U.S. stocks enter new week with sharp across-the-board losses

NEW YORK, New York - Monday's trading session saw U.S. equities pull back across the board, as mounting concerns about economic growth and mixed earnings guidance took their toll.

The Standard and Poor's 500 (^GSPC) finished at 5,906.94, declining 63.90 points, or 1.07 percent, on a hefty volume of 1.884 billion shares. Analysts attributed the drop to cautious sentiment ahead of key data releases, as well as some high-profile earnings misses.

Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) shed 418.48 points to settle at 42,573.73, representing a loss of 0.97 percent. The blue-chip index saw volume of 378.293 million shares changing hands, as investors rotated away from cyclical names in favor of safer assets.

Tech-heavy stocks extended their recent retreat, with the NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC) tumbling 235.25 points, or 1.19 percent, to 19,486.79. Trading volume on the NASDAQ reached 7.683 billion shares, as market participants continued to reassess valuations in light of higher interest rates and global uncertainty.

Looking ahead, investors will keep an eye on upcoming corporate earnings and macroeconomic indicators to determine whether Monday's selloff is a short-lived blip or the start of a deeper pullback.

Global Currency Markets Mixed on Monday, Japanese Yen Gains Ground

Monday's foreign exchange trading delivered a varied performance across the major currency pairs, as investors sifted through economic data and central bank signals for direction. While the US dollar weakened against several currencies, it gained ground on others, underscoring a cautious sentiment among market participants.

The euro lost steam against the greenback, with the EURUSD pair slipping to 1.0400, marking a decline of 0.19 percent on the day. Traders pointed to concerns about Europe's growth outlook as a factor weighing on the single currency.

Meanwhile, the US dollar retreated versus the Japanese yen, as USDJPY drifted lower to 156.82 for a drop of 0.62 percent. Analysts noted that the yen found support from safe-haven flows, especially amid heightened market volatility.

In commodity-linked currencies, the Canadian dollar strengthened, pushing USDCAD to 1.4351, down 0.40 percent. By contrast, the greenback managed to edge higher against the Swiss franc, with USDCHF rising to 0.9035, up 0.26 percent, on the back of steady demand for US assets.

Looking to the British pound, GBPUSD descended to 1.2547, a fall of 0.18 percent, as investors grew wary of ongoing economic challenges in the UK. In contrast, the Australian and New Zealand dollars both advanced against the US dollar. The AUDUSD pair climbed to 0.6221, adding 0.16 percent, while the NZDUSD pair reached 0.5639, up 0.28 percent, spurred by improved risk sentiment toward Asia-Pacific markets.

Overall, the day's currency action suggests a market that remains finely balanced between diverging economic data, shifting monetary policies, and fluctuations in global risk appetite. Investors will be monitoring upcoming reports and central bank announcements to gauge whether Monday's mixed trend in the foreign exchange market continues in the days ahead.

Sellers take charge in Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa

Global stock markets were mostly under pressure on Monday, with a wave of caution evident across major European and Asian indices. Despite some bright spots in Asia, the overarching tone remained one of risk aversion. Here's a detailed look at how various markets performed around the world, along with currency movements that shaped sentiment.

North of the U.S. border, the S&P/TSX Composite (^GSPTSE) followed the glovbal downtrend. It ended the session at 24,620.59, off by 175.81 points, or 0.71 percent, with total volume at 201.41 million shares. Canadian energy and financial sectors registered particularly notable declines, tracking global risk-off sentiment.

London's FTSE 100 ended at 8,121.01, losing 28.77 points to settle 0.35 percent lower.

In Germany, the DAX, often seen as a bellwether for Europe's largest economy, fell 75.18 points to 19,909.14 for a drop of 0.38 percent.

Meanwhile, France's CAC 40 followed suit, finishing at 7,313.56 after giving back 41.81 points (a decline of 0.57 percent).

The broader Euro Stoxx 50 slid 29.60 points to 4,869.28, down 0.60 percent, as investors fretted about renewed cost pressures in the energy and commodity spaces.

Elsewhere in the region, the Euronext 100 Index closed 0.49 percent in the red, landing at 1,443.21 after losing 7.06 points.

Belgium's BEL 20 fared even worse: it shed 38.23 points, closing at 4,225.99 and recording a 0.90 percent dip.

Looking to Asia-Pacific, in Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index slipped 49.04 points to 20,041.42, off by 0.24 percent, as tech stocks remained volatile.

Mainland China's SSE Composite Index notched a modest 0.21 percent gain, adding 7.18 points to settle at 3,407.33, thanks to selective buying in consumer and technology stocks. However, in Japan the Nikkei 225 saw a more pronounced downturn, falling 386.62 points to 39,894.54, or 0.96 percent lower, as a stronger yen put pressure on export-heavy sectors.

By contrast, Singapore's STI Index recorded a gain of 24.10 points, rising 0.64 percent to close at 3,795.73.

In India the S&P BSE Sensex retreated 450.94 points to 78,248.13, marking a 0.57 percent decrease, while Indonesia's IDX Composite climbed 43.33 points to 7,079.90 for a 0.62 percent advance, helped by strong banking stocks.

In Malaysia the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 0.59 percent to end at 1,637.68, benefiting from foreign inflows into consumer and financial names.

South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index dipped 5.28 points to 2,399.49 for a 0.22 percent drop, weighed by concerns over the semiconductor cycle.

In Taiwan the TWSE slipped 85.48 points (a 0.37 percent retreat) to finish at 23,190.20 amid weaker global electronics demand.

In the Oceania region, in Australia the S&P/ASX 200 settled at 8,235.00 (down 26.80 points, or 0.32 percent), with the broader All Ordinaries also slipping 24.10 points to finish at 8,496.00 (a 0.28 percent decline).

Over in New Zealand, the S&P/NZX 50 Index Gross gained 64.91 points (up 0.49 percent) to close at 13,270.01, supported by health care and utilities.

In the Middle East, the Egyptian EGX 30 Price Return Index extended its recent string of losses, retreating by 269.30 points to stand at 29,325.20-down 0.91 percent.

Israel's TA-125 declined 0.17 percent to 2,396.06, navigating both international volatility and local geopolitical uncertainties.

In South Africa, the Top 40 USD Net TRI Index endured one of the steepest declines among global benchmarks, dropping 67.92 points to finish at 4,319.05 for a fall of 1.55 percent, weighed down by ongoing weakness in mining and broader concerns about global risk appetite.

All told, Monday's trading session served as a reminder of the market's fragility in the face of shifting global demand, currency volatility, and ongoing geopolitical challenges. Investors now turn their focus to upcoming economic data and central bank commentary, which may set the tone for the rest of the week-and possibly beyond.