empty
27.03.2025 09:13 AM
Market picks wrong favorite

The higher the climb, the harder the fall. The S&P 500 tumbled in response to Donald Trump's announcement of 25% tariffs on automobiles. There will be no exceptions, although countries included in the North American Free Trade Agreement will receive preferential treatment for auto parts exports to the US. Europe and Japan are threatening retaliation, and fear has returned to equity markets.

Some of the most heavily sold stocks were names from the Magnificent Seven, which are now set to face their worst quarter in two years. Competition from China in electric vehicles and artificial intelligence has put an end to American exceptionalism — and this is just the beginning.

Magnificent Seven Quarterly Dynamics

This image is no longer relevant

Although Donald Trump has labeled former allies as freeloaders — draining the US of jobs and wealth — the country's GDP growth has long been fueled by globalization. By undermining it with protectionist policies, the White House risks a slowdown in GDP growth as early as Q1, with the Atlanta Fed's leading indicator pointing to just 0.2% growth. That's bad news for the S&P 500.

The US may appear to hold the upper hand in the trade war, giving Trump room to toss around tariff threats. However, the country runs a large current account deficit, which requires continued inflows of foreign capital into Treasury markets. Will China, Japan, and Europe, now targeted by these import tariffs, continue to finance it? The EU's retaliation plan includes reducing its holdings of US debt — a painful payback for the trade conflict. What if Beijing and Tokyo follow suit?

The outsized share of US equities in global portfolios is also a product of international cooperation. Capital is already flowing out of US markets, but the outflow is far from over. It remains to be seen how much a coordinated response from global economies will ultimately cost the United States.

This image is no longer relevant

A narrowing US budget deficit could also spell trouble for the S&P 500. By mid-year, the debt ceiling will be back in the spotlight, and Trump's plans to cut $4.5 trillion in taxes, $2 trillion in spending, and $2.5 trillion in tariffs may prove difficult to implement. In any case, Washington is moving towards fiscal consolidation, which will further slow US GDP growth. In a high-inflation environment, the Fed is unlikely to come to the rescue.

From a technical point of view, the S&P 500 pulled back earlier than expected on the daily chart. The 5,815 level was not reached, but the key now is to identify the boundaries of a medium-term consolidation range — likely between 5,500 and 5,790. It may make sense to sell the index on rallies and look to buy back near the lower boundary of the trading range.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

The Dollar and Stock Market Crash Continues (AUD/USD May Keep Rising While USD/JPY Declines Further)

While Europe and parts of Asia continue celebrating Easter and political life has temporarily paused, in the U.S., the "Make America Great Again" trend set by Donald Trump continues

Pati Gani 09:04 2025-04-21 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on April 21? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

No macroeconomic events are scheduled for Monday—not in the U.S., the Eurozone, Germany, or the U.K. Therefore, even if the market was paying attention to the macroeconomic backdrop, today, there

Paolo Greco 06:30 2025-04-21 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – April 21: The Inertial Growth Continues

The GBP/USD currency pair continued its upward movement on Friday. If we had seen such price action away from peak levels, there would have been no questions. In essence

Paolo Greco 04:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – April 21: The Market Sleeps, Only Trump Can Wake It Up

On Friday, the EUR/USD currency pair made no notable movements whatsoever. This was unsurprising, as Friday marked Good Friday, and Sunday was Easter. Many banks and trading venues were closed

Paolo Greco 04:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

US Dollar: Weekly Preview

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? The US dollar will again try to answer that question in the new week. To briefly recap: over the past

Chin Zhao 01:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

British Pound: Weekly Preview

Several fairly interesting reports were released in the UK, but they almost did not impact market participants' actions. Demand for the British pound increased on all five days except

Chin Zhao 01:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

Euro: Weekly Preview

There were very few changes regarding the euro last week. We observed horizontal movement for most of the week, which naturally did not affect the current wave markup. I want

Chin Zhao 01:00 2025-04-21 UTC+2

Trump targets Powell

Yesterday, US President Donald Trump stated that he could dismiss Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, casting doubt on the idea of central bank independence. He also expressed frustration that policymakers

Jakub Novak 14:42 2025-04-18 UTC+2

EU increases pressure on US

The entire world is now watching the ongoing negotiations between the US and its key trading partners. Despite President Trump's loud claims that the talks are going well, there

Jakub Novak 14:04 2025-04-18 UTC+2

The Market Taken Hostage

Will the White House cross the Rubicon by initiating the dismissal of Jerome Powell from his position as Chair of the Federal Reserve? That would deal another blow to financial

Marek Petkovich 09:16 2025-04-18 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.