what happened to the market today

Today, October 11, 2025, the U.S. stock market experienced significant declines across major indices due to escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped roughly 878 points (-1.9%), the Nasdaq Composite fell about 3.6%, and the S&P 500 declined around 2.7%. These declines were triggered by President Trump's renewed threats of imposing substantial tariffs on Chinese imports and announcements of export controls on key software, which rattled investor sentiment and amplified fears of a worsening trade war. This sell-off erased weekly gains and was the worst day for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq since April, with tech stocks especially hard hit. Investor concerns were heightened by China’s recent export restrictions on rare earth materials and American officials' trade disputes, which threatened global supply chains and corporate earnings prospects. Defensive sectors showed some relative strength as investors sought safer assets amid growing uncertainty. Overall, the market turmoil was directly linked to trade policy risks reignited by President Trump's social media posts and trade actions, overshadowing previous optimism around AI demand and corporate earnings.