping, and personalized assistance.
OpenAI debuts GPT-4.5, promising fewer errors and better reasoning with improved user intent recognition and “greater EQ.” Early access starts for developers and Pro users, with wider rollout next week.
Amazon unveils its first quantum computing chip, Ocelot, just a week after Microsoft’s debut. Designed for efficiency, Amazon aims to offer future quantum chips via its AWS cloud service.
Nvidia CEO says AI now requires 100x more computation than when ChatGPT first launched due to advanced reasoning models. Nvidia reported revenue growth of 78% for the year, driven by surging AI chip demand.
Anthropic closing in on new $3.5B funding round, with its valuation tripling to $61.5B. Led by Lightspeed, with Amazon and Google participating, the AI startup is attracting major investment amid growing competition.