March 8, 2025
Yesterday, I watched the stock markets intentely during the opening bell and at closing. There were millions of dollars changing hands, and the brokers seemed not to know whether to buy or to sell.
The markets seem so volatile. And yes it was. Why? Mainly because of Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Just before closing 2 nights ago, Donald Trump halted tariffs on Canada and Mexico, because I believe he finally saw the writing on the wall.
According to J.P. Morgan the following is very true…
If you know what to do in times like this, then you can survive. First, you must remain focused on ensuring your portfolio withstands uncertainties without derailing your near-term needs and long-term goals. A resilient portfolio is properly diversified and tailored to your long-term plan.
Friday at the final bell, the DOW closed at 42,801.72, which was a .52% increase in volume. That was a win. The DOW gained 222.64 points today. It opened at 42,503.07.
The stock market in general has had a pretty dismal performance in the last 3 months, but for the year, it is bearly hanging in the green with just a .61% gain from Dec 31, 2024. During the entire year of 2024, the markets were in the green at 10.53% from the previous year. So far, compared to 2024, this year is just a disaster. And it’s not even the end of the first quarter of trading for the year.
Trump finally cancelled his tarrifs on Canada and Mexico at least for a month until April 2, which was responsible for the slight gains today in the DOW. If he would stay away from taraffs and let the markets recover, the markets will stop spirling and inflation will ease.
But unfortunatey, that is not what Trump plans to do. He is an absolute sicko. When he found out that his 25% tariffs were going to tank the U.S. economy, now he has decided to go another route. His main goal seems to be to inflict “pain” on the American people.
He is ‘hell-bent’ on punishing Canada, our closest neighbor and friend. God only knows why. No other president, Democrat or Republican would be so foolish than to threaten neighboring countries with tariffs. So after just a single day of recoup of the DOW that ended in a positive note today, he has decide now to put new tariffs on Canada, now aiming a 250% on dairy products with Canada, which he claims is a reciprical tax on what Canada has been doing with exports to the U.S. regarding dairy products.
Out of the 5 trading days each week, this week there were just 2 days of uptick results but 3 days with a nose-dive in results with the DOW.
So what’s coming regarding tariffs now?
In a YouTube video, Trump again blamed the prior administration for dairy product tariffs, which he claimed under his watch during his first term. A single day doesn’t go by where he doesn’t try to justify why he initiates tariffs. If it isn’t for the country he blames, he blames Biden.
He claims because of the tariff, it is impossible to sell dairy products along with lumber into Canada. He stated that Canada has been…
“ripping us off for years on tariffs for lumber and dairy products.”
He claims that…
“Canada will be met with the exact same tariff unless they drop it. That’s what reciprical means, and we may do it as early as today or we will wait until Monday or Tuesday, but that’s what we are going to do. It’s not fair, and never has been fair. “
His reciprical tariff on Canada – 250%.
It seems that every hour Trump threatens with a new tariff, or holds back or delays. He’s now also threatening to tariff steel and aluminum imports next week.
So how are the markets going to handle that? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist on what’s about to happen. Well, the markets won’t be stable enough next week to handle Trumps latest tariff threat. Now that Donald Trump couldn’t keep his upcoming tariff plans under a hat, the investors will have a field day with trading next week, and there will be more devestating losses throughout the week. But mark my words here. Trump is weak and is a coward. He will cave again when he sees where the markets are heading next week.
In April, there are tariffs that loom from the European Union, on autos and reciprical tariffs. Then later on this year, there will be tariffs on copper, timber, lumber and semiconductors. Not to mention the tariffs that were threatened today on dairy products from Canada.
So there is so much uncertainty in trade policy at the moment, and the Trade Policy Uncertainty Index is going through the roof at the moment. It started to go crazy during his first term, and now again in 2025, more than ever. The markets don’t have a chance in hell to stablize and there will be no time in the near future where people can SAFELY invest in the markets. If you are a risk taker, there will be lots of risks you can take, but many more that you shouldn’t. For the normal investor if you bank your returns on the U.S. stock market from day to day, it is not a good bet to go that route.
So the downturn will continue in the markets next week. I’ll post a report on the Dow futures on Sunday Evening, and we can get a glimpse before the opening bell on Monday on how the markets will begin with trading which should be very volitile for the next week.
Trump will make concessions, like the weak man he is, that’s after people will loose millions thanks to his tariff policies. Then, he will just initiate another tariff, because he is very good at what he does best, and that is to inflick “pain” on the American people.
Again, I ask my Republican friends. What do you think now of Trump in his ability to save the economy. Friends, it’s cratering, and sooner than later we may be in recession territory. You will know when that time comes. The news folks will be talking all about it. But by then, it just may be too late.
Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, and the European Union are not waiting for Trump to change. They know that global trade must go on, with or without the United States, and they will trade without America if they have to.