Tariff Turbulence: Navigating August Markets

Fresh news and strategies for traders. SPY Trader episode #1324.
The podcast reports on a market downturn in early August 2025, driven by renewed concerns over President Trump's sweeping tariffs (1041% on imports from 92 countries), mixed corporate earnings (Amazon's disappointing guidance contrasted with strong beats from Apple, Microsoft, and Meta), accelerating inflation, and a weakerthanexpected July jobs report. The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates in July, but a September rate cut is now anticipated. Investment advice includes cautious diversification, emphasizing defensive sectors like healthcare, consumer staples, and utilities. Selective tech investments (Microsoft), fixed income (core bonds, longterm Treasuries), and gold are also recommended to navigate the current volatility, with a focus on monitoring trade policy, Fed actions, and companyspecific news.