In this episode, Scott Becker breaks down seven key business stories, including market movement, rising U.S.-China tensions, how top companies are navigating tariffs, and more.
Chapter 1: What are the current market trends?
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast. We're thrilled today to be recording in front of a studio audience. We're going to talk through seven stories that we're watching this morning. First, the markets are flat today. They were down early, then up a little bit, relatively flat now. We'll see how that plays out.
Chapter 2: How are U.S.-China tensions affecting trade?
There's a lot of different data coming at the markets today, and we'll see what happens and how they end up. Second, regardless of how the markets end up today, it's likely to end up being a very good May as we've seen some recovery from the trade wars of April. It's amazing how quickly things go up and down. Third, President Trump is dialing up the rhetoric on China as they continue to clash.
Chapter 3: What is the latest on inflation rates?
He says that China has already violated the trade detente that was put together. They've got a clash over chips and what chips China can and can't buy, and more on chip manufacturing. They've also got conflicts around visas and a lot more. Fourth, good news is inflation just a little bit down. So that's good news.
Chapter 4: How are top companies managing tariffs?
Another thing that we're following is what we're finding is the best-run companies deal with the tariffs and the instability in Washington pretty well. So companies like Walmart, Costco seem to be doing just okay, notwithstanding all the tariff discussions and noise. Costco reported earnings. They had a nice quarter, and they project they're going to continue to do fine.
The flip side to that sixth is those companies that have been operated very poorly now use tariffs as sort of cover. So Gap is down 20% today in an okay quarter. What you see their CEO doing is talking about how tariffs are the biggest problem in the history of the world. And I don't disagree that if you're an importer of clothing from China, tariffs are a problem. There is no question about that.
The flip side is many of these companies that are the most Acutely talking about tariffs as the problem in the reporting as they do the quarter end reporting.
point to tariffs, and most of those companies are so poorly run to begin with that you can't tell if it's tariffs or if it's just bad management, but the CEOs seem to love to build a point to some external factor that is the cost of their trouble.
It reminds me, Seventh, of a year or two ago when every company that was a technology company to try and puff up their long-term prospects would talk about how they're bringing AI into everything they do. At the end of the day, it's just fascinating to watch. Again, Those are seven stories that we're watching today. Thank you for listening to the Becker Private Equity and Business Podcast.
Thank you very, very much.
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