OP Wire 3/4 (OP – Lite)

By Steve

Markets took a hit yesterday as Trump’s tariff bombshell sent shockwaves through equities. U.S. stock futures dipped early Tuesday, reversing gains from overnight, after Monday’s brutal sell-off saw the S&P 500 drop 1.8%, the Nasdaq sink 2.6%, and the Dow slide 1.5%.

Tariffs Shake the Markets

President Trump confirmed that Canada, Mexico, and China would face new trade penalties, killing any last-minute hopes for a delay. The tariffs include:

✅ 25% on all imports from Mexico
✅ 25% on non-energy goods from Canada
✅ 10% extra tax on Canadian energy
✅ 10%-15% additional tariffs on certain U.S. imports from China (starting March 10)

With Canada and Mexico accounting for over 40% of U.S. imports, economists warn that these tariffs could fuel inflation and push core consumer prices up 0.6%. The Fed is now forced to navigate a tricky situation, as higher costs may limit their ability to cut rates.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit back, announcing a 25% retaliatory tariff on $20 billion of U.S. goods, targeting beer, bourbon, wine, orange juice, and home appliances. If Trump’s tariffs stay for 21 days, another $86 billion worth of U.S. goods will be taxed by Canada.

China didn’t hold back either, calling Trump’s move “harmful and unreasonable” and announcing more tariffs on U.S. goods.

Markets reacted badly, with big-name stocks getting hammered and investors fleeing to bonds, gold, and other safe havens.

Target & Best Buy Earnings on Deck

On the earnings front, we have major retail reports coming in today:

📌 Target (TGT) and Best Buy (BBY) are set to announce results before the bell. Their forward guidance will be key in assessing the state of consumer spending amid these tariff pressures.

📉 Consumer confidence just hit a 15-month low, and spending fell for the first time in two years last month. The Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model just slashed its Q1 growth forecast from +2.3% to -2.8%, signaling a possible economic contraction.

Bitcoin & Crypto Get Slammed

🚨 Bitcoin is tumbling, extending Monday’s losses after Trump’s crypto reserve comments failed to spark lasting enthusiasm. BTC is now nearing its four-month low, dragging major altcoins down with it.

📈 Meanwhile, gold—a traditional safe-haven asset—saw gains, while the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso hit their lowest levels in a month. Oil prices also slid to near three-month lows.

What’s Next?

We’re heading into a high-volatility week with tariff-driven uncertainty, earnings, and major economic data releases, including Thursday’s GDP report and Friday’s Core PCE Price Index (the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge).

🔥 OP Trade Highlights 🔥

💰 COIN & WMT gains stacked yesterday from last week’s chat plays.

🎯 Today’s focus:

Scalping INTC calls
Adding to March 2026 INTC LEAPS

📡 AC&I Livestream is LIVE today! If you’re not in yet, now’s the time to plug in.

💬 Swing Trade Chat, Secret Sauce Live, and AC&I crushed it yesterday on the market flush—proof that having the right systems matters. If you want access, ask in chat or email Steve@optionsplayers.com.

🚀 See you all in chat! Let’s stack those gains.

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