US stocks unperturbed by Trump's tax comments at the open

Moody’s Mark Zandi warns March payrolls overstate labour strength, with job growth weak outside healthcare. His VCI indicator suggests hidden slack and has already triggered a recession signal, keeping downturn risks near 50%.

NZ manufacturing PMI eased to 53.2 in March but remained in expansion. However, negative sentiment surged to 62% as the Iran war and global risks weighed on outlook, signalling solid Q1 growth but rising headwinds ahead.

EXPE drops 3.9% on $1B note offering; down 18.3% YTD, but 5-yr return is 32%.

A planned Senate hearing for Fed nominee Kevin Warsh has been shelved due to missing paperwork, delaying the confirmation timeline and suggesting Jerome Powell is likely to remain in place for now, reinforcing near-term policy continuity.

Meta pulls ads amid lawsuits; $6M & $375M verdicts highlight risks for tech giants.

STZ beats Q1 estimates, but weak guidance & sales drop. Stock jumps 6.9% on headline beats.

TPB stock jumps 10% on TKO marketing deal; financial terms undisclosed, but potential for growth is high.