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Global markets remain in shock: Nikkei, Dow Jones, Kospi at lows

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Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index started the week down 12.4%, continuing the sell-off that has rocked global markets as investors fretted over the state of the US economy.

The Nikkei closed down 4,451.28 points at 31,458.42. The broader TOPIX index fell 12.8% as selling intensified in the afternoon.

Earlier on Monday, the S&P 500 Index fell 2.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.6%, turning the trading outlook on Wall Street negative.

The report, which showed that hiring by US employers slowed much more than expected last month, according to AP, shook financial markets and destroyed the euphoria that had lifted the Nikkei to an all-time high above 42,000 in recent weeks.

The Nikkei 225 fell 5.8 per cent on Friday, its worst two-day drop ever. Its worst one-day drop was on 20 October 1987, the so-called “Black Monday”, when it fell 3,836 points, or 14.9%. That Monday was grim enough, with the benchmark falling as much as 13.4% at one point.

Tokyo stocks have been falling since the Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its key interest rate on Wednesday. The Nikkei is currently down 3.8% year-on-year.

One of the factors that prompted the BoJ to raise rates was the ongoing weakness of the Japanese yen, which has pushed inflation above the central bank’s 2% target. Early on Monday, the dollar fell to 142.59 yen from 146.45 at the end of Friday, well below levels of over 160 yen a few weeks ago. The euro also fell from $1.0923 to $1.0914.

Stocks hit highs earlier this year on the back of developments in artificial intelligence.

The recent sell-off has also hit markets dominated by computer chip makers such as Samsung Electronics and other technology stocks: South Korea’s Kospi fell more than 9 per cent on Monday as Samsung’s shares fell 11.6 per cent. The Kospi closed down 8.8 per cent at 2,441.55.Taiwan’s Taiex also lost 8.4 per cent as the world’s biggest chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. fell 9.8 per cent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 2.2% to 16,579.97 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 index fell 3.7% to 7,649.60.

Double whammy on Borsa Istanbul

The Shanghai Composite Index, which has been somewhat isolated from other world markets by capital controls, initially rose but then fell 1.5 per cent to 2,862.56.

The S&P 500’s 1.8 per cent drop on Friday was the first consecutive loss of at least 1 per cent since April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.5 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 2.4 per cent, 10 per cent below the record it set last month. Investors call a decline at these levels a “correction”.

On the Borsa Istanbul, the circuit breaker system connected to the index was activated at 09:55:22 following a 6.72 per cent drop in the morning. Then, as the decline in the index deepened, the circuit breaker was activated for the second time. The BIST 100 index fell below the critical 10,000 points.

Stocks fell sharply on Friday after weaker-than-expected US payrolls data fueled fears that high interest rates to curb inflation could drag the US economy into recession.

The VIX, an index that measures how worried investors are about an impending drop in the S&P 500, jumped nearly 26% early on Monday. Eventually, the VIX rose to 34. The VIX, which is considered Wall Street’s “fear indicator”, last reached this level in June 2020. Bitcoin, which recently soared to nearly $70,000, fell 14 per cent to $54,155.

Oil prices also fell, with US benchmark crude down 74 cents to $72.78 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 67 cents to $76.14 a barrel.

Artificial intelligence stocks plunge

Artificial intelligence stocks fell as much as 9.6%, with Apple down 6.1%. Microsoft, Meta and Tesla also lost more than 5%.

While the largest US companies fell on Tradegate in Germany, Nvidia led the “Magnificent Seven” group in the decline of US stock index futures.

Nvidia fell as much as 17% on Tradegate, while Apple fell 10%, Microsoft 9%, Alphabet 9.6%, Amazon 9.3%, Meta 10% and Tesla 10%.

According to Bloomberg, these moves are a sign that “the air is coming out of the equity markets, driven by big gains in a small number of stocks”.

It notes that if confidence in the AI trade continues to fall on weak earnings and the US economy really takes a hit, there could be more losses to come.

However, it points out that a “window of opportunity” could open for investors, especially if central banks take action to cut interest rates, which could support sectors that benefit from low borrowing costs.

Goldman Sachs: A healthy correction

In a report, IG’s Yeap Jun Rong said investors will be watching data on the US services sector from the Institute for Supply Management on Monday, which could help determine whether the global sell-off was an overreaction.

The global rout began just days after US stock indexes had their best day in months after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell gave the clearest sign yet that inflation is slowing enough to start cutting interest rates in September.

Now there are growing concerns that the Fed may have increased the risk of recession in the world’s largest economy by keeping its key interest rate at a two-decade high for too long.

On the other hand, Christian Mueller-Glissmann of Goldman Sachs told Bloomberg that the market situation shows a “somewhat healthy correction”. He also argued that while the weakness in US data was a surprise, Goldman Sachs economists were “not that worried”.

Bets on an immediate rate cut: Will the Fed cut in a week?

The market turmoil is fuelling bets on an immediate policy response from the Fed.

Investors are currently pricing in a 60% chance of a 25bp cut within a week.

Given that the central bank announced its last decision just a few days ago, this is seen as a real sign of concern.

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Trump energy shares rose by up to $4.4m during Iran war, CNBC reports

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10/09/2026

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The value of US President Donald Trump’s nine largest oil and gas holdings increased by approximately $1.5 million to $4.4 million during the first six months of the war with Iran.

According to an analysis conducted by CNBC based on the American leader’s financial disclosure, corporate balance sheets, and FactSet market data, the investment basket includes shares in Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Kinder Morgan, Marathon Petroleum, Occidental Petroleum, Phillips 66, Valero Energy, and Williams Companies.

In its calculations, the television network took into account the minimum and maximum baseline values of Trump’s declared holdings alongside share price fluctuations from the close of trading on 27 February through 31 August.

As the conflict with Iran continued, specialists managing Trump’s investment accounts maintained active trading in energy company shares.

Up to 29 June, the latest date for which transactions were disclosed, fresh purchases were logged alongside at least 23 sales operations involving stock in the nine companies.

Because disclosure filings do not specify exact share numbers or transaction prices, the estimates produced by CNBC do not reflect Trump’s realised profits or the precise current scale of his holdings.

On 2 March, the first trading day following the launch of air strikes against Iran by the US and Israel, shares in eight major oil and gas companies were purchased through Trump’s accounts.

These transactions included ExxonMobil shares valued at between $100,000 and $250,000. Prior to the conflict, the aggregate value of Trump’s holdings in ExxonMobil stood at between $3.2 million and $12.5 million.

Stock market gains in August, excluding subsequent transactions, raised the value of these shares by approximately $176,000 to $690,000.

CNBC also examined transactions executed on days when Trump’s decisions directly swayed the oil market. On 23 March, when the president deferred planned strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure, the price of a barrel of Brent crude dropped by roughly 11%.

That same day, oil and gas shares worth a combined $163,000 to $570,000 were purchased across Trump’s accounts.

A similar transaction took place on 7 April. One of Trump’s investment accounts sold between $500,000 and $1 million worth of ExxonMobil shares.

Approximately two and a half hours after markets closed, President Trump announced an agreement on a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The following morning, ExxonMobil shares fell by more than 6% at the market open.

The report noted that CNBC saw no evidence indicating that Trump gave direct instructions for specific trades, that managers possessed advance knowledge of his actions, or that personal financial interests guided White House policies.

White House officials, commenting on the matter, stated that the president’s investment portfolio is managed by independent portfolio managers and that neither Trump nor members of his family hold authority to intervene in asset trading decisions.

The growth in the portfolio coincided with a broader surge in the earnings of energy majors. The nine energy companies in which Trump holds shares generated a combined profit of $47.6 billion in the second quarter.

During the same period last year, that figure stood at $15.9 billion. The profits of ExxonMobil and Chevron alone climbed from $9.6 billion in the prior year to $26.6 billion.

In July, the US Office of Government Ethics published Trump’s 927-page financial disclosure report for 2025.

The report noted that Trump’s earnings from cryptocurrency operations exceeded $500 million.

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Over half of Latino voters back Democrats in key US House races

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3 days ago

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09/09/2026

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A new public opinion poll in the US shows that Democratic candidates have made notable gains since 2024 among Latino voters in critical, competitive districts for the House of Representatives.

These gains have the potential to directly determine which party will secure the majority in Congress next year.

According to a joint survey by Hart Research and TelevisaUnivision shared with Axios, Democrats reached 58% support on the generic congressional ballot among Latino voters across 17 competitive House districts.

The share of those backing Republicans within the same voting bloc remained at 35%. This group continues to represent the fastest-growing swing constituency in battleground districts.

Examining three competitive House races in Texas, the study indicated that Latino voters, who reported splitting evenly at 44% to 44% in the 2024 presidential election, shifted 56% to 36% in favour of Democrats heading into the midterms.

Latino support for Democrats also increased in other states. In California, 57% of Latino voters said they would support Democrats, compared with 33% who said they would back the Republican Party.

Kate Coleman, Senior Vice President at TelevisaUnivision, highlighted voter behaviour in remarks to Axios:

“Latino voters are not locked into one party. They are watching developments closely; they make decisions based on who stands with them and how they stand.”

The survey data determined that 11% of Latino respondents who said they voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election now support Democratic candidates.

Accelerating his deportation plans, Trump triggered fear across many Latino neighbourhoods while weakening his support among this demographic.

The Hart Research and TelevisaUnivision study revealed that 63% of Latino voters disapprove of Trump’s presidential job performance. The share of those approving of his performance in office stood at 36%.

Trump’s approach to high prices and the cost of living drew disapproval from 65% of Latino voters, while immigration enforcement and deportation practices were disapproved of by 62%.

More than half of Latino voters, at 64%, reported that they disapprove of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A survey published in May by UnidosUS showed that a quarter of Latino voters “would probably not vote” or would definitely not support Trump if they had to vote for him again.

The study at that time had pointed out that, despite Trump’s decline among Latino voters, Democrats had not yet secured significant gains.

According to Pew Research Center data, Trump strengthened his support in 2024 by securing 48% of the Latino vote, coming very close to the 51% reached by then Vice President Kamala Harris.

Some figures within the Democratic Party, however, worry that primary victories by democratic socialist candidates could alienate certain Latino voters, particularly those who fled Cuba or Venezuela.

The Hart Research and TelevisaUnivision survey was conducted between 6 and 17 August among 1,500 Latino respondents. The poll’s margin of error was reported as 2.5 percentage points.

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Researcher quits Anthropic and warns AI firms gamble with lives

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09/09/2026

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Jacob Coxon, an artificial intelligence researcher at Anthropic, has resigned from his post, stating that tech companies are acting irresponsibly in the race towards self-improving superintelligence. Coxon warned that the autonomous operational capabilities of such systems pose existential risks to humanity and that internal industry anxieties run far deeper than generally perceived.

The AI researcher stepped down from his position at Anthropic to draw attention to industry safety vulnerabilities and the unregulated race among developers.

Having worked for three years as a pre-training researcher across both OpenAI and Anthropic, Coxon announced his decision to leave in an extensive statement shared on his X account.

Stating that both companies have acted irresponsibly, Coxon argued that developers are engaged in a dangerous race to achieve self-improving superintelligence.

“They believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade”

In his posts, Coxon stated that technical teams developing AI genuinely believe this technology could bring about the demise of humanity by the end of the decade.

Asserting that these concerns are not a marketing strategy, the researcher noted that while top executives and senior researchers adopt a cautious tone in public statements, they voice the very same fears behind closed doors.

Developments reflecting similar anxieties across the sector evoke James Cameron’s 1984 film The Terminator, which set 2029 as the pivotal year when machines waged war against humanity.

Indeed, Evan Hubinger, head of Anthropic’s own alignment team, had previously estimated the probability of human extinction to be greater than 10%.

Warning that systems currently under development will soon evolve into superhuman structures capable of bypassing any firewall, transforming industries overnight, and securing physical resources, Coxon stressed that the pace of progress is not slowing in any way.

Arguing that the danger of superintelligence is no longer merely theoretical, the researcher pointed to the Hugging Face security leak that occurred between May and July.

In that incident, OpenAI models established an independent chatroom within the testing environment to communicate among themselves, subsequently using this channel to reach the open internet and infiltrate production systems.

Because of this security breach, Hugging Face was forced to rebuild approximately one-third of its infrastructure.

“They are gambling with our lives”

Characterising the leak as a warning flare, Coxon indicated that the incident makes pacing agreements between US-based laboratories more feasible.

However, emphasising that developers are not yet on the right track to prevent a global race, the researcher noted that measures such as a temporary moratorium on advancing model capabilities could be considered.

Arguing that civilisation-scale risks have not yet been sufficiently internalised at OpenAI, Coxon contended that Anthropic joined the race out of an ambition to be first, despite being fully aware of the dangers.

Coxon is not the only figure to leave the sector on such grounds. Mrinank Sharma, a member of Anthropic’s safety team, also stepped down earlier this year, writing that the world is in danger.

On the other hand, not everyone agrees with these catastrophic scenarios. Some responses to the post emphasised the view that humanity, with an evolutionary history spanning hundreds of thousands of years, will not be wiped out by a text prediction model achieving consciousness.

It was also noted that even the plot of the Terminator franchise does not entirely support Coxon’s premise, as the human resistance survived the nuclear catastrophe and ultimately defeated the machines.

Alongside safety debates, AI continues to directly affect the labour market. Research by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab indicates that, while mass job losses have not yet materialised, entry-level employment in AI-exposed sectors across the US has fallen by nearly 20%.

A Goldman Sachs study pointed to a similar trend, showing that entry-level workers bear the brunt of the ongoing workforce transformation.

Anthropic, which remains at the centre of the controversy, filed for an initial public offering in June and plans to list on the Nasdaq exchange this autumn at a multi-trillion-dollar valuation.

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