United States: The S&P 500 experienced its biggest weekly drop in 18 months due to economic slowdown concerns.

Technology stocks like NVIDIA led the decline, partly due to rumours of antitrust investigations.

Economic reports showed weaker manufacturing and job market data, including fewer job openings.

Slower payroll growth raised concerns that the Federal Reserve delayed easing monetary policy.

Europe: European stock markets dropped due to fears of slower global economic growth, with the STOXX 600 falling 3.5%, and major indexes in France, Germany, Italy, and the UK also down.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is likely to cut interest rates in September, but views are mixed on further cuts, with some policymakers urging caution due to inflation risks.

German factory orders rose 2.9% in July, but industrial production fell by 2.4%, driven by weakness in the automotive sector.

Economic forecasts for Germany were lowered, with predictions of stagnation or a slight contraction in the economy this year.

Asia: Japan’s stock markets declined, with the Nikkei 225 down 5.8% and the TOPIX Index down 4.2%, driven by semiconductor sell-offs and a stronger yen affecting exports.

The yen strengthened against the dollar due to expectations of narrowing Japan-U.S. interest rate differences, with predictions of a Bank of Japan rate hike.

Japanese government bond yields dropped as investors sought safer assets despite wage growth, with the 10-year JGB yield falling from 0.90% to 0.86%.

In China, stock markets fell as weak corporate earnings and economic data persisted, with new home sales continuing to decline, raising expectations for further government support.