Tariffs

After rapid changes in U.S. trade policy, banks and their clients are putting merger deals on ice until the dust settles.

Investor confidence in US bonds can no longer be taken for granted — not after a years-long borrowing binge, not with a president hell-bent on rewriting the rules at home and abroad and antagonizing many of the country's biggest creditors.

The slowdown reflected a decline in energy costs, used vehicles, and airfares. Motor vehicle insurance — a main source of inflation in recent years — also retreated.

Pres. Trump's decision to pause most of the tariffs has sparked a rally in the stock market, but the 10-year yield, while off of its peak, remains higher.

The yield on 30-year Treasuries briefly pushed over 5% in Asia and the pressure seeped into other markets, with yields rising sharply in Australia, the UK and in the developing world.

In a speech at the American Bankers Association Washington Summit Wednesday morning, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed economic risks from tariffs, floated capital reforms and urged regulatory relief for community banks.

Federal Reserve officials want to see how exactly new trade policies impact the U.S. economy before adjusting interest rates. Markets and monetarists have different ideas about what that might look like.

JPMorgan Chase's CEO emphasized his concerns about geopolitical conflict and brought up recent culture shifts at the bank in his annual letter to shareholders.

The growing fears about the outlook for the global economy extended far beyond stocks. Oil tumbled on speculation demand will slow.

The impact of tariff policy on the mortgage-backed securities market is likely to surface first in the cost of new housing construction.