Weekly Talking Points for Financial Advisors (4/7/25)

Read the highlights of this week's commentary from Helios:

• This week, President Trump announced a 10% tariff on all US imports, with higher rates for certain countries, citing unfair trade. These “reciprocal tariffs” were higher and more extensive than anticipated, pushing the average US tariff rate near 22%, its highest level in more than a century.
• The announcement led to significant market declines:
  • The S&P 500 lost $5.4 trillion in market value over just two sessions, April 3 and 4.
  • The S&P 500 fell 9.1% for the week, including a 6% drop on Friday — the largest single-day decline since March 16, 2020, at the start of the pandemic.
  • The Nasdaq 100 is now in a bear market, down 21% from its all-time high.
• The US economy added 228,000 jobs in March, well above the 12-month average of 158,000, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2% as more people joined the labor force. Strong job growth has been encouraging, but markets remain focused on Trump’s new tariffs. The Fed now faces the challenge of balancing economic support with inflation control, though the solid labor data gives them some room to maneuver.

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