Stocks plunged across the world early this week as recession fears caused turmoil throughout the global markets.
Japanese stocks fell Monday, with the Nikkei 225 index closing lower by more than 12% – 4,451.28 points – in its worst day since 1987.
A weak jobs report in the US and shrinking manufacturing activity, coupled with dismal forecasts from the big technology firms, pushed the Nasdaq 100 and Nasdaq Composite into a correction last week. On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1,033.99 points, or 2.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 fell 3.43% and 3%, respectively. The Dow and S&P 500 closed out their worst day since September 2022.
Cryptocurrencies also plunged Monday, with the price of bitcoin falling 17.5% to $50,239 a coin on Monday morning. The price of ethereum slid 23% to $2,230 apiece.
Political observers and economists point to inflation in the US caused by President Joe Biden's domestic policies, and his mishandling of the Russia-Ukraine and Israeli-Gaza conflicts.
Other critics point to markets' fears over the potential election of far-left US vice president Kamala Harris who is running against former president Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential elections.
"While Friday’s employment report was disappointing, it wasn’t the only worrisome economic indicator, only the latest," said Greg McBride, Bankrate's chief financial analyst. "Couple economic concerns with the cacophony of earnings disappointments and weak corporate outlooks, global unrest, and currency gyrations, and you have the recipe for sudden volatility."