?Recession? Tariffs? Relax.? -- Treasury Tells CEOs to Stop Panicking

GuruFocus
04-16

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just dropped a message for Corporate America: stop spiraling. In a pointed interview, Bessent told CEOs to quit obsessing over tariffs and regulatory fog. “We'll have clarity on tariffs, taxes, and deregulation within 90 days,” he said, brushing off fears that echo the 2017 tax reform panic. His comments come at a moment when top execs—from JPMorgan (JPM, Financial) chief Jamie Dimon to Goldman Sachs (GS, Financial) boss David Solomon—are ringing recession bells. But Bessent, a Wall Street veteran himself, isn't buying the doom. “It's their job to worry. Mine is to remind you: we've been here before.”

Underneath all the noise is a trade policy still in flux. The Trump administration paused most reciprocal tariffs earlier this month—except for China. Chinese imports are still getting hit with a massive 145% tariff. A blanket 10% duty also remains on all imports, though electronics—smartphones, chips, and laptops—escaped the worst. Or did they? Trump later clarified these goods will fall under a separate “Fentanyl Tariff,” not exempted after all. Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed a new semiconductor tariff is on the way, keeping tech investors on edge.

Consumers are already feeling it—and so are companies. Constellation Brands (STZ, Financial) CEO Bill Newlands warned that spending is cooling, especially on restaurants and packaged goods. Beer sales have flattened. The S&P 500 (SPY, Financial) has bounced slightly from its post-tariff lows but remains 12% off its February peak. Still, Bessent insists Wall Street is overreacting. “We're focused on Main Street,” he said. Translation? Stay the course. There's turbulence, yes—but don't confuse it for a crash landing.

免责声明:投资有风险,本文并非投资建议,以上内容不应被视为任何金融产品的购买或出售要约、建议或邀请,作者或其他用户的任何相关讨论、评论或帖子也不应被视为此类内容。本文仅供一般参考,不考虑您的个人投资目标、财务状况或需求。TTM对信息的准确性和完整性不承担任何责任或保证,投资者应自行研究并在投资前寻求专业建议。

热议股票

  1. 1
     
     
     
     
  2. 2
     
     
     
     
  3. 3
     
     
     
     
  4. 4
     
     
     
     
  5. 5
     
     
     
     
  6. 6
     
     
     
     
  7. 7
     
     
     
     
  8. 8
     
     
     
     
  9. 9
     
     
     
     
  10. 10