After the markets closed Wednesday, President Donald Trump took to the White House lawn to reveal the details of his long-promised "Liberation Day" reciprocal tariffs.
Though the president brandished a display chart showing columns for "tariffs charged to the U.S.A. including currency manipulation and trade barriers" and "U.S.A. discounted reciprocal tariffs" for listed countries (set at a minimum of 10%), further details on the tariffs were scant.
It didn't take long for markets to respond Thursday, heading for their
The sharp decline triggered plenty of calls from worried clients to advisors, who began analyzing the possible impacts of the new tariffs, with some staying the course for the time being and others already adjusting.
'Worse than markets expected'
Chris Diodato, founder of
"I believe
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Diodato said clients from both sides of the aisle are upset by the economic news.
"A lot of my more right-leaning clients were hoping Trump would be more focused on border security and bringing down inflation rather than tariffs, which can be highly inflationary," he said.
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Jeff Krumpelman, chief investment strategist and head of equities at
"We've already been trimming Magnificent Seven and growth stocks in general and buying countercyclicals, defense in energy and utilities, U.S. and European health care and gold," he said. "Based on this, I will do more."
Jason DeLorenzo, owner and principal at
"Because of that, I think the short-term pain can be longer term than advertised," he said.
Advisors' strategic responses to the tariffs
Nick Davis, founder of Brindle & Bay Wealth Management at
"We view them as short-term political posturing, not enduring economic realities," he said. "Tariffs may grab headlines, but they don't rewrite the rules of long-term investing. Great companies have always adapted to changing policy landscapes — including tariffs — and continued to innovate, grow earnings, and deliver value over time. Our clients' portfolios are built to reflect their lifetime goals,
Diodato said he will be especially interested to hear the speech Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, is set to make Friday.
"The Fed blinked during the 2018 tariff panic and caused a huge stock market rally when they said they would be accommodative with monetary policy," he said. "Will they do this again?"
Thomas Van Spankeren, chief investment officer at
"We continue to see opportunities in market segments such as dividend-paying equities," he said.
Terri Spath, founder and chief investment officer at
"Do this by adding investments that have low, no or negative correlation to the U.S. exceptionalism theme that dominated strategy calls at the start of the year," she said.
DeLorenzo said his firm had already hedged for downside because of the tariffs, but they have risk-controlled accounts instead of classic accounts, "so this drop helps with business."
"Our funds are insured by put options, so clients are pleased that they chose these funds instead of classic funds that try to alleviate risk through diversification or dispersion," he said.
Erin Hadary, partner at
Diodato said he will look for indications of a recession before risk-shifting portfolios.
"The labor market and lending markets, proxied by high-yield spreads, are still in good shape, so I'm holding pat for now," he said. "The longevity of these policies is uncertain. A different president, which we will have in 2028, could revoke any and all tariffs. Therefore, I believe current tariff fallout will most likely be a short-term phenomenon."
Simeon Wallis, chief investment officer and partner at
"We're helping clients see beyond the noise: Tariffs may create near-term friction, but also open opportunities in sectors tied to domestic infrastructure, global capital shifts and inflation-resilient cash flows — all of which we're already emphasizing in our investment themes," he said. "If you own strong, durable assets and stay focused on what matters — cash flow, valuation and resilience — you can turn noise into an advantage."