Good Morning!
Markets are messy, headlines are hysterical, and somewhere in the middle of it all is an opportunity, or a trap. This week, Trump fired off a fresh round of tariffs, Wall Street threw a tantrum, and $2 trillion vanished like a bad magic trick. Gold’s glowing, Powell’s pacing, and oil’s bleeding.
Oh, and if you’re waiting on politicians to move… even Pelosi’s quiet this week (I checked).
Let’s get into it 👇
2nd April, 2025
S&P 500 Wipes Out $2 Trillion as Trump Says Tariff Response Is “Going Very Well”
Nasdaq Plunges 6% in Worst Day Since the Pandemic. Here Are the Biggest Tech Losers.
Apple Stock Tumbles 8% as Trump’s Tariffs Set to Hurt Supply Chain from China
Fed up of reading bad news? Here’s some Capybaras at a spa.
Bitcoin Oddly Steady Near $83,000 as Tariff Onslaught Breaks Stock Markets
Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao to advise Kyrgyzstan on blockchain tech
US Dollar Sinks Over 2% Against Japanese Yen as Tariffs Throw FX in Limbo
Euro Powers Up After Traders Ditch Tariff-Battered Dollar. Exchange Rate Eyes $1.10
Consumer electronics may have dodged the tariff bullet, but one smart home disruptor isn’t waiting for luck.
They’ve strategically secured production outside China, staying ahead of the global manufacturing shift.
That’s exactly how this company has hit 200% year-over-year growth while expanding into over 120 major retail locations.
Their smart shade technology is reshaping home automation, protected by patents and backed by powerful retail partnerships.
Smart investors spot the pattern: companies that turn global challenges into strategic wins often deliver the biggest returns.
At just $1.90 per share, you’re looking at a company that’s not just prepared for supply chain shifts — it’s already capitalizing on them.
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📅 FRI.
Greenbrier (GBX)
While this week was uneventful on the trading front for these politicians, it's worth noting that Josh Gottheimer and Markwayne Mullin have been among the more active traders in recent months.
Gottheimer, for instance, has reported 44 trades in the last 60 days, with a total transaction value of approximately $3 million. Mullin has also been active, with 13 trades totaling around $175,000 in the same period.
I'll continue to monitor and report on any notable trading activities in the coming weeks. 🫡
Markets are still reeling from Trump’s tariff bombshell. U.S. stock futures are down again this morning, trying to recover from Wall Street’s ugliest day in five years. If yesterday felt like a crash, it’s because it kind of was.
📌 Quick Recap:
Dow futures down 0.6%, S&P 500 off 0.5%, Nasdaq 0.4% lower as of early Friday morning
The Dow dropped nearly 1,700 points on Thursday. That’s a full 4% gut-punch
Nasdaq collapsed nearly 6%, and the S&P 500 got dragged into correction territory, falling 4.8%
This week alone? Worst performance for Nasdaq and S&P since September 2024
💥 Why the panic? Trump’s back on the trade war wagon. A 10% baseline tariff on imports from every country, effective April 5, has investors eyeing the exits.
And if you’re wondering how bad this could get: JPMorgan now sees a 60% chance of global recession if this plan sticks around (Investing.com).
Good times.
Don’t panic!
Today’s March jobs report might offer a glimmer of economic sanity, or throw more gas on the fire. Expectations are... let's call them cautious.
📌 What to Watch:
Forecast: 137,000 jobs added in March, down from 151K in February, and well below the 6-month average of 190K
Unemployment rate seen holding steady at 4.1%
Labor market uncertainty is real, thanks to mass public-sector layoffs and businesses hitting pause on hiring amid the trade chaos
Earlier this week, job openings dipped while private employers actually surprised to the upside (Investing.com). But don’t get too excited, one report doesn’t make a trend.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell is due to speak later today, and let’s just say he’s got his hands full.
📌 Setting the Stage:
The Fed held rates steady in March at 4.25%-4.50%, citing, you guessed it, uncertainty
With inflation bubbling and growth under siege, Powell is threading the tightest of needles
Markets are now pricing in 100bps of rate cuts this year… and Citi’s betting on even more if tariffs stick around
Citi’s latest note? Expect 125bps in cuts, and a Fed that leans “dovish” to protect jobs (Investing.com)
Bottom line: Powell’s tone today could move markets. Buckle up.
If there’s one clear winner from all this economic drama, it’s gold. The shiny stuff dipped slightly today, but it’s still racking up gains.
📌 Golden Nuggets:
Spot gold at $3,115.75/oz, down just 0.2% after setting a new high of $3,168.04 on Thursday
On track for a fifth straight weekly gain
Ed Yardeni says we could see $4,000/oz by year-end if the tariff saga drags on (Investing.com)
HSBC just raised its 2025 forecast to $3,015/oz, and 2026 to $2,915/oz
Geopolitics, inflation, and general financial freak-outs are sending investors sprinting to the safe haven.
Meanwhile, oil is feeling the pain. Like, worst week in months kind of pain.
📌 Black Gold Breakdown:
Brent and WTI both plunged more than 6% on Thursday
Brent is on track for its biggest weekly percentage loss since October, WTI since January
OPEC+ is planning to ramp up production because why not kick oil while it's down?
Goldman Sachs is slashing expectations: Brent to average $69 in 2025, WTI at $66 (Investing.com)
If you're looking for upside here… maybe don’t.
Markets are caught in a blender of trade chaos, recession risk, and a Fed with no good options. If you're feeling a little seasick watching your portfolio bounce around, you're not alone.
But hey, that's why we stay tactical, stay informed, and most importantly, stay frosty.
Catch you next week.
Stay ahead, stay informed, and most importantly, stay profitable.
‘til next time,
TradingLab