empty
24.03.2025 10:23 AM
The Market Fell Into a Pit It Dug for Others

What drives the markets? Fear? Greed? At the moment, disappointment is far more significant. Investors are realizing that Donald Trump's tariff policy will not lead to anything good, and the loss of American exceptionalism is triggering capital outflows from the U.S., keeping the S&P 500 under pressure. According to Morningstar, investors added about $2 billion on a net basis to American funds investing in European stocks in January and February.

Capital flow trends into Europe-focused ETFs

This image is no longer relevant

The continued rise of stock indices in Europe suggests that markets do not believe White House tariffs will trigger a recession across the Atlantic. Perhaps the risks of a trade war are being underestimated. The upcoming new round of import tariffs, which the U.S. administration is expected to announce on April 2, seemed to knock the S&P 500 to the floor. However, rumors of a more limited scope of protectionism allowed the broad equity index to rise from the ashes.

According to Bloomberg insiders, tariffs in April will target two groups of countries: those with significant trade surpluses with the U.S. and those whose tariffs against the U.S. are deemed too high. The blacklist, or as Scott Bessent puts it, the "Dirty 15" list, includes Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and others.

The fewer the tariffs, the less the disappointment. Donald Trump promised to accelerate the U.S. economy, yet Wall Street Journal experts are now downgrading their U.S. GDP forecasts from over 2% to 1–1.5% for 2025. The same goes for the OECD, Fitch Ratings, and the Federal Reserve. The Republican's policy is aimed at creating problems for other countries, but in reality, thanks to fiscal stimulus, Europe is gaining momentum, and China intends to meet its ambitious 5% growth target in 2025.

Adding to the disappointment is the loss of American exceptionalism. Investors increasingly recall that U.S.-issued securities are fundamentally overpriced and that a bubble has formed in the market—similar to the dot-com bubble at the turn of the 21st century. Twenty-five years ago, the S&P 500 rally was also driven by technology, specifically the internet. Now, that role has been taken over by artificial intelligence.

S&P 500 performance in different years

This image is no longer relevant

This image is no longer relevant

A quarter-century ago, the broad equity index collapsed. It only returned to record highs in 2007. Today, the S&P 500 has risen 72% from its October 2022 low to record highs. Then came a 10% drop, and few expect the stock market to recover before the second half of 2025.

Technically, forming a candlestick with a long lower shadow on the S&P 500 daily chart signals that the bulls may be ready to counterattack. The 5670 level remains the red line. Above this level, buying becomes a sensible strategy. Conversely, if it falls below, selling is the appropriate action.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

Markets Have Found the Culprits

If you don't get it the first time, you will the second. The S&P 500 sell-off, led by U.S. and foreign automaker shares, continued a second day after the imposition

Marek Petkovich 08:19 2025-03-28 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on March 28? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

A fair number of macroeconomic events are scheduled for Friday, but we believe they will likely trigger only a localized market reaction. The UK will publish Q4 GDP data

Paolo Greco 06:26 2025-03-28 UTC+2

GBP/USD Pair Overview – March 28: The Pound Barely Fell Before Rising Again

The GBP/USD currency pair traded higher again on Thursday, even though a semblance of a downward correction had begun just a few days earlier. The market had already digested

Paolo Greco 03:00 2025-03-28 UTC+2

EUR/USD Pair Overview – March 28: Donald Trump Loves Surprises

The EUR/USD currency pair maintained its downward bias on Thursday, although it traded higher throughout the day. Volatility remained low once again, indicating weak market activity. However, traders had enough

Paolo Greco 03:00 2025-03-28 UTC+2

EUR/USD. Trump Sends the Dollar into Knockdown Again

The EUR/USD pair is experiencing a correction following Donald Trump's latest statements, as he has once again reignited the tariff war. Interestingly, the greenback initially reacted positively to the president's

Irina Manzenko 23:44 2025-03-27 UTC+2

Gold Knows the Path to Victory

Gold was not a market favorite following Donald Trump's victory in the November elections. In fact, it pulled back once the red wave became clear and the Republican's return

Marek Petkovich 10:55 2025-03-27 UTC+2

XAU/USD – Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to hold its intraday gains, trading near the weekly high around the $3036 level. This is due to several factors, including uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy

Irina Yanina 10:44 2025-03-27 UTC+2

Trump imposes new auto tariffs

The euro, the pound sterling, and other risk-sensitive assets tumbled yesterday following news that President Donald Trump had signed an executive order to impose a 25 percent tariff on imported

Jakub Novak 10:33 2025-03-27 UTC+2

EUR/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Today, the EUR/USD pair is gaining some positive traction, breaking a six-day losing streak. The bullish momentum is lifting spot prices toward the 1.0785 level, marking a new daily high

Irina Yanina 09:58 2025-03-27 UTC+2

Who Had Any Doubts? Trump Remains Committed to His Economic Course (GBP/USD May Fall, #SPX May Rise)

Despite the ongoing political maneuvering, U.S. President Donald Trump remains committed to his economic strategy. This approach aims to dismantle the long-standing global economic model in which the U.S. primarily

Pati Gani 09:21 2025-03-27 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.