Corporate Earnings and Tariff Uncertainty Impact Markets This Week

Stocks Rebound Amid Tariff Uncertainty, Earnings and Data in Focus

Stocks ended last week higher despite a volatile period marked by fresh tariff developments.

The S&P 500 (GSPC) saw its best week in over a year, yet it remains down by 6% since President Trump's April 2 tariff announcement. Similarly, both the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) are off by around 5% during the same time frame.

This week, investors will continue to focus on any updates regarding tariffs. On Saturday, reports suggested that key tech products like smartphones, laptops, hard drives, and computer chips might be exempt from the tariffs, which could benefit major companies like Apple (AAPL) and Nvidia (NVDA).

However, President Trump quickly denied these reports, stating on Truth
Social that these products would still be subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs and would simply be moved to a different tariff "bucket".

He also mentioned ongoing investigations into semiconductors and the entire electronics supply chain under national security concerns.

Corporate earnings will also be in the spotlight, with major companies such as Goldman Sachs (GS), Bank of America (BAC), Citi (C), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), and Netflix (NFLX) expected to release their quarterly reports this week.

On the economic front, March's retail sales report, due Wednesday, will be another key data point that investors are watching closely.

Markets will be closed on Friday for Good Friday.
Last week saw a significant shift in tariff expectations. On Wednesday, President Trump announced a 90-day pause on many "reciprocal" tariffs, causing a sharp surge in the Nasdaq Composite, which rose over 12%.

However, the following day, the White House confirmed that the total tariffs on China would now reach 145%, including previously imposed duties. This
surprise announcement led to a 4.3% drop in the Nasdaq.

With the ongoing tariff uncertainty, Wall Street experts believe that this issue will continue to drive market fluctuations in the coming weeks.