One of the defining characteristics of mature consumer markets is not simply the abundance of products, but the quality of consumer decision-making. Across sectors, rising financial awareness, easier access to information and digital discovery are changing what people choose to buy and how they
Imagine reaching retirement with a bond portfolio that works like a staircase. One bond matures this year, another next year, and another the year after, giving you access to money at different points instead of having to unlock the entire investment at once
Augmont Enterprises IPO Day 2: The initial public offering (IPO) of integrated gold and silver platform Augmont Enterprises Ltd is witnessing its second day of bidding today, August 24. So far, the public issue has been subscribed 2.88 times. The Rs 825-crore IPO
Gold prices remain high in India; check 22K, 24K rates in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru International gold prices also climbed to a more than three-month high on Monday. Published on: Aug 24, 2026, 13:46:24 IST By HT News Desk Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Gold prices remained high in India on
Nearly three-fourth of large-cap active funds underperformed a blended (LargeMidCap) benchmark over a 10-year period, according to the 2025 report by SPIVA (S&P Indices Versus Active). In this article, we discuss two reasons that could, perhaps
Indian Stock Market Today, August 24: The domestic equity markets opened higher on Monday, but gains remained measured as investors continued to track elevated crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions in West Asia. At 9:16 am, the BSE Sensex was up 205 points, or 0.26%, at 77,746.06
Businesses from India and the U.S. have expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh and made proposals to improve the country's investment climate, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has said. Mr. Muktadir’s remarks on Saturday (August 22
Minimalistic retractable door handles became a signature feature of electric vehicles (EVs), but the controversial designs are now at the centre of China's biggest car recall, affecting more than 4 million vehicles. The recall, which includes 2.98 million Chinese-made Teslas
Global markets on alert as Europe to suspend approval of US trade deal
Global markets on alert as Europe to suspend approval of US trade deal
The European Parliament is planning to suspend approval of the US trade deal agreed in July, according to sources close to its international trade committee.
The suspension is set to be announced in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday.
The move would mark another escalation in tensions between the US and Europe, as Donald Trump ratchets up his efforts to acquire Greenland, threatening new tariffs over the issue on the weekend.
The stand-off has rattled financial markets, reviving talk of a trade war and the possibility of retaliation against the US for its trade measures.
Shares on both sides of the Atlantic were lower on Tuesday, with European stock markets seeing a second day of losses. In the US, the Dow Jones slid more than 1.7%, while the S&P 500 dropped more than 2% and the Nasdaq closed about 2.4% lower.
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region were mixed on Wednesday, with major indexes in Japan and Australia a little lower, while shares in mainland China were higher.
The price of gold continued to make gains as it rose above $4,800 (£3,570) an ounce for the first time. The price of silver dipped from a record high above $94 an ounce.
Precious metals are seen as safer assets to hold in times of uncertainty, and the prices of both gold and silver have soared over the past year.
On the currency markets, the US dollar held steady against its major peers, having dropped 0.5% overnight - the biggest daily fall since early December.
Trade tensions between the US and Europe had eased since the two sides struck a deal at Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland in July.
That agreement set US levies on most European goods at 15%, down from the 30% Trump had initially threatened as part of his "Liberation Day" wave of tariffs in April. In exchange, Europe had agreed to invest in the US and make changes at on the continent expected to boost US exports.
The deal still needs approval from the European Parliament to become official.
But on Saturday, within hours of Trump's threat of US tariffs over Greenland, Manfred Weber, an influential German member of European Parliament, said "approval is not possible at this stage".
And Bernd Lange, who chairs the European Parliament's committee on international trade, said there was "no alternative" but to suspend the deal because of the threats over Greenland.
"By threatening the territorial integrity and sovereignty of an EU member state and by using tariffs as a coercive instrument, the US undermines the stability and predictability of EU–US trade relations," said Lange, whose committee needs to sign off on the deal before it heads to parliament for a final vote.
There is no alternative but to suspend work on the two Turnberry legislative proposals until the US decides to re-engage on a path of cooperation rather than confrontation, and before any further steps are taken.
The decision opens up questions about whether the EU will move forward with threats to retaliate against the US.
The bloc had announced a possible €93bn ($109bn, £81bn) worth of American goods that could be hit with levies last year in response to Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs before putting the plan on hold, while the two sides finalised details of a deal.
But that reprieve ends on 6 February, meaning EU levies will come into force on 7 February unless the bloc moves for an extension or approves the new deal.
French President Emmanuel Macron is among those urging the EU to consider its retaliatory options, including the anti-coercion instrument, nicknamed a "trade bazooka".
Washington's "endless accumulation" of new tariffs is "fundamentally unacceptable, even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty," he said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Also speaking in Davos, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reiterated his warning to European leaders against retaliation, urging them to "have an open mind".
"I tell everyone, sit back. Take a deep breath. Do not retaliate. The president will be here tomorrow, and he will get his message across," he said.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned that the US would not let retaliation go without response.
"What I've found is that when countries follow my advice, they tend to do okay. When they don't, crazy things happen," Greer said, in remarks reported by the Agence France-Presse.
The US has previously expressed impatience with European progress toward approval of the deal amid ongoing disagreements over tech and metals tariffs.
The US and the 27-nation European Union are each others' single biggest trade partners, with more than €1.6tn ($1.9tn, £1.4tn) in goods and services exchanged in 2024, according to European figures. That represents nearly a third of all global trade.
When Trump started announcing tariffs last year, it prompted threats of retaliation from many political leaders, including in Europe.
In the end, however, many, opted to negotiate instead.
Only China and Canada stuck by their threats to hit American goods with tariffs, with Canada quietly withdrawing most of those measures in September, concerned they were damaging the Canadian economy.
In a speech in Davos on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged "middle powers" to unite to push back against the might-makes-right world of great power rivalry that he warned was emerging.
When we only negotiate bilaterally with a hegemon, we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered. We compete with each other to be the most accommodating," he warned. "This is not sovereignty. It is the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination.
Looming in the background of the trade tensions is a pending Supreme Court decision over whether many of the tariffs Trump announced last year are legal.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Business
Tempsens Instruments India IPO Day 3: The initial public offering (IPO) of temperature sensing and heating solutions provider Tempsens Instruments Ltd is witnessing its final day of bidding today, August 24. So far, the public issue has been subscribed by a strong 31.34 times. The Rs 650-crore IPO
11 hours ago
S&P 500 just hit a level seen only once before in 155 years — could a market crash be next? The S&P 500 CAPE ratio hit 40 for only the second time in 155 years, raising concerns about valuations, future returns and a possible market correction. Updated on: Aug 23, 2026
14 hours ago
Anthropic $2 trillion IPO: Why investors think it could be worth more than SpaceX Anthropic could reach a $2 trillion IPO valuation as revenue surges, raising questions about whether the AI company can be worth more than SpaceX. Published on: Aug 23, 2026
14 hours ago
US President Donald Trump has said Canada wants "the benefits of being a State, without being one" after trade talks between the two countries collapsed late on Friday. In his first comments since negotiations broke down, triggering new 50% US tariffs on a range of Canadian goods
1 days ago
India’s payments sector has raised $5.8 billion across 371 equity funding rounds since January 2021, while producing eight initial public offerings (IPOs) and triggering 25 acquisitions, as the industry increasingly consolidates around a handful of well-funded players
1 days ago
Can Reddit survive in the AI era? It wants more cash for its data—and more of people’s time Published on: Aug 22, 2026, 16:40:48 IST The Economist Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Earlier this summer “Backrooms”, a horror flick, became one of the most successful independent films ever
1 days ago
What with a 250th birthday, Taylor Swift's wedding and the football World Cup, Americans could be forgiven for taking their eye off the ball this summer. But signs of economic trouble have been building. This week they hit the headlines when US national debt passed the $40tn (£29.4tn) mark
1 days ago
Insurance regulator IRDAI has directed Edelweiss Life Insurance and Pramerica Life Insurance, in separate orders on August 20, not to open new place of business for six months for non-compliance with Expenses of Management (EoM) limits in 2024-25
2 days ago
India remains a very attractive destination for global investments and its economic fundamentals form the basis for strong investor confidence, Jyoti Jeetun, the Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning of Mauritius told The Hindu in an interview
2 days ago
A fresh wave of US tariffs on a wide array of Canadian goods has come into effect as of midnight on Saturday after a last minute break down in trade talks. Announcing the suspension of negotiations shortly before the Friday night deadline, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would impose
2 days ago
TCS Employee Surveillance Row: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest IT services company, on Friday denied reports that it is using monitoring tools to track individual employee activity on company-issued laptops. The IT giant said the purpose of the tools is to monitor the overall
2 days ago
Walmart stock falls 9% as retailer finally brings Apple Pay, Google Pay Walmart stock fell 9% after earnings despite beating estimates and raising guidance. The retailer will add Apple Pay and Google Pay Tap to Pay from August 24. Updated on: Aug 21, 2026
2 days ago
TikTok has agreed to pay $400m (£293m) to the US to end a lawsuit alleging its platform violated children‘s privacy, marking one of the largest ever settlements over the issue. The deal stems from a 2024 suit by the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden alleging TikTok and its
2 days ago
What’s next for Nvidia after the AI chip boom? Wall Street wants more—here’s what investors need to know Nvidia stock faces high expectations ahead of August 26 earnings as Wall Street watches AI growth, valuation, open-source models and Nvidia's next big story. Updated on: Aug 22, 2026
2 days ago
Costco dividend rises: Why a $10,000 investment pays only $61 yearly A $10,000 Costco investment earns only about $61 a year in regular dividends. Here’s why investors still buy COST for growth and special dividends. Updated on: Aug 20, 2026
3 days ago
Leaving education, getting a job, buying a home and perhaps starting a family: the path previous generations followed may seem a distant dream to many now. But is it getting a bit easier - at least when it comes to getting on the housing ladder? Today's prospective first-time buyers may well feel
3 days ago
Nearly six months after US President Donald Trump vowed a swift victory over Iran, the conflict appears to be at a standstill, with prospects of a military victory or negotiated settlement growing dimmer. To break the deadlock, Trump has vowed an "economic D-Day" under which any country that does
3 days ago
Why US stocks fell today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq drop as oil and bond yields rise US stocks fell as oil prices and Treasury yields rose. Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped as Trump's Iran threat, Walmart and the bond market hit Wall Street. Published on: Aug 20, 2026
3 days ago
Crypto stocks surge as Trump backs Clarity Act: Coinbase, Circle, miners rise Crypto stocks surge as Trump backs the Clarity Act. Coinbase, Circle, Bitcoin miners and other crypto shares rise as investors expect clearer US crypto rules. Updated on: Aug 20, 2026
4 days ago
Stock Market Today, August 20: The domestic equity market snapped its seven-day losing streak and ended sharply higher on Thursday, August 20, as broad-based buying lifted sentiment across sectors after the US Treasury stepped in to contain the surge in global bond yields
4 days ago
The Reserve Bank of India RBI has accorded its approval to Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for acquiring an aggregate holding of up to 9.99% of the paid-up share capital or voting rights in HDFC Bank Ltd., the bank said in a filing with the exchanges on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) night
4 days ago
Customers have shared their outrage after an app used by many businesses to track timesheets and produce invoices hiked bills by as much as 1500%, with one person calling it "daylight robbery". Richard Haldenby, head of UK consultancy firm Salentis
4 days ago
Bitcoin Price Today, August 20: Bitcoin surged to the $70,000 mark on Thursday, recording one of its sharpest gains in recent months as a combination of lower US Treasury yields, a weaker dollar, strong institutional demand and large-scale short liquidations pushed the broader cryptocurrency market
4 days ago
US President Donald Trump has said he will launch tougher economic measures against Iran, as well as any country and that helps or does business with the country. He wrote in all capital letters on Truth Social that he was launching "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any
4 days ago
The domestic equity markets were trading firmly higher on Thursday, August 20, with buying visible across large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks. The gains strengthened through the session, with the benchmark Sensex rising more than 600 points by 1:20 pm
4 days ago
U.S. President Donald Trump will host cryptocurrency executives at the White House on Wednesday as U.S. financial regulators this week prepare to advance their framework for certain digital assets. Trump, who has earned more than $1.4 billion from his family’s crypto ventures
4 days ago
Telecom inflation, chargers and the number 45, and Small Talk ASL app Beyond the regular noise, a closer look at personal technology. 20 August 2026. Published on: Aug 20, 2026, 08:00:58 IST By Vishal Mathur Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Opening thoughts. Josh Staub
4 days ago
