Group 1 - US Treasury Secretary Becerra anticipates multiple trade agreements to be announced within 48 hours, indicating a busy period ahead [2] - President Trump’s pause on reciprocal tariffs is nearing its end, with negotiations ongoing with targeted countries [2] - The US stock market opened lower, with the Dow down 0.18%, S&P 500 down 0.3%, and Nasdaq down 0.49%, influenced by Tesla's significant drop of 7.6% due to CEO Musk's political ambitions [2] Group 2 - Morgan Stanley's economist Rajeev Sibal notes that trade negotiations typically take a long time, with US free trade agreements averaging three years to complete [4] - Stifel's strategist Barry Bannister predicts a 12.4% decline in the S&P 500 index in the second half of the year, forecasting a slowdown in core GDP growth and consumer spending [4] - Bannister highlights that the current market environment may lead to a re-emergence of "stagflation trades," similar to the market's performance during the first quarter of 2025 [5] Group 3 - Concerns over inflation and high interest rates are exacerbated by the Trump administration's protectionist policies, with Fed Chair Powell indicating that tariffs have influenced the decision to pause interest rate cuts [5] - In the current market context, Stifel's Bannister favors sectors such as consumer staples, utilities, and medical devices [5]