The sell-off in equities was not what investors expected when the Trump administration declared April 2 as "Liberation Day." The proposed tariffs instead sent the VIX index soaring into extreme fear territory. Technology stocks were hit hard, particularly the Magnificent Seven stocks. However, there is some evidence that this is as much of a sector rotation as a sell-off, with some consumer staples stocks moving higher.
The March jobs report was a bright spot, with the private sector adding significantly more jobs than forecast. However, that backward-looking data wasn’t enough to dilute the clear and present risk that a trade war presents to the global economy.
Next week will mark the start of a new earnings season. Reports from banks like JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) will be in focus next Friday and could set the short-term direction for stocks. In the meantime, risk-tolerant investors are looking for stocks to buy, and the MarketBeat analysts are here to help. Here are some of our most popular stories from this week.
