Trending: Soybean Prices Whipsaw on Trade War Fears
April 12, 2018 at 08:00 AM EDT
China retaliated by floating a 25% levy on U.S. soybean imports, sending the commodity’s price plunging and gearing up for a high-stakes clash between the two countries. While soybeans ranked first on the list, it also caused Brazil to enter the podium due to its position as the second-largest soybean producer in the world and also a potential beneficiary of the trade spat between the U.S. and China. Homebuilders came in third as new home orders surged amid a strong housing demand that benefits from low unemployment and rising wages. Volatility continued to be of interest as markets ebb and flow amid global political uncertainty, while small-cap value equities are appealing to investors who just got out of the big names.