Wall Street closed lower on Thursday as renewed concerns about regional banks and intensifying U.S.-China trade tensions weighed on investor sentiment, pulling major indexes off recent record highs.
Shares of Zions Bancorporation tumbled after the lender revealed unexpected losses on two California loans, heightening unease about hidden credit risks among regional banks still contending with elevated interest rates. Western Alliance also slumped after disclosing it had filed a fraud lawsuit against one of its borrowers, adding to the sector’s woes.
The sell-off came as investors already faced rising uncertainty over trade policy. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports starting November 1, alongside new measures targeting Beijing’s export restrictions on rare earth minerals.
“With the added uncertainty of U.S. and China trade and increased rhetoric and what that could mean for the economy and for the markets, I think that’s adding to market instability,” said Tom Hainlin, investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Minneapolis.
While TSMC, the world’s top chip manufacturer, issued a bullish forecast on AI spending, heavyweight tech stocks Palantir, Tesla, and Meta Platforms all slipped, curbing optimism in the sector.
Salesforce surged after projecting revenue above $60 billion by 2030, beating Wall Street estimates and offering a bright spot amid broader weakness.
Despite Thursday’s drop, the S&P 500 remains up 12% so far in 2025, buoyed by optimism over artificial intelligence and expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts. However, with the index now valued at 23 times expected earnings — its highest multiple in five years — analysts say investor caution is warranted.
Robust earnings from major banks earlier in the week had underscored U.S. economic resilience, though official macroeconomic data remain delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown. Analysts expect S&P 500 earnings to rise 9.2% in Q3, up from 8.8% two weeks ago, according to LSEG I/B/E/S data.
Still, weakness in the insurance sector added pressure. The S&P 500 insurance index fell after Travelers Companies posted disappointing quarterly revenue, while Marsh & McLennan also dropped following a report of flat margins and slowing growth.
According to preliminary figures, the S&P 500 lost 42.10 points, or 0.63%, to close at 6,628.96; the Nasdaq Composite declined 105.77 points, or 0.47%, to 22,564.31; and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 298.48 points, or 0.65%, to 45,954.83.
The Philadelphia Fed Business Index for October also disappointed, falling 12.8 points versus expectations of an 8.5-point gain. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he supports another rate cut in October, citing mixed signals in the job market.
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