Stock Market News 8th August

Week:

S&P500: +1.6% FTSE100: +0.3% Gold: +2.4%

Ytd

S&P500: +8.6% FTSE100: +10.1 % Gold: +32.3%

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S&P 500 Bounces Back but Tariff Tensions Linger

Source: Connect Weekly | Week ending August 9, 2025

US stocks rebounded from last week’s slump, with the S&P 500 logging its best day since May on Monday before chopping sideways. A mix of upbeat corporate headlines and shifting macro signals lifted early sentiment, but tariff noise and soft data kept a lid on gains into week’s end. The benchmark finished modestly higher, snapping a two-week losing streak.

What drove markets this week?

Monday’s rally was broad-based as tech and communication services led. Tuesday’s weaker-than-expected ISM Services print rekindled growth worries. Midweek, Apple’s plans for an additional $100bn in US investment sparked a 5% pop and buoyed mega-cap tech. By Thursday, a weak 30-year auction and fresh chip-tariff headlines (with exemptions for firms building in the US) cooled risk appetite. In the UK, the BoE cut rates 25bp to 4% after a tight re-vote.

Crypto gets a policy boost

President Trump signed an executive order enabling 401(k) administrators to include private assets including crypto in their plan offerings. The move was seen as a symbolic win for digital assets, sending Bitcoin higher and lifting sentiment across the crypto complex, even as broader equity markets traded mixed.

Gold surges to all-time highs

Gold prices hit fresh record highs this week as investors sought safety amid renewed US-China trade tensions and the prospect of steeper tariffs under President Trump’s latest proposals. The planned levies which include duties on imported gold bars have added to supply concerns while reinforcing gold’s appeal as a hedge against geopolitical risk and currency volatility. The metal’s rally was amplified by expectations of looser global monetary policy following the Bank of England’s rate cut and continued dovish positioning by other central banks.

Looking ahead

We’re entering the thin-liquidity mid-August stretch, when seasonality is typically soft for the S&P 500 and headlines hit harder. With tariffs in focus and data mixed, expect a more headline-driven tape and fading intraday liquidity to amplify moves.

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