what happened to the markets today

Today, U.S. stock markets experienced a significant downturn driven primarily by renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell approximately 879 points or 1.9%, the S&P 500 dropped around 2.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined by about 3.6%, marking their worst one-day percentage losses since April 2025. The sell-off was largely triggered by President Trump's announcements of a "massive increase" in tariffs on Chinese imports and potential export controls on software, which reignited fears of an escalating trade war and disruptions to global supply chains. This led to sharp declines across technology and high-growth stocks, while defensive sectors performed relatively better as investors sought safer assets. Overall, this market reaction reflects heightened investor anxiety over geopolitical risks and potential negative impacts on corporate earnings and economic growth.