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Economy

Ongoing Trade Concerns Weigh on US Stocks

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US Stocks report

By Investors Hub

The major U.S. index futures are currently pointing to a lower opening on Monday, with stocks likely to see some further downside following the pullback seen late in the previous session.

Ongoing concerns about the escalating U.S.-China trade dispute are likely to weigh on Wall Street after Google suspended some of its business with Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Google has cut Huawei off from business involving the transfer of hardware, software and technical services, complying with an order by President Donald Trump blocking the sale or transfer of U.S. technology to Huawei.

?We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications,? a Google spokesperson said, noting services such as Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices.

Overall trading activity may be somewhat subdued, however, as a lack of major U.S. economic data may keep some traders on the sidelines.

Reports on new and existing home sales and durable goods orders are likely to attract attention in the coming days along with the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting.

Stocks showed wild swings over the course of the trading session on Friday before ending the day mostly lower. The major averages recovered from an initial move to the downside only to pull back sharply late in the session.

At the end of the day, the major averages were all firmly in negative territory. The Dow fell 98.68 points or 0.4 percent to 25,764.00, the Nasdaq slumped 81.76 points or 1 percent to 7,816.28 and the S&P 500 dropped 16.79 points or 0.6 percent to 2,859.53.

The major averages also closed lower for the week. The Nasdaq tumbled by 1.3 percent, while the Dow and the S&P 500 slid by 0.7 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

Reflecting recent market sensitivity to trade-related news, the late-day pullback came on the heels of a CNBC report indicating negotiations between the U.S. and China appear to have stalled.

Citing two sources briefed on the status of trade talks, CNBC said scheduling for the next round of negotiations is “in flux” because it is unclear what the two sides would discuss.

Sources told CNBC discussions regarding scheduling the next round of talks have not taken place since President Donald Trump signed an executive order ramping up scrutiny of Chinese telecom companies.

Lingering concerns about the escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China also contributed to the initial weakness on Wall Street.

While Trump has sought to blame China for backing out of a nearly completed trade deal, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce claims the U.S. is responsible for serious setbacks in the trade talks.

Commerce Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng accused the Trump administration of “bullying behavior” with a recent increase in tariffs, according to state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua.

“It is regrettable that the U.S. side unilaterally escalated trade disputes, which resulted in severe negotiating setbacks,” Gao said.

He added, “We urge the U.S. side to correct wrongdoings as soon as possible to avoid causing heavier damages to businesses and consumers in both countries and dragging down the global economy.?

However, concerns about trade waned after the Trump administration officially delayed imposing tariffs on imported automobiles and parts for up to six months, confirming media reports from earlier this week.

A White House statement noted Trump has directed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to negotiate agreements to address the national security threat posed by auto imports.

On the U.S. economic front, the University of Michigan released a report showing a substantial improvement in consumer sentiment in May, although the data was recorded mostly before trade negotiations with China collapsed.

The preliminary report showed the consumer sentiment index surged up to 102.4 in May from 97.2 in April, reaching its highest level in fifteen years. Economists had expected the index to inch up to 97.5.

Oil service stocks showed a substantial move to the downside over the course of the trading session, dragging the Philadelphia Oil Service Index down by 3.2 percent. The sell-off by oil service stocks came amid a modest decrease by the price of crude oil.

Significant weakness also emerged among semiconductor stocks, as reflected by the 2 percent slump by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index.

Natural gas, oil producer, and networking stocks also saw considerable weakness on the day, notable strength was visible among computer hardware stocks.

Shares of Cray Inc. (CRAY) soared 22.5 percent after she supercomputer maker agreed to be acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) for $1.3 billion in cash.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

Economy

BNB Price Reflects Changing Dynamics in the Digital Asset Market

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BNB price

Digital asset markets have slowed, though not in a dramatic way. Things are still moving, just not with much urgency. The BNB price reflects that shift, sitting within a tighter range as broader conditions begin to shape behavior more than short bursts of demand.

It can feel uneventful at first. No strong push higher, no sharp drop either. But the movement is still there. It just does not travel far. A rise begins, then fades. A dip forms, then steadies again. It repeats more than you might expect.

That pattern tends to linger. Sometimes longer than people anticipate, especially when there is no clear reason for it to change quickly.

BNB Price Movement Reflects Exchange-Driven Demand

BNB does not behave like assets that rely purely on outside demand. Its connection to the Binance ecosystem changes that.

Usage matters here. Trading activity, transaction volume and general platform engagement all feed into how BNB is used. That connection is not always obvious in the short term, but it sits underneath everything.

Sometimes it shows up clearly. Other times it does not. The relationship is there either way.

When activity holds steady, price often follows that tone. It does not surge, but it does not weaken much either. It stays somewhere in the middle, supported without needing strong momentum. It reflects usage more than speculation in many cases.

Market Conditions Continue to Shape Price Behaviour

There is also the wider market to consider. Binance has pointed out that liquidity remains tight, with capital concentrating in a smaller number of assets.

Bitcoin still holds close to 59% of the market. Ethereum sits much lower, around 11.8%. After that, the drop-off becomes more noticeable. Smaller assets make up far less than they once did. That shift matters. It changes how everything moves.

When capital gathers like this, movement tends to compress. Prices still change, but not as freely. It becomes harder for assets to break away from the general pattern.

BNB is part of that. It does not sit outside these conditions. It moves with them more often than against them.

BNB Utility Remains Central to Its Value

There is also the question of utility, which tends to be discussed but not always fully understood.

BNB is used across the Binance ecosystem in practical ways. Fees, transactions, access to services. These are not abstract use cases. They happen regularly, even when markets feel quiet.

That kind of activity does not always push prices higher. But it does create a base level of demand. Something that holds, rather than drives.

Over time, that can matter more than short bursts of interest. It gives the asset a different kind of stability. Not fixed, but less reactive. That difference tends to show up more clearly over longer periods.

Institutional and Retail Activity Remain Balanced

Participation is mixed. Institutional involvement has increased, but it does not dominate. Retail activity is still there and often more visible in certain phases. Neither side controls the market on its own. That is part of why movement feels less defined.

At times, it can seem like different forces are pulling in slightly different directions. Not enough to create volatility, but enough to prevent a clear trend from forming.

So price moves, then pauses. Moves again, then settles. It continues like that, without fully committing to either direction.

Global Participation Continues to Expand

Outside of price, participation continues to grow. Estimates suggest global cryptocurrency users are now approaching 860 million, reflecting continued expansion across digital asset markets.

That kind of growth does not always appear in charts straight away. It builds slowly. People enter the space, others remain active and usage continues in ways that are not always easy to track day to day.

BNB sits within that broader expansion. As the ecosystem grows, so does the potential for continued use. It is not immediate. It rarely is. But it accumulates over time. That gradual build tends to matter more than short-term spikes.

Local Economic Conditions Add Perspective

Broader economic conditions still play a role. Inflation remains around the mid-teen range, which suggests the environment is stabilizing, though not completely settled.

That kind of backdrop tends to influence behavior. When conditions feel uncertain, decisions become more measured.

It does not directly control how BNB moves. But it helps explain the pace. Why do things feel slower, more contained? Markets do not exist in isolation, even when they seem separate. External factors tend to feed in gradually.

Right now, the market feels balanced more than anything else. The B&B price reflects that. Not pushing higher, not dropping away. Just holding.

There is still activity underneath. Usage continues. Participation grows. Liquidity shifts, even if it is not always visible.

For now, BNB is sitting in that middle space. Not doing too much, but not losing ground either. It might not stand out. But these phases tend to matter more than they first seem. Over time, they often shape what comes next, even if that is not immediately obvious.

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Economy

NASD Unlisted Security Index Crosses 4,000-point Benchmark Again

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NASD Unlisted Security Index

By Adedapo Adesanya

The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange achieved a milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, after five securities on the platform helped with a 1.85 per cent growth.

Data showed that the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) again crossed the 4,000-point benchmark yesterday.

The index chalked up 73.64 points during the trading day to close at 4,052.59 points compared with the preceding session’s 3,978.95 points, while the market capitalisation added N5.38 billion to finish at N2.424 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N2.380 trillion.

The price gainers were led by Okitipupa Plc, which grew by N25.00 to sell at N305.00 per share compared with the previous price of N280.00 per share. Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N6.92 to close at N76.26 per unit versus N69.34 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by N1.00 to N17.00 per share from N18.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by 55 Kobo to N99.55 per unit from N99.00 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc increased by 5 Kobo to N2.70 per share from N2.65 per share.

However, there was a price loser, MRS Oil, which dipped by N21.75 to N195.75 per unit from N217.50 per unit.

During the final session of the week, the value of securities jumped 75.2 per cent to N41.3 million from N23.6 million units, and the number of deals expanded by 62.9 per cent to 44 deals from 27 deals, while the volume of securities declined marginally by 0.9 per cent to 447,403 units from 451,522 units.

At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units traded for N1.2 billion.

GNI was also the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units transacted for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.

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Economy

Naira Slips to N1,358/$1 as FX Reserves, Policy Uncertainty Concerns

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Naira-Yuan Currency Swap Deal

By Adedapo Adesanya

It was not a good day for the Nigerian Naira in the currency market on Friday, April 24, as its value depreciated against the major foreign currencies at the close of transactions.

In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), it lost N4.53 or 0.33 per cent against the United States Dollar yesterday to trade at N1,358.44/$1, in contrast to the N1,353.91/$1 it was exchanged on Thursday.

Equally, the domestic currency slipped against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N8.14 to close at N1,834.02/£1, compared with the previous rate of N1,825.88/£1 and dropped N8.01 against the Euro to sell at N1,590.73/€1 versus N1,582.72/€1.

Also, the Naira depreciated against the US Dollar at the GTBank FX desk on Friday by N4 to quote at N1,370/$1 compared with the previous session’s N1,366/$1, and at the parallel market, it depleted by N5 to settle at N1,380/$1 versus the preceding day’s N1,375/$1.

Data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that NFEM interbank turnover surged to N43.562 million across 68 deals, up from N28.117 million the previous day.

Despite the CBN’s reassurance that the recent drop in external reserves is not worrisome, the market remains unsettled by persistent concerns over liquidity constraints, policy transparency, and weakening confidence in Nigeria’s FX market as gross reserves continue to decline to $48.4 billion.

The outlook for the Dollar appears supported by broader macro risks, including elevated oil prices tied to the tanker traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and a continued US-Iran standoff over ceasefire negotiations.

A look at the digital currency market showed that investors are sitting on the edge as the US Dollar rebounded amid geopolitical and inflation risks despite continued inflows into US spot bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

Solana (SOL) rose by 1.2 per cent to sell $86.45, Cardano (ADA) appreciated by 1.1 per cent to $0.2517, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 0.9 per cent to $0.0989, Ripple (XRP) improved by 0.3 per cent to $1.43, Ethereum (ETH) soared by 0.2 per cent to $2,316.83, and Binance Coin (BNB) chalked up 0.1 per cent to sell for $637.44.

However, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 1.3 per cent to $0.3235, and Bitcoin (BTC) lost 0.2 per cent to close at $77,562.27, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.

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