USA Stock Markets Fall and USD Lowest in 3 Years

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USA stock markets fell and the value of the dollar (USD) hit its lowest point in three years after Donald Trump escalated his verbal assault on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom he appointed in 2018.

Trump wants to fire Powell. On Thursday, just ahead of the Easter holiday weekend, Trump said Powell’s “termination can’t come fast enough.”

The markets closed for the day:

  • Dow Jones Industrial Average down 971.82 points (2.5%) to 38,170.41
  • S&P 500 down 124.50 points (2.4%) to 5,158.20
  • Nasdaq composite down 415.55 points (2.6%) to 15,870.90
  • Russell 2000 index of smaller companies down 40.30 points (2.1%) to 1,840.32

For the year:

  • Dow Jones Industrial Average down 4,373.81 points (10.3%)
  • S&P 500 down 723.43 points (12.3%)
  • Nasdaq composite down 3,439.89 points (17.8%)
  • Russell 2000 index of smaller companies down 389.84 points (17.5%)

A note by Hannah Erin Lang of the Wall Street Journal circulated widely. She said “[t]he Trump rout is taking on historic dimensions” with the Dow Jones Industrial Average “headed for its worst April performance since 1932.” That was in the pit of the Great Depression.

The U.S. Dollar Index fell to 97.92 Monday morning, its lowest point since March 2022. The dollar has fallen about 5% in less than a month. The value of gold, the classic monetary safe haven, is up nearly 30% so far this year.

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