We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Though Donald Trump was merely a civilian at the time (albeit very famous), he has been voicing concerns about how countries like Japan, China, and Germany have taken advantage of soft U.S. trade policies for years. Now, in his second presidential term, Trump is acting on his intuition and promises to his voters to hit countries back with retaliatory tariffs to stop the flow of fentanyl, bring trade imbalances to an equilibrium, and return America to the manufacturing powerhouse it once was.
Thus far, Wall Street is taking a dim view of the tariff policy. The S&P 500 Index ETF is down 5% over the past month, volatility is increasing, and intraday headlines from Trump and his economic advisors are causing “tape bombs” that swing the market violently intraday. Though the market action has been ugly in reaction to the tariffs in the short-term, are investors overreacting?
Pullbacks are Normal, Even in Bull Markets
The S&P 500 Index has gained ~40% since the bear market bottom in October 2022. That said, experienced investors understand that markets do not move in a straight line. For instance, there have been multiple 5% corrections over the course of the current bull market and nearly 100 since 1950! Perhaps investors were looking for a reason to sell, and tariffs were that reason.
Election Seasonality Suggested a Correction Was Likely
Over the past few years, historical seasonality patterns have been one of the most valuable and accurate means of predicting the market’s next move. Even before the tariffs were announced, the post-election seasonality pattern suggested that Q1 equity weakness was likely. The good news is that this weakness typically subsides, and markets bottom more often in the back half of March than any other time of year.
Historical Precedent: Déjà vu?
Meanwhile, investors can rely on historical precedent. After all, Trump was president and implemented tariffs before.
200-Day Moving Average
Since the 2022 lows, the entire bull market has been contained above the 200-day moving average. Though Nasdaq 100 Index ETF has visited the 200-day several times, each time the market has found support. Will this time be different?
Volatility Above the 200-Day MA Can Be Bullish
Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Investment Research, made an interesting discovery:
“Historically, when the S&P 500 has experienced five consecutive days of 1% moves while remaining above its 200-day MA (like it is now), it has performed well over the following six months, averaging an 11.0% gain and rising 91.7% of the time.”
Rate Cut Odds on the Rise
The Trump Administration has been lobbying for lower interest rates for months. Though the U.S. Federal Reserve acts independently, recent rate cut odds suggest that the Trump tariffs may force Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s hand. Rate cut chances for May are at 54% and climbing.
Potential Tariff Resolution
Though Trump says he wants to leave tariffs on permanently, I prefer to watch for what a person does rather than what they say. Trump is likely using tariffs as a bargaining chip to get better trade deals for the U.S. Meanwhile, signs of potential resolutions are emerging. Earlier, Trump said:
“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This agreement is until April 2nd. I did this as an accommodation and out of respect for President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard together on the border, both in terms of stopping illegal aliens from entering the United States and likewise, stopping fentanyl. Thank you, President Sheinbaum, for your hard work and cooperation!”
The softer rhetoric between rival nations is a welcome sign for investors.
Lower Valuations
Investors have been complaining for years now that tech stocks like Tesla and Microsoft have seen valuations get too bloated. However, a silver lining is that the recent market pullback will lead to more attractive valuations. For instance, Nvidia has its lowest P/E ratio since the bull market began.
Bottom Line
The Trump tariffs may have been the spark that caused a market pullback. However, several data points suggest that the market correction may be short-lived and that tariff concerns are overdone.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights SPY, QQQ, Tesla, Microsoft and Nvidia
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – March 7, 2025 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY - Free Report) , Nasdaq 100 Index ETF (QQQ - Free Report) , Tesla (TSLA - Free Report) , Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) and Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) .
Are Tariff Concerns Overblown?
Trump Tariffs Shake US Stock Market
Though Donald Trump was merely a civilian at the time (albeit very famous), he has been voicing concerns about how countries like Japan, China, and Germany have taken advantage of soft U.S. trade policies for years. Now, in his second presidential term, Trump is acting on his intuition and promises to his voters to hit countries back with retaliatory tariffs to stop the flow of fentanyl, bring trade imbalances to an equilibrium, and return America to the manufacturing powerhouse it once was.
Thus far, Wall Street is taking a dim view of the tariff policy. The S&P 500 Index ETF is down 5% over the past month, volatility is increasing, and intraday headlines from Trump and his economic advisors are causing “tape bombs” that swing the market violently intraday. Though the market action has been ugly in reaction to the tariffs in the short-term, are investors overreacting?
Pullbacks are Normal, Even in Bull Markets
The S&P 500 Index has gained ~40% since the bear market bottom in October 2022. That said, experienced investors understand that markets do not move in a straight line. For instance, there have been multiple 5% corrections over the course of the current bull market and nearly 100 since 1950! Perhaps investors were looking for a reason to sell, and tariffs were that reason.
Election Seasonality Suggested a Correction Was Likely
Over the past few years, historical seasonality patterns have been one of the most valuable and accurate means of predicting the market’s next move. Even before the tariffs were announced, the post-election seasonality pattern suggested that Q1 equity weakness was likely. The good news is that this weakness typically subsides, and markets bottom more often in the back half of March than any other time of year.
Historical Precedent: Déjà vu?
Meanwhile, investors can rely on historical precedent. After all, Trump was president and implemented tariffs before.
200-Day Moving Average
Since the 2022 lows, the entire bull market has been contained above the 200-day moving average. Though Nasdaq 100 Index ETF has visited the 200-day several times, each time the market has found support. Will this time be different?
Volatility Above the 200-Day MA Can Be Bullish
Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Investment Research, made an interesting discovery:
“Historically, when the S&P 500 has experienced five consecutive days of 1% moves while remaining above its 200-day MA (like it is now), it has performed well over the following six months, averaging an 11.0% gain and rising 91.7% of the time.”
Rate Cut Odds on the Rise
The Trump Administration has been lobbying for lower interest rates for months. Though the U.S. Federal Reserve acts independently, recent rate cut odds suggest that the Trump tariffs may force Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s hand. Rate cut chances for May are at 54% and climbing.
Potential Tariff Resolution
Though Trump says he wants to leave tariffs on permanently, I prefer to watch for what a person does rather than what they say. Trump is likely using tariffs as a bargaining chip to get better trade deals for the U.S. Meanwhile, signs of potential resolutions are emerging. Earlier, Trump said:
“After speaking with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, I have agreed that Mexico will not be required to pay tariffs on anything that falls under the USMCA Agreement. This agreement is until April 2nd. I did this as an accommodation and out of respect for President Sheinbaum. Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard together on the border, both in terms of stopping illegal aliens from entering the United States and likewise, stopping fentanyl. Thank you, President Sheinbaum, for your hard work and cooperation!”
The softer rhetoric between rival nations is a welcome sign for investors.
Lower Valuations
Investors have been complaining for years now that tech stocks like Tesla and Microsoft have seen valuations get too bloated. However, a silver lining is that the recent market pullback will lead to more attractive valuations. For instance, Nvidia has its lowest P/E ratio since the bull market began.
Bottom Line
The Trump tariffs may have been the spark that caused a market pullback. However, several data points suggest that the market correction may be short-lived and that tariff concerns are overdone.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
See Stocks Free >>
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
support@zacks.com
https://www.zacks.com
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.