CNBC Daily Open: Investors soothed by cooler-than-expected inflation in February, even as Trump’s trade war escalates

CNBC will be hosting "CONVERGE LIVE," an inaugural thought leadership event on March 12-13, 2025, in Singapore, where global business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and key decision-makers will discuss what it means to innovate and grow by collaborating and sharing ideas across industries.

Viewers can watch the live stream of the event and hear from speakers including Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Kim Yong Gan, Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai, Bridgewater Associates Founder Ray Dalio, and Salesforce CEO, chair, and co-founder Marc Benioff and others here .

A softer-than-expected U.S. inflation report provided some comfort to investors, who have been thrown into disarray by the constantly changing trade policy announcements from the White House. If inflation continues trending downward, it also gives the U.S. Federal Reserve room to cut interest rates should the economy looks like it's starting to tip over.

Most analysts are not forecasting a recession for now, though the chances of one happening in the U.S. are higher compared with estimates from last year, as Alec Kersman, managing director and head of Asia-Pacific at Pimco, noted at CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE in Singapore.

That said, U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., regardless of their country of origin, just kicked in Wednesday. Trade partners have already responded in kind. Such levies could put brakes on the global economy — or reshape it into one where the U.S. no longer occupies the center.  

Highlights of CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE
CNBC is hosting CONVERGE LIVE in Singapore on Wednesday and Thursday. Highlights of Day 2 so far include former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron saying that Trump's approach to peace in