By Gokhan Ergocun
ISTANBUL (AA) - US stocks ended mixed Monday as uncertainties surrounding President Donald Trump’s economic policies continued to influence investor sentiment, particularly tariffs.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.04%, or 19.12 points, to close at 44,323.07.
The Nasdaq Composite inched up 0.38%, or 78.52 points, to 20,974.17, and the S&P 500 rose 0.14%, or 8.81 points, to 6,305.60.
The VIX Index, also known as the “fear index," rose 1.46% to 16.65.
Investors are awaiting the release of financial statements from several major technology companies this week, while stock markets have been trending positively.
Financial results to be released Wednesday by companies such as Alphabet, Tesla and IBM could be decisive for the direction of the markets.
Pointing to the approaching Aug. 1 deadline for the implementation of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, analysts noted that continuing uncertainty over US tariffs was causing risk perceptions to rise in the markets.
Trump responded Sunday to reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had tried to dissuade him from his plan to remove Fed Chairman Jerome Powell from office.
He denied reports that Bessent had told him that removing Powell would be bad for the market, saying "nobody had to explain that to me. I know better than anybody what's good for the market and what's good for the USA."
Bessent also noted in a television broadcast Monday that the Fed's success as an institution should be examined.
Additionally, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing that Trump has no plans to fire Powell but is not satisfied with him, emphasizing that interest rates need to be lowered.
Leavitt noted that tariff letters could be sent to other countries before Aug. 1.