Wall Street’s Uneasy Summer, Tariff Drama, & What Wall Street Won’t Tell You

The Money Wise guys are back with another episode, and they kick off the show with a rapid-fire recap of last week’s market moves. Markets were relatively calm this past week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down just 29 points (0.1%), the S&P 500 up 37 points (0.6%), and the NASDAQ gaining 310 points (1.5%). Year to date, the Dow is up 4.2%, the S&P 500 has climbed 7.1%, and the NASDAQ is up 8.2%. Despite hitting a new all-time high on Thursday, the S&P 500 continues to move in a sideways “cha-cha” pattern amid ongoing tariff uncertainty and mixed earnings results.

President Trump’s tariff deadlines and recurring comments about Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell kept investors on edge, though markets appear increasingly numb to the steady flow of trade-related headlines. The Money Wise guys note that while strong earnings reports emerged this week, they didn’t excite Wall Street as much as expected, perhaps due to high second-quarter gains setting an elevated bar for performance. Looking ahead, the last week of July could bring renewed volatility with earnings from key “Magnificent 7” tech stocks and the looming August 1 tariff deadline.

Wall Street’s Uneasy Summer

Wall Street is heading into an uneasy summer, with markets caught between optimism and uncertainty. Strong second-quarter gains have set high expectations for corporate earnings, yet investors seem hesitant to push stocks much higher amid a constant drumbeat of tariff threats and shifting Federal Reserve signals. Even as the S&P 500 hit a new all-time high this week, trading has been marked by a sideways, stop-and-go pattern. With key tech earnings on deck and an August 1 tariff deadline looming, the coming weeks could determine whether the summer calm gives way to renewed volatility, or sets the stage for the next leg of the rally.

In the second hour, the Money Wise guys give listenters a peek into what Wall Street Won’t Tell You. You don’t want to miss the details! Tune in for the full discussion on your favorite podcast provider or at davidsoncap.com, where you can also learn more about the Money Wise guys or take advantage of a portfolio review and analysis with Davidson Capital Management.