Category: S&P 500

Final Stock Market update March 6, 2025 – Removal of Tariffs

March 6, 2025

I have never been a great predictor for stocks, but even I must say that my conclusions of what’s happening in todays US Stock Market has been nothing less ‘right on’. Yes, I deserve to pat myself on the back at times, and for the last 6 weeks I’ve been more right than wrong.

So again, at the beginning of the day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 400 points, by just looking at what happened throughout the night in Europe. And I was hopeful that the market would really pick up. Early in the morning, it picked up most of the value it had but then something happened, which I will detail later when I know what happened.

But in its present course, the market will end the day of more than 400 points lost. Just one more day to go and the week of trading will be over and the country will know that what I have been saying all this time is actually what is happening. Investments, savings, and so much more is being lost by investors, who only want the markets to do better so that they can do better, so that their companies and portfolios can grow.

Unfortunately, that’s not what’s on Donald Trump’s mind. Sometimes you wonder what the heck is on his mind. The markets have now officially closed.  The DOW lost another 1% of it’s value. The closing figure is 42,579.08. I can report what I have been seeing each and every day. What is interesting and especially evident at the end of a trading day, if the markets are doing well throughout the day, there will be a spike at the very end before closing. Likewise, if the markets are doing bad, and as of this minute in time, the stock market values of DOW will drop.

So what’s the fallout for today. For the Dow, it spiraled down another 516 points or 1.2% after falling 600 points earlier today. and other major markets, the NASDAQ and S&P500 both fell.

Obviously Donald Trump was aware of the stock market drops today. So what does he do? Our weak president now put on the brakes to Mexico tariffs and Canada Tariffs. But it’s a little to late for that. Canada is already dealing with new trading partners and Mexico said that Trump had until tomorrow before they would decide the tariffs they were going to put on the U.S.

Trump caved, just like he always does. The leaders of other countries now know what he’s going to do. They will always be one step ahead of him to keep him in check. This morning he stopped tariffs from those two countries on just the products the auto makers need to make cars in this country. After his not so teriffic speech to the joint session of Congress, the big three auto makers in the United States gave Trump an ear full.  So he backed down, just like the coward he is and always has been. But to keep chaos on track, he now moved the next tariff implement date to April 2nd. Now that’s just great Donald Trump. Right before tax day, just when everyone has to dip in their savings in some cases just like me to pay their taxes.  He thinks that will help the stock market and his rich buddies who invest in it. Maybe he’s right, but all indications say that the markets will continue to be very volitile until he elliminates them all together. When April 2nd comes around and Trump lets the tariffs kick in again, prices are going to soar in this country.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that he did remove the tariffs,  but it shouldn’t have taken the auto makers to complain or the stock markets to plummit before he would listen to reason. So you may ask if I think Trump is a reasonable man, and of course I would say NO. He doesn’t know what ‘stands to reason’ means.

What’s his first 100 days so far look like. Well that’s a story for another day, but so far, it’s going to be pretty bad. Maybe the people will wake up. Maybe the Repubicans and my friends will wake up and admit that Trump is no good for our economy, after he ran on saying he was going to do so much to bring down prices. Did he say that the country will have to experience some “pain” first before things get better?

Where are we when it comes to “NO TAXES ON TIPS”? Where are we now about when Trump claimed that Social Security Taxes should be eliminated? I can tell you at this moment, Trump is nowhere on those topics. Congress hasn’t a clue on what they want to do. The one thing he kept his promise on was that America will ‘feel PAIN’ before things get better. Did Trump ever say that he was going to gut all the Federal programs and furlow so many Federal workers, gut Medicade and Medicare, which is what he plans to do next? He has the Republican votes to do just that in Congress in the near future, but will they wake up in time like John McCain did during the vote on Obamacare to save Medicade and Medicare? That would free up tons of money that he can use to be able to give a tax break to the rich. Then it’s Social Security on the block. Will it end? Hopefully it will end before everyone looses everything and he completely destroys our country.

 

Donald Trump and Elon Musk Now Targeting Social Security

March 5, 2025

Today we got a reprieve from the falling stock markets, as the Dow went up almost 500 points, thank God. But it wasn’t for what Trump said last night in his message to the joint session of Congress. Trump can’t help himself. He doesn’t know what to say and when to say what it would take to HELP the markets. Everything that Trump does causes pain to the American people, and recently he stated as such saying that the country needed to experience some pain before things got better. The reason for the stock market rise was because two of the 30 major companies that comprise the DOW had quarterly reports show minor gains. That is just one day out of the last 7. But for the last week of trading, the markets dropped over 1300 points, so the slight recovery that was experienced today what just what it was, a temporary reprieve from what’s about to happen. So instead of talking about the stock markets tonight, and the economy, let’s shift gears and talk about Social Security because I sincerely believe that Trump is targeting Social Security next.

It is possible with Trumps threatening reductions of the SS workforce,  they really want to cut Social Security? This is fact. It is at the top of Trump and Musk’s minds. It is possible that in a very short time under the influence of DOGE, the Social Security administration may cut up to 50% of its workforce, laying off more than 7,000 people. They will be closing down social security offices in red states and blue states. That is already occurring as offices throughout the country are already closing.

Trump’s partner in crime – Elon Musk, calls Social Security “One massive Ponzi scheme”. In other words, he is calling it fraud.

Then wouldn’t you know, Donald Trump in his Tuesday speech to Congress claims that he found “probable fraud” in Social Security.

So the following statement is what Trump actually said…

“We are identifying shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud in the Social Security program for our seniors, and that our seniors and the people we love rely on.”

My questions now directly go to Donald Trump. If you found it, then where are the arrests?Where is DOGE when they are really needed. Where are all the people, and the fraud which you claim you are finding? Show me just one check written to a dead person.

Actually what is happening is that they are making this stuff up so that they can gut social security. If you found it, then expose it. Don’t threaten seniors and discuss interfering in the Social Security Administration that pays retirees the money that they rightfully deserve. But Trump’s actions worry ALL Americans. He is causing so much unrest with the American people. Trump’s end game – to divert Social Security funds to go directly to the rich, in the form of tax cuts, and another way to help reduce the National Debt. Why would any president do that. Your hard earned money cannot be used to reduce the national debt, but if you listen closely to Trump’s speech last night, you will learn that he claimed that he WILL balance the budget in his second term. With what, your Social Security money?  By providing massive tax cuts to the rich?

Trump is so full of S H _ T, that he can’t even pay his own bills, he can’t pay his own workers in all his past businesses. He filed for bankruptcy at least a dozen times. Trump Steaks.. Trump University… and the list goes one. It’s not so funny now that the country has to listen to a fraudster and a convicted felon tell the American people on how he will be helping them.

Back in October 2024, Elon Musk admitted that “Trump’s plan will collapse the U.S. economy, and says that it’s necessary for everyday Americans to experience “temporary hardship”.  That is what Elon Musk said. So back in October of 2024, they literally claimed that they were going to crash the economy, and now they are doing it. Now they got there hands into social security.

Elon Musk now has access to your personal files, and he is using algorithms and crawling around into EVERYONES Social Security files and claiming to have found enormous amounts of fraud, waste and abuse. That statement was made by Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in a recent “Meet the Press” interview, that massive fraud was found within the Social Security System. So if you claim it, prove it and this administration may be respected in the future.

The Stock Wrap-up for Tuesday March 4, 2024

March 4, 2025

No one should be suprised. This outcome has been inevitable, but it was preventable. The following note found on ‘The Daily Beans Podcast’ says it all.

I don’t say this lightly. All you have to do is look at the trending data from the U.S. Stock markets. The DOW dropped 680.23 points or 1.55% just today alone, because our president decided to activate tariffs he’s been threatening for the last 6 weeks. The S&P 500 dropped 1.22%, and the Nasdaq Composite shed 0.35%. The Nasdaq, which is tied closely to tech-heavy industry, dipped more than 2% at its lowest point and came within striking distance of correction territory, which is a term that refers to an index falling 10% from a recent peak.

So it’s happened. Since March 1st, the trend has been spiraling downward. The State of the Union Address comes tonight, and it will be very eye-opening on how Trump will portray the State of our Union. Before it even happens, I can assure you that his speech will be filled by lies. The Republican Senators will applaud him. The Democratic Senators will stay silent. Has even one Republican Senator helped even just one of their constituents. Find me the proof and I’ll believe it, but there is absolutely no proof that any Republican lawmaker who is following Trump, is helping ANY of their constituents.

Yesterday, the markets were signaling to the American people what was about to happen today. Many Americans have decided to run this out, but what will they have to loose to ride this wave of stock market sell-offs before they realize that it is going to affect them, even though they voted for this president.

Then, it will be too late. The question now is what is it going to take to prevent a further free-fall. It’s normal for the stocks to go up and down. That’s what’s great about our economy. But in the end, they should always go up more than they have been going down, and there is just no indication in the foreseeable future to say that the declines will reverse any time soon.

I know that this report is very glim and bleak, but as they say, “it is what it is.” These are the facts. We are now living a World Wide Trade War in this year of 2025, initiated by Donald Trump himself, for all of his rediculasly foolish reasons.  This situation should have never come about, but it has.

 

Tuesday – The Day of Recogning

March 4, 2025

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to predict what was about to happen today. The DOW dropped nearly 500 points today and the markets are not even closed yet, and the Nasdaq is flirting with correction territory. Why? Because Donald J. Trump has foolishly initiated a trade war.

People close to me, including my wife have been checking their stock values all day. My wife is upset, but I informed her that this day was coming. In a single day, she lost $500.00 in less than 4 hours. The markets have a few hours to go.

U.S. stocks saw losses mount on Tuesday as our felon president, Donald J Truimp put tariffs on key trade partners, which our partners were waiting for a signal to initiate their own tariffs on the United States. So what we have now is a global trade war and escalating fears of the national economy cracking.

Our fearless president instituted 25% duties on Canada and Mexico that took effect at midnight. Trump also slapped an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods.

Monday’s plunge in the market didn’t phase Trump, because it ONLY amounted to a 1.2% drop. That drop was about 650 points. The S&P shed .8%. But that small percentage amounted to millions of dollars lost.

Nasdaq Composite didn’t feel the crunch as much, as they were cushioned by gains by Nvidia and Alphabet.

In reality up until today, the trading was not as bad as it will start with today’s free fall. That’s because the traders really weren’t sure if Trump would pull off this sick stunt, but now he has.

After Trump imposed tariffs on Canada of 25%, Justin Trudeau initiated their retaliation tariff on the United States of 25%. So what does Trump do? He said that he would add even higher tariffs on Canada.  So what’s next? Will oil now be cut off by Canada? Before Trump became president, Canada was exporting 97% of all of their oil production to the United States. No tariffs, as a result of the Trump USMCA agreement made by Trump and his neighbors of Canada and Mexico. But Trump has decided that he would no longer be bound by the USMCA agreement, the one that he instituted and our neighboring countries accepted during his first term.

Trump is no less than a RAT. He is undermining our economy, and hurting the world with his selfish actions. The markets were at an all-time high before he came into office. Now they are tanking. Millions and millions of dollars of investments by Americans have already been thrown out the window. Some Americans will never recover from this.

Trump was right when he stated that the country will feel ‘PAIN’. Is this what the people elected him to do? What about lowering prices for the middle class. What about NO TAX ON TIPS. Oh wait. The only thing Trump wants to do is help is rich friends with tax cuts.

I am making a very bold prediction here. I can feel it in my blood. If things continue with the way things are going with the economy, things like Social Security can fail within the next 3 months. You can laugh at this prediction saying that you have been paying into the fund your whole life. Well if that doesn’t get your gander up, nothing will, because I have been predicting this day for the last 6 weeks, and noone, not even my close friends and family members beleived it would happen. But here we are. Actually, I was suprised that my social security check arrived on time this month. Again I hope I’m wrong.

I will give another update here when the markets close later today. In the meantime, I need to console my wife as she is pretty upset with her investment strategy at the moment.

 

Donald Trump Continues to Crash the Economy

February 22, 2025

Well folks, we seem to be in a downward spiral. Yesterday the Dow Jones Industrial Average when down by another 748.63 points. The volitale week took the Dow down by 1,255 points. So plain and simple, there has been a stock market sell-off this week. The 10-year Treasury yield dropped with a concern over the health of the economy. The midigating factor –  the threat of more tariffs.

I’ve had concerns about the economy being affected by Trumps threats of tariffs to our neighbor to the north, Canada, and to our neighbor to the south, Mexico for quite some time in posts dating back for months. And if that weren’t enough, Trump put a tariff on China of an additional 10%, added to the 10% he put on China during his first term as president.

Prior to Trumps threats to Canada, our neighbor to the north was shipping 97% of all crude oil from production to the United States. But recently after the threat of a 20% tariff to Canada, they decided to start doing business elsewhere. Canada has just made a trade agreement with China, and now they are shipping oil to China. I might add that they have worked out a deal where there will be no tariffs between the two countries.

Last week, Canada joined the EU. That was a result of the threats made by Trump. Canada is now widely diversifying, and they are now trading substantially with Europe. This adds up to only one thing. The United States will no longer get 97% of Canada’s shipments of oil. If the U.S. is lucky, they many get 50%. So what does this mean. It means that the prices at the gas pumps will be going up soon. Prior to Trumps threats, the major exports from Canada went almost solely to the United States. Not any longer. And, I’m sure thaat Trump is proud of himself.

Things like this will have a cascade effect on our economy. If oil prices go up substantially, Trump will be forced to tap into the oil reserves within the U.S. But with possible upcoming tariffs to Canada, we can expect Trump to use the oil reserves and then there is a chance that gas prices will double.  But if you ask Trump about tariffs, he will tell you that Canada will pay for them. But shortly, everyone will see first hand who has to pay for Trumps mistakes with Canada.

I actually don’t see a way to stop the downspiral of the DOW. There is a big chance that all the gains that were made during the Biden presidency will be lost in the markets in the next upcoming months and beyond, and the GDP will also fall.

I hate to be the grim reaper here, but what you are reading is the truth. Trumps actions tell a terrible story that did not have to happen. If I were reading a book and see how the cost of gasoline is going up, I would think it was just fiction. Actually, it is fact and about to become very real.

As always when I write so negatively about our economy, noone wants me to be wrong more than myself. But I’m reporting the facts here, and I see which way the markets are going.

By the way, the other major markets tanked on Friday too.

The NasdaQ composite dropped by 438 points on Friday.

The S&P 500 dropped another 104 points from Thursday.

 

 

Volatility Now Starting to Show its Ugly Head as Markets Sink Thanks to DONALD TRUMP

February 20, 2025

30 Top Companies represent the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Volatility is now starting to show its ugly head. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of what I believe will be a free fall, especially after Trump reimposes Tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Today January 20th, the Down Jones Industrial Average dropped .92% to 44176.25 at market close at 3:00PM CT. As early as 10:30AM CT today, the market dropped to 44003 and gained some momentum before the close of the markets. So what does the .92% drop represent. In simple terms, the market actually lost 450.95 points today.

Also in the red today is the GSPC (S&P 500 Index), down .39% now sitting at 6119.55.

Similarly the Nasdaq 100 is down .37% now at 22067.65.

The sad thing about all of this is that this did not have to happen. But Donald Trump in his ignorance and his determination to punish our neighbors with tariffs, will now begin to put the country’s economy on a free-fall. The indicators that I base my judgements on, reflect what I am saying.

Everyone should have remembered what happened to the country when Trump in his first term as president put out tariffs. The markets pretty much did the same thing, but was not as volatile as they are now. 

Now, let me direct the next few statements to Donald J. Trump, our so called Commander-and-Chief, who is supposed to be the strongest person in the world, who acts like he is not, as he supports Putin, making the Russian president stronger than him. Also, let’s congratulate Elon Musk for taking over the government, taking over DOGE, but now refusing to take owner ship as Trump is now calling him a contractor for DOGE. Really? When has Elon Musk will all his money, ever took a back seat ride with anything in his life?

Prices will now continue to go higher on everything from automobiles, oil, steel, aluminum, precious medals, gasoline, eggs, fruits, liquor and so much more. The American consumer is fixing to pay a lot more on just about everything.

So here goes…

DONALD J TRUMP, I HOPE YOU READ THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS….

Thank you DONALD TRUMP for not caring for the American People and acting like a convicted felon that you are. We definitely need an autocrat like you in the office of president. Thank you for raising prices when you told the American people that you were going to do the opposite which was to lower prices.

Thank you Donald Trump for stopping the Ukraine war on day 1 of your presidency, like you said that you would. The only problem is that you didn’t. It’s still going on, and fixing to ramp up after your open support of a dictator and murderer – President Putin of Russia.

Thank you Donald Trump for allowing Musk and his flunkies from accessing my Social Security Information. Thank you Donald Trump for furlowing thousands of IRS workers so my tax refund most likely will be late or not come at all. Thank you Donald Trump in your attempt to kill Medicade.

Thank you Donald Trump for being the reason why Canada has joined the EU and now will contribute the most of their resources to Europe, instead of the United States.  Thanks for letting XI of China get access to Canadian oil. Like you said, we don’t need Canadian Oil. Thank you Donald Trump for our neighbor island to the south, CUBA, for joing BRICS. They know that you would never support them, so they had to go elsewhere.

A special thank you Donald Trump for laying off all of the workers that we so desperately need to keep this country safe, like air-traffic controllers and the FBI agents, and to help keep the world safe by furlowing thousand of USAID workers. There has been at least 5, maybe 6 air disasters since your presidency that started just 30 days ago. I sure the families of the deceased and injured thank you for taking care of the FAA and firing the FAA head before the first crash on your watch at Dullas Airport in Washington. Imagine that! Donald, do you know there was no head of the FAA during the first plane crash in Washington that kill everyone on board of a jetliner and 4 people in a military chopper? Of course you do, but take all the time you want playing golf instead of making this country safe. That’s more important!

Donald, may I enlighten you a litte more on USAID? The funds from the U.S. budget for USAID was no more than 1% of the budget, but I’m sure that your rich Republican friends will like their net bonus in the form of a tax break when you pass another bill to help the rich. Thank you for cutting USAID that the the needy across the world rely on to live. It’s more important as you know to support your rich friends with tax cuts instead of helping foreigners across the world that need the funds to live.

Thanks for signing all of those executive orders, where at least 30 are unlawful as they directly conflict with the U.S. Constitution.

Donald Trump, your approval rating is heading in the wrong direction, now at 47% approval rating. Do you know that your approval rating never reached 50% in either your first term or second term as president. Thank you for attempting to set the record on that. Trying to be the least popular president in U.S. history is a real good thing, right Donald? I’m sure you would never admit it, because you are sure that nothing like that could ever happen to you. Are you happy not to have enjoyed the honeymoon phase of your presidency this time around? Soon, your rating will drop below 40%, when the economy buckles and the people who voted for you will be hurting and every American will go down with you. Keep checking the polls Donald Trump, because you are about to get an eye opener. You will still deny it, because you are the most popular president in U.S. history, so you say.

OH, I forgot, you have presidential immunity and lots of money. You will never feel the hurt that you publicly stated that the American people will feel. Instead, you like to play golf everyday. Nothing phases you felon Trump, because you now have presidential immunity and you can do what you want, especially with your Executive Orders. I hope you enjoy all the lawsuits as they come pouring in.

Donald Trump, do you know that today if it were election day that you would lose the presidency if held today, especially since people would know what you have done so far in your second term. Mr. Trump, read the last article on this website and you will be enlightened what you done in the first 30 days of your presidency. Oh, but I forgot. Now that you will not run for re-election on the present rules for a president with the Constitution saying you can only have a maximum of two terms, you are not worried about re-election. That is unless you refuse to step down the second time, similarly to when you lost in 2020 to Joe Biden and refused to step down. But I got to give you credit Donald Trump. You got away with it, at least for now. Are you dumb enough to try again?

Donald Trump, when are you going to keep your promise of “NO TAXES ON TIPS” for the people in the food industry. When are you going to keep your promise to fix the economy, that you blame Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for breaking. Donald Trump, are you aware that the economy was rebounding from Covid, from your watch as was the best economy that the U.S. has ever had. President Biden will be remembered for doing everything good.

YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR DOING EVERYTHING BAD, doing things an autocrat or dictator will do. But I’m sure you are proud of that, especially being the only twice-impeached and only convicted felon in American history to serve as president of the United States, yet a second time. GREAT JOB!

And I could’t stop here without CONGRATULATING my Republican friends (and I have many), of voting for you Mr. Trump. I hope they are reading these statements too. It’s really not their fault that they were ignorant during the election this past November. You enjoy lying to your supporters even though they never realize it or just refuse to. But I’m sure that some of them that actually care, have their eyes open now and wished they did not vote for a convicted felon, which is what you are Donald Trump and the reason why the American people will now go through hell for the next four years.

Have a great rest of your 2nd term as president, convicted felon, Donald J. Trump. Sleep good at night, and while you are at it, go play another game of golf!