PUT IN WORK (3/17/2025)

The stock market had yet another rough week, but even so, it left investors with a glimmer of hope in the end. Markets ended the week lower, with the S&P 500 (SPY) and the Nasdaq (QQQ) ending down 2.3% and 2.5%, respectively. That being said, indices were down even more earlier in the week as investors tried to figure out what to do with their assets in the face of uncertainty.

Speaking of uncertainty, Monday saw the S&P 500 hit its lowest level since September in response to tariffs and talk of a recession. Analysts and experts are spreading the message that President Trump’s plan to enact widespread tariffs and targeted countries’ retaliatory measures could worsen inflation by slowing the economy. Furthermore, comments he made during an interview with Fox Business left investors uncertain about the future.

Tuesday was more of the same, with investors pulling cash out of the market and returning it to their pockets. Stocks such as Ford Motor (F) and Stellantis (STLA) took major hitsas President Trump said that steel and aluminum imported from Canada would see 50% tariffs as soon as Wednesday rather than the 25% previously discussed. However, the CPI report on Wednesday lifted investors’ spirits. It showed that annual inflation declined to 2.8% from 3% in the prior month. This was slightly better than analysts had predicted, and investors jumped on this positive opportunity, purchasing shares of Tesla (TSLA), Nvidia (NVDA), Broadcom (AVGO), and more.

Thursday, however, was another red day, with the S&P 500 declining over 10% from its record high set only three weeks prior. The possibility of a government shutdown also loomed, making investors even more uncomfortable than they’d already been. Investors pulled the market back on Friday, resulting in the market’s best day of the year. Even so, the market still ended the week down overall, but the snappy positive performance certainly provides a glimmer of hope.

(Nasdaq ETF (QQQ) price from March 2024 - 2025 — each candle is 1 week. Chart provided by tradingview.com.)

PORTFOLIO UPDATE

Despite our portfolio’s inherent volatility, we aligned with the market last week. Our stocks fell alongside the market without any considerable deviations in either direction, which we’ll consider a win considering its volatile makeup! We plan to hold all currently owned stocks for the foreseeable future. As always, thank you for reading, and happy investing.