European and Asian shares slumped on Monday as investors weighed the implications of Chinese startup DeepSeek's launch of a free open-source artificial intelligence model to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Meanwhile, the dollar dipped as broad U.S. import tariffs remained on the back burner, even as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Colombia with levies to punish the country for earlier refusing to accept flights carrying deported migrants.
China's DeepSeek rolled out a free AI assistant that it says uses lower-cost chips and less data, seemingly challenging a widespread bet in markets that AI will drive demand along a supply chain from chipmakers to data centres.
Europe's technology sector led the pan-European STOXX 600 index, opens new tab lower, down 0.7%, while the blue-chip Euro STOXX 50, opens new tab dropped 1.4% in early European trading.
The STOXX Europe 600 technology index, opens new tab fell as much as 4.6%, its biggest one-day drop since mid-October.
Futures on the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite in the U.S. tumbled over 3.1% and S&P 500 futures sank 2%.
"China and DeepSeek say, at the very least, that they can deliver what ChatGPT can deliver today at a fraction of the cost," said George Lagarias, investment strategist at Forvis Mazars.
"It makes sense that markets question the narrative that has been underpinning the whole market ... It's a very frothy market so it doesn't really take that much for investors to take some profit."
Shares of AI-bellwether Nvidia, opens new tab, which have risen over 800% since the start of 2023, were down over 7% in pre-market trade.
Japan's Nikkei, opens new tab dropped 0.9%, reversing an initial advance. New Zealand's equity benchmark, opens new tab slipped 0.2% and Singapore's Straits Times index, opens new tab eased 0.1%.
At the same time, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, opens new tab rallied 0.7% and Chinese mainland blue chips, opens new tab dipped 0.4% after data showed a surprise contraction in manufacturing this month.
DOLLAR STRENGTH FLEETING
In currency markets, the dollar dipped, as Trump has so far refrained from implementing broad-based U.S. import tariffs, but China, Mexico and Canada face a nervy wait with Trump last week earmarking Feb. 1 for additional tariffs on the United States' top trading partners.
The dollar rose 1% against the Mexican peso on Monday and 0.1% against its Canadian counterpart .
The Colombian peso had yet to trade against the dollar, but had rallied 3.4% over the previous three sessions.
On Sunday, Trump threatened Colombia with tariffs and sanctions to punish it for refusing to accept military flights carrying deportees, but Colombia later said it would accept the military aircraft and the U.S. sanctions threat was put on hold.
The euro eased 0.1% to $1.0481. Sterling was little changed at $1.2470. The yen rose 0.8% to 154.72 per dollar.
"As a trend, Trump is taking a more realistic, less aggressive stance on tariffs," Nomura strategist Naka Matsuzawa said.
"Bottom line: Trump doesn't want big tariffs because he's worried about inflation," he said. "The dollar will be overall weaker."
The volatility across asset classes kicks off a crucial week for markets that will see the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank - among others - set monetary policy.
At the same time, many Asian bourses have extended holidays this week for the Lunar New Year. Among them, South Korea and Taiwan were already closed on Monday. Markets in mainland China are shut from Tuesday and do not reopen until Feb. 5. Australia was closed on Monday for Australia Day.
Meanwhile, crude oil prices rose slightly with Brent crude futures up 0.3% to $78.75 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 0.2% to $74.80 a barrel.
Gold sank 0.3% to $2,764 per ounce.
Leading cryptocurrency bitcoin slumped more than 5% to below $100,000 for the first time in a week, and was last at $99,210.
Wall Street’s main indexes surged on Monday, driven by gains in technology stocks, after the White House announced exemptions for smartphones and computers from new tariffs on Chinese imports. However, additional levies on semiconductors are still expected later this week.
Global stock markets plummeted on Monday as tariff fears triggered panic among investors. With uncertainty over U.S. trade policies, futures markets priced in multiple interest rate cuts, heightening recession concerns. Major global indices saw sharp losses, while safe-haven assets surged.
Investors are increasingly hedging against market risks, as rising tail risk indexes and VIX skew reflect caution over tariffs, Fed policy, and global conflicts despite U.S. stocks hitting record highs.
President Donald Trump issued a rare public rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday following a wave of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, calling the strikes “not necessary” and urging an immediate halt.
The heads of intelligence agencies from Central Asian countries held their first-ever meeting in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
China launched its Shenzhou-20 mission on Thursday, sending three astronauts to the Tiangong space station. The successful liftoff marks its 15th crewed flight as Pakistan eyes sending the first foreign astronaut on a future mission.
President Donald Trump called on Vladimir Putin to halt missile strikes on Kyiv, urging a return to peace talks amid rising casualties.
A ballistic missile linked to North Korea killed at least eight in Kyiv, marking a concerning escalation in Russia's use of foreign weaponry, Ukrainian sources reveal.
China has rolled out the world’s first 10-gigabit (10G) fixed broadband network in Xiong'an New Area, promising ultra-fast speeds and low latency through cutting-edge optical infrastructure.
The Holy Fire ceremony stands as one of Christianity's most enduring and mysterious rituals, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem each year.
Pope Francis's relationship with Azerbaijan has evolved significantly over the years, characterized by diplomatic exchanges, promotion of religious tolerance, and peace advocacy in the Caucasus region.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least nine people and injuring 70, including six children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Uzbekistan and Iran have agreed to establish a Joint Business Council aimed at fostering development of business ties and facilitating the resolution of issues between entrepreneurs from both countries.
Brussels has fined Apple and Meta over €700 million combined, launching its first crackdown under the Digital Markets Act aimed at curbing big tech’s power and boosting competition in the digital economy.
The Trump administration is considering reducing tariffs on Chinese imports, aiming to ease tensions with Beijing as trade negotiations continue, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Iran informed China on Wednesday about ongoing nuclear negotiations with the US, expressing a commitment to diplomacy despite past setbacks and urging stronger bilateral cooperation under their 25-year strategic agreement.
Nissan plans to invest an extra $1.4 billion in China by 2026 as it launches 10 new energy vehicles, aiming to recover from declining sales and catch up with faster-moving local competitors.
President Donald Trump issued a rare public rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday following a wave of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, calling the strikes “not necessary” and urging an immediate halt.
The heads of intelligence agencies from Central Asian countries held their first-ever meeting in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
China launched its Shenzhou-20 mission on Thursday, sending three astronauts to the Tiangong space station. The successful liftoff marks its 15th crewed flight as Pakistan eyes sending the first foreign astronaut on a future mission.
President Donald Trump called on Vladimir Putin to halt missile strikes on Kyiv, urging a return to peace talks amid rising casualties.
A ballistic missile linked to North Korea killed at least eight in Kyiv, marking a concerning escalation in Russia's use of foreign weaponry, Ukrainian sources reveal.
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