The market story of Trump’s first 100 days in 1 chart


President Donald Trump came to office earlier this year promising sweeping change on the economy and what investors hoped would be a pro-growth wave that would propel markets higher.

It hasn’t quite worked out that way.

Trump’s aggressive, volatile stance on tariffs targeted at adversaries and allies alike has unsettled global markets and thrown Wall Street off balance. Despite a rebound in the latter half of April as he signaled willingness to pursue trade deals and pulled back from his most draconian version of “reciprocal” tariffs, most assets remain lower in Trump’s first 100 days in office. The one exception is gold, as investors have sought safety.

So, what now? Strategists predict more of the same for the time being: Most see a volatile, headline-driven stock market for the next several months, at least.

“I still very much believe that the primary driver of equities right now is going to be all these headlines coming out of Washington,” Michael Kantrowitz, Piper Sandler’s chief investment strategist, said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. His base-case assumption is that tariff rhetoric will continue, but the administration could strike some trade deals, cushioning against further downside but limiting gains.

As for gold, as long as policy uncertainty persists, investors will buy it.

Read more: How to invest in gold in 4 steps

James Steel, HSBC chief precious metals analyst, said in an interview, “One of the things that presses gold higher is economic policy uncertainty. It’s not necessarily whether the policy is good or bad … I think if we got some clarity on the tariff issue, that would help undermine it.”

All of that implies that the next 100 days could be similar to the last 100. The focus will remain on tariffs until and unless the tax bill sausage-making heats up in Washington.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 12: President-elect Donald Trump rings the opening bell on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 12, 2024 in New York City. Trump was invited to the Exchange after being named TIME’s “Person of the Year” for the second time. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
President-elect Donald Trump rings the opening bell on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 12, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) · Spencer Platt via Getty Images

Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *