Markets Wrap Up a Shaky Q1 & Elon Musk Sells ‘X’ To... 'xAI'

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Morning Brew Daily 29 min 3 speakers 3 chapters transcribed
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What is the weather like on the East Coast?

Toby Howell 0:33
Then we'll recap the wobbly first quarter Wall Street has had to kick off the year. It's Monday, March 31st. Let's ride.
Neal Freiman 0:46
What a difference 200 miles makes. On Saturday, New York City was in full-on summer mode as temperatures reached 80 degrees. But just above I-95, the weather could not have been any different. On the same day, people living in Boston were hit with freezing rain and temps in the mid-30s. That 45-degree temperature gap between Boston and New York City isn't just good material for small talk. It's history. Meteorologists said it was the widest temperature difference between the two cities on record. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, they couldn't decide which side to take per usual.
Toby Howell 1:18
I mean, it was snowing briefly in Boston. Meanwhile, you and me, Neil, we were golfing in short sleeves. The farmer's stands were coming out in droves. Really drives home what they say about Boston, though. New York prices, Chicago weather, Scranton culture.
Neal Freiman 1:33
Oh, you're doing Boston dirty. Now a word from our new sponsor, Tax Act. Toby, you look a little pale today. What is going on?
Toby Howell 1:41
Well, first of all, Neil, it's been winter, so I'm not exactly sun-kissed. But also, it's tax season. Needless to say, I'm a little nervous.
Neal Freiman 1:48
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Toby Howell 2:00
But Neil, you know me. I always have a million questions like, what if I miss deductions, credits, or something important?
Neal Freiman 2:06
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Toby Howell 2:18
Okay, that actually sounds way less stressful.
Neal Freiman 2:20
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Toby Howell 2:29
Wait, that's the exact nightmare I've been having.
Neal Freiman 2:30
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How did the Q1 markets perform?

Toby Howell 2:38
Today is the final trading day of Q1 and Wall Street's 2025 is off to a start you'd expect from the Chicago White Sox. Nothing has quite gone according to plan with the S&P 500 fresh off recording its fifth weekly loss in the past six weeks as it digested some less than stellar economic news. The tech-focused Nasdaq is also officially in correction territory as the Magnificent Seven has labored in Q1. But here are some other storylines as we look to close the chapter on the first three months of the year. First up, European stocks are suddenly hotter than Portuguese, period, period. After years of the US lapping the global pack, the playbook flipped in Q1. Tariff uncertainty weighed on American markets, while Europe's promise to boost defense spending sent local stocks flying. The S&P 500 now trails Europe's stocks index by nearly 17 percentage points, the biggest gap ever recorded, according to Bloomberg. One reason why the U.S.
Toby Howell 3:35
is now the global laggard, our MVPs, the magnificent seven mega cap stocks, are tossing up more bricks than Tennessee in the first half. Nvidia's down over 20% and Tesla's dropped more than 30%. In all, they have lost nearly $2 trillion in market cap so far in 2025. after driving half the gains for the S&P 500 last year. Still, there have been hints of good news. Other companies outside the Magnificent Seven are quietly thriving. One ETF excluding the big boys is actually up in 2025, albeit just over 1%. So Neil, I think the best way to sum up Q1 was that it was better spent doing anything other than looking at your brokerage account.

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