In this episode, Scott Becker covers seven key stories impacting markets and business, including market volatility, looming Fed rate cuts, massive layoffs at CVS, and the broader implications of trade tensions.
Chapter 1: What key stories are being covered today?
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. Here are seven stories that we're following today. It's April 7th. It's post what President Trump calls Liberation Day, but that still is taking up a lot of the news. So here's seven of the stories we're following today. First, the markets had their first, their worst two days in a
Chapter 2: How is market volatility affecting investors?
The good news is they're not as far down as they were earlier, but the markets remain very, very volatile. They were down three or four percent. They were up a couple percent. Now they're back down. There is some hope that there's a delay in these larger tariffs and that that slows down this trade war. Well, I am not a fan of tariffs.
Chapter 3: What are the implications of tariffs on trade?
When you hear the White House talk about this, it feels like they're trying to say to China and others, stop taking advantage of us. I know some may view this as a charitable view of what the White House is expressing. Second, at some point soon, we hope the markets will bottom out. How Agassi, Andre Agassi used to say, image is everything. We would say allocation is everything.
Chapter 4: What strategies can help during market downturns?
Allocation and emergency funds are very critical, so you don't need to sell into a falling market. Third, the presidents say the markets, the president says the markets, we have to take their medicine. It's a fascinating, non-empathetic theory. take to many hold equities is the concept that we have to erase trade deficits.
I assume we can reduce them some, but if we're the largest economy in the world, even with fair reciprocal tariffs, which we should have, we're still likely to be a net import nation. Fourth, suddenly the markets are anticipating a good deal of Fed rate cuts. A good story this morning in the investors ramp up bets on Fed rate cuts. Fifth, CVS Health is reported working on massive layoffs.
Let's hope that's not a sign of the coming times. Sixth, a few of the stocks that we follow closely are getting pummeled. Moderna is now down 76% over the last year. Palantir has also been just getting hammered this week, so we'll see how that goes. Seventh, Thrilled to join Ed Marks' podcast today as a guest. He's an amazing leader, in-person, high-energy individual.
Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky as the all-time goal scorer this week. The great one in the grade eight. Really an amazing thing. And amazing to see Wayne Gretzky show up for that and handle himself with such aplomb. He truly is the great one. We have a separate podcast today on Ovechkin, hockey camp, midlife crises, and we'll talk about that separately. Always feel free to watch us at...
www.beckerprivateequityandbusiness.com. Thank you so much for listening to the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast.
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