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HSBC Strategists Slash U.S. Equity Overweight, Favor Global Markets

HSBC’s global strategists sharply reduced their overweight position in U.S. equities, reallocating toward emerging markets and European stocks as economic momentum abroad appears stronger. The shift reflects concerns about U.S. equity valuations and changing growth prospects, signaling cross-border flow impacts for market participants adjusting risk exposures.

Tariff Regime in Flux as Trump Replaces Struck-Down IEEPA Levies With 10–15% Section 122 Duties

Following a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated President Trump's broad emergency tariffs imposed under IEEPA, the administration swiftly replaced them with a 10% across-the-board import duty under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirming the rate will rise to 15% for certain trading partners. The legal and economic uncertainty is reverberating across equity, commodity, and currency markets.

Trump State of the Union Defends Tariff Regime, Vows Replacements After Supreme Court Setback

President Donald Trump delivered the longest televised State of the Union address in modern history on Tuesday evening, defending his sweeping tariff agenda and pledging to implement replacement levies under alternative legal authority following last week's Supreme Court ruling that struck down the majority of his IEEPA-based import taxes. Markets opened broadly higher Wednesday, suggesting investors interpreted the speech as providing policy clarity rather than fresh uncertainty.

Trump Imposes 10% Global Tariff Under Section 122, Rattling Markets and Prompting EU Warning

President Donald Trump has activated a 10% blanket tariff on imports from virtually every country under the rarely invoked Section 122 of U.S. trade law, following the Supreme Court's decision to strike down his earlier reciprocal tariff regime. The European Commission responded swiftly, warning that the new levies are not conducive to fair transatlantic trade and threatening retaliatory measures, sending major U.S. equity indexes sharply lower before a partial recovery on Tuesday.

Gilead Sciences to Acquire Arcellx for $7.8 Billion in Major CAR-T Cell Therapy Bet

Gilead Sciences announced Monday it will acquire Arcellx for $115 per share in cash plus a contingent value right of $5 per share, representing an implied equity value of $7.8 billion and an 87% premium to Arcellx's Friday closing price. The deal centers on anito-cel, an investigational BCMA-directed CAR-T therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma that has already received FDA acceptance of its Biologics License Application, with a regulatory decision expected by December 23, 2026.

U.S. Business Activity Growth Slows Significantly in February, Signals Economic Softening

New data from S&P Global shows that U.S. business activity expanded at the slowest pace in nearly a year in February, reflecting reduced manufacturing orders and slower services growth. While the economy remains in expansion territory, the slowdown could weigh on sentiment and corporate investment plans if the trend persists, particularly in cyclical sectors tied to industrial production and hiring.

Tax Foundation Report Confirms Tariffs as Largest Tax Hike Since 1993, Weighing on 2026 Outlook

A comprehensive analysis released today by the Tax Foundation reveals that the cumulative impact of recent US tariffs represents the largest tax increase as a share of GDP in over three decades. The report estimates an average annual burden of $1,300 per US household in 2026, with businesses and consumers bearing nearly 90% of the costs. This structural drag is increasingly reflected in the downward revision of earnings guidance across the industrial, consumer discretionary, and healthcare sectors.

Tariff Burden on U.S. Households Hits $1,300 as Corporate Guidance Flags Mounting Trade Policy Headwinds

Tax Foundation analysis confirms that President Trump's cumulative tariff regime now represents the largest U.S. tax increase as a share of GDP since 1993, imposing an average annual burden of $1,300 per household in 2026. With Goldman Sachs estimating American companies and consumers bear over three-quarters of tariff costs, earnings guidance across industrials, consumer discretionary, and healthcare is increasingly reflecting this structural drag on margins and consumer demand.

Stock Markets Close Mixed on Presidents' Day Eve as AI Disruption Concerns Offset Inflation Relief

U.S. equity markets ended Friday's session with minimal movement despite better-than-expected January inflation data, as the S&P 500 edged up 0.05% while the Nasdaq declined 0.22%. Persistent concerns about artificial intelligence disrupting business models across software, financial services, and logistics sectors prevented a sustained rally, with investors rotating into defensive stocks and rate-sensitive sectors ahead of the Presidents' Day holiday closure.