Financial analysts say fears of a global recession have risen after a dramatic $2.9 trillion drop in stock market values.
The drop, reported on August 2, 2024, is the biggest since March 16, 2020, when the COVID pandemic sparked similar concerns.
Jacob King, a financial analyst, highlighted that major stock indices have suffered serious losses due to growing recession fears. This decline was triggered by disappointing U.S. employment data, which showed slower job growth and rising unemployment—the highest since October 2021. In addition, the weak performance of the U.S. manufacturing sector and weak earnings at semiconductor giant Intel worsened the situation.
On this turbulent day, the major world indices fell significantly. The S&P 500 index, tracking the 500 largest U.S. companies, faced its worst session in nearly two years. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2%, or 820 points. Prominent technology stocks were hit hard, with Amazon shares plunging 12.5% on missed earnings expectations and a dismal forecast. Intel shares fell 29%, and Nvidia also saw a significant decline on the day.
Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reed noted that the recent decline reflects rising risk sentiment in the market, exacerbated by weak U.S. economic data and disappointing technology earnings. This global market decline underscores widespread concern about a potential economic slowdown.
Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor behind Bridgewater Associates, has taken aim at the growing obsession with meme stocks, warning that investors are falling for trends while ignoring the fundamentals.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ)’s upcoming monetary policy meeting, set for June 16–17, could be the next major catalyst for global risk assets, including stocks and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
Mark Skousen, the economist who foresaw the 1987 market collapse, believes the current financial environment is entering a precarious phase.
Across Asia, the U.S. dollar is rapidly losing ground as countries intensify efforts to reduce reliance on the greenback.