What started out as a bullish trend in the beginning of Q1 has devolved into a sharp reversal. It is hard to believe that our most recent all-time high on February 19 has turned so negative so quickly. Though it is due to a myriad of inter-related global political and economic factors, the cause can be summarized in one word: tariffs! The prospect of tariffs has put the global order into a state of uncertainty and the markets do not like uncertainty.
Klaus Baader, Global Chief Economist of Societe Generale, has summarized the key factors impacting the markets on Bloomberg TV. He retorted that there are “lots of moving parts” and a lot of “fluidity to U.S. policymaking” and it is “very, very difficult to get your head around” it. He identified the potential for “seismic dislocations” and felt that the U.S. administration is changing the global order in at least three respects: global trade system due to the tariffs, military and security setup, and fundamentally re-doing the shape of the U.S. Federal govt. His forecasts now show a “skew of risk dramatically moved to the downside.”
These shifts in global policy have clearly impacted risk assets. Most of the pullback in Q1 came from the high-flying growth and mega-cap tech sectors (i.e., the “Magnificent 7”, -15.7%) as well as small and mid-cap equities, though international developed equities bucked the trend. Per the table below, the S&P 500 (IVV) was down -4.2% during Q1, while small- and mid-cap equities (SCHA, -9.2% and SCHM, -5.2%) struggled. International (SCHF, 6.9%) and emerging market equities (SCHE, 3.5%) showed some strength while bonds were a refuge with core bonds (SCHZ, 2.7%) and short bonds (SLQD, 1.8%) providing modest positive Q1 returns.
My recent blog posts have highlighted the risks of equity markets and the prevalence of drawdowns and their eventual recoveries. As I said in my March 12, 2025 blog:
Though no one likes losses, long term investors have ALWAYS been rewarded with market returns reaching new all-time highs by ignoring volatility and holding through tough times. Though “they all seemed like the end of the world at the time”, markets have always recovered.