America’s exceptionalism at risk as debt concerns mount

It’s Thursday, and so far this week, US debt concerns have overshadowed Middle East optimism, trade tensions, and even a fresh all-time high for Bitcoin. The turning point was last Friday’s credit outlook downgrade by Moody’s, which was quickly followed by a political debate around the budget. In this episode we will dive into the guts of the US debt market, why US could afford to push its debt exponentially higher, why it could no longer do so, and what are the risks and alternatives.
In the markets, the surge in yields weighed heavily on equities. The S&P 500 dropped 1.6%, while the Nasdaq retreated 1.34%. On the earnings front, both Home Depot and Lowe’s reported better-than-expected results, and HD said it has no plans to raise prices due to tariffs, as about half of its products are sourced domestically. But other retailers are less shielded. Walmart previously stated it would raise prices in response to tariffs, while Target missed both Q1 revenue and earnings, cut its full-year guidance, and cited tariff uncertainty, weak consumer sentiment, and backlash from rolling back DEI initiatives in January.
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