Author name: Mudit Bhatnagar

The week ending May 16, 2025, was largely characterised by a significant uplift in global investor sentiment, primarily ignited by a landmark 90-day agreement between the United States and China to pause most of their punitive tariffs. This “tariff truce” acted as a powerful catalyst, propelling many global equity indices to notable weekly gains. The US agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, while China committed to lowering tariffs on US goods from 125% to 10% for the 90-day period. This development eased immediate concerns about escalating trade tensions that had previously cast a shadow over the global economic outlook.

The week ending May 9, 2025, presented a complex tapestry for global financial markets. Investor sentiment oscillated in response to a confluence of factors, including ongoing international trade negotiations, pivotal central bank policy decisions, and escalating geopolitical tensions in certain regions. While some markets found support in stimulus measures or positive earnings, others grappled with uncertainty and risk aversion. This report will dissect the performance and key drivers across major economic zones.

Global stock markets experienced a significant surge during the week ending May 2, 2025, largely shaking off the deep concerns that dominated trading in April. A wave of optimism swept across major financial centres, driven primarily by unexpectedly positive economic news from the United States and renewed hopes for a de-escalation in the ongoing trade conflict between the US and China. This rally saw several benchmark indices reclaim substantial ground lost earlier in the year. However, this buoyant sentiment unfolded against a backdrop of mixed underlying economic signals and persistent anxieties regarding the broader impact of international trade policies. This report provides a detailed overview of market performance and key developments across the United States, Europe, Asia (with a specific focus on India), and Oceania during this eventful week.