Fears over the future health of the economy continued to rattle markets around the world, as investors tried to puzzle through President Trump’s commitment to tariffs in spite of the potential fallout his policies could have for inflation, consumer spending and overall growth.

After the S&P 500 suffered its worst day of the year on Monday, stocks were mixed on Tuesday. European markets found their feet and an initial sell-off in Asia moderated. Futures for U.S. markets were up about half a percent in the hours before official trading begins in New York.

Indexes in France and Germany rose, and the euro gained on the dollar. Investors were buoyed by signs that European governments were poised to significantly increase spending on defense, as Mr. Trump has signaled waning U.S. support for security in Europe.

Earlier, Asia markets fell sharply before recovering some losses later in the day. Indexes in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan finished more than 1 percent lower, weighed down by declines in technology stocks. Equity markets in China edged higher.

The big technology companies that dragged down U.S. indexes on Monday were mixed in premarket trading.

Tesla, which posted its worst decline in years on Monday, regained some ground. Mr. Trump took note of the market turmoil, expressing confidence in Elon Musk, the automaker’s chief executive and a key White House adviser, on social media. He pledged to buy “a brand new Tesla” on Tuesday morning.

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