US stocks drop amid uncertainty over Trump's tariff plans
New York Post·2026-02-23 19:51

Group 1: Market Reaction to Tariff Changes - US stocks experienced a significant decline following the Supreme Court's cancellation of a key part of President Trump's tariff policy, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 800 points, or 1.6% [1] - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also fell by 1.2% and 1.3%, respectively, as investors reacted to the renewed trade tensions and potential AI losers [1][6] - The dollar slightly dipped, while gold prices increased by $100 to $5,226.90, indicating a shift towards safe-haven assets amid market uncertainty [4] Group 2: Impact of New Tariffs - President Trump announced a new 15% global tariff under Section 122, following the Supreme Court's ruling that eliminated broad import taxes [2][3] - This new tariff policy has raised concerns among global partners, leading the EU to pause the approval of a recent trade deal with the US [3] - Economists from Goldman Sachs noted that much of the trade disruption had already been factored into major companies' operations, suggesting limited immediate impact on business investment [5][9] Group 3: Sector-Specific Performance - AI-related stocks faced significant losses, with CrowdStrike falling 8.4% and AppLovin dropping 8.2%, as fears grew over competition from new AI technologies [6][7] - Major airline stocks also declined due to adverse weather conditions, with United, American, and Delta falling by 4.8%, 4.5%, and 3.5%, respectively [6] Group 4: Economic Outlook - The 10-year Treasury bill borrowing rate decreased to 4.03% from 4.08%, reflecting a shift in sentiment regarding future interest rate decisions [8] - Goldman Sachs' research indicated that the effects of tariffs on inflation and growth remain largely unchanged, with most of the cost passthrough to consumer prices having already occurred prior to the Supreme Court ruling [10]