A wave of pessimism is sweeping across American households, as new data shows consumer confidence has plunged to its lowest level in over a year, with fears of inflation, stock market volatility and tariff-driven price hikes eroding <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s">optimism about the future.</a>



The Consumer Confidence Index fell by 7.2 points to 92.9, its fourth consecutive monthly decline and the lowest reading since late 2022, according to data released Tuesday by The Conference Board. 



The Expectations Index—a measure of how consumers see business, income and labor market conditions six months ahead—dropped to 65.2, well below the 80 threshold that typically signals a recession ahead. 



The gauge represents the lowest reading since 2013. "Consumers' expectations were especially gloomy, with pessimism about future business conditions deepening and confidence about future employment prospects falling to a 12-year low," said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist at The Conference Board.



The Present Situation Index, which gauges views on current economic conditions, also declined, falling from 138.1 to 134.5. 



While views on the labor market were stable—with 33.6% saying jobs were "plentiful" and only 15.7% saying jobs were "hard to get"—fewer consumers saw business conditions as positive. Only 17.7% said conditions were "good," compared with 19.1% in February.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Older Americans And High-Income Households Diverge</h3>



The decline in sentiment was broad-based across age and income groups, but it was most pronounced among Americans over 55. Confidence also slipped for those aged 35 to 54. 



Interestingly, consumers under 35 reported a small boost in confidence, driven by improved views of the current economic situation.



On the income front, sentiment deteriorated across nearly all income levels except for households earning above $125,000 annually. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tariffs, Eggs, Inflation: Consumers Feel The Squeeze</h3>



One of the most striking shifts came in inflation expectations. 



&#8220;Average 12-month inflation expectations rose again—from 5.8% in February to 6.2% in March—as consumers remained concerned about high prices for key household staples like eggs and the impact of tariffs," the report stated.



Write-in survey responses cited inflation and trade policy among the top concerns. 



The economic commentary from participants highlighted a growing fear that protectionist policies could further raise prices on goods ranging from electronics to appliances, leading some to consider buying now before prices surge.



"Intentions to buy big-ticket items—including appliances and electronics—ticked up, which may reflect plans to buy before impending tariffs lead to price increases," said Guichard.



Guichard said optimism about future income "largely vanished," adding that "worries about the economy and labor market have started to spread into consumers' assessments of their personal situations."



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Sentiment Turns Negative</h3>



Consumers' view of the stock market also deteriorated noticeably. Only 37.4% expected stock prices to rise over the next 12 months, down nearly 10 percentage points from February and 20 points from November 2024. 



Meanwhile, the share expecting a market decline surged to 44.5%, up 11 percentage points month-over-month.



This negative shift in market expectations coincided with continued volatility in equities during March, as investors grappled with sticky inflation data, mixed earnings, and rising geopolitical risk.



Earlier this month, the S&amp;P 500 index—as tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>)—entered correction territory after dropping more than 10% from its February peak.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Personal Finance Confidence Weakens</h3>



Consumers' outlook for their own income turned darker. Only 16.3% said they expected their incomes to rise over the next six months, down from 18.8% in February. Meanwhile, 15.5% expected their income to fall, a notable increase from 12.8%.



That pessimism was also reflected in the broader economic outlook. Just 17.1% expected business conditions to improve, while 27.3% expected them to worsen. Similarly, the percentage of people expecting more job opportunities dropped to 16.7%, while 28.5% anticipated a decrease in available jobs.



One potential explanation: Rising interest rate expectations. The share of consumers anticipating higher interest rates over the next year rose to 54.6%, up from 52.6% last month, while only 22.4% expect rates to decline.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Recession Fears Surge Among Consumers</h3>



The perceived probability of a U.S. recession in the next 12 months held steady at 67%, a level not seen since mid-2023. 



And while over 45% of consumers reported feeling confident in evaluating their own financial prospects, many struggled to assess broader economic trends. 



More than one-third said it was difficult to gauge employment and business conditions, and 38.8% had trouble predicting future inflation.



Consumer assessment over the risk of a recession is well above what speculators currently expect.



Kalshi, a CFTC-regulated betting platform, assigns 38% odds of a U.S. recession by the end of 2025.



<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://kalshi.com/external-widgets/events/RECSSNBER-25/markets/RECSSNBER-25?color_scheme=light&#038;widget_size=medium&#038;variant=a&#038;utm_campaign=benzinga_widget" width="488px" height="242px" style="border:0"></iframe>



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Consumer Confidence Falls To Lowest Since 2022 As Inflation, Tariff Worries Grow

On Tuesday, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek released its upgraded DeepSeek-V3-0324 model, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/content/43851567/deepseeks-r1-model-revolutionizes-ai-landscape-says-expert-franklin-burgess" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhancing reasoning and coding abilities</a>.



Available on Hugging Face, the <a target="_blank" href="https://huggingface.co/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3-0324" rel="noreferrer noopener">model</a> shows improved performance in technical benchmarks, intensifying competition with U.S. leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic.



The updated model has shown improvements across multiple benchmarks, particularly scoring 59.4 on the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, up from 39.6 in its predecessor, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3303798/deepseeks-upgraded-foundational-model-excels-coding-and-maths?firstTimeRegister=true" rel="noreferrer noopener">report </a>by the South China Morning Post.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44469333/alibabas-tsai-sounds-alarm-on-signs-of-ai-bubble-people-are-building-data-centers-on-speculation" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba&#8217;s Tsai Sounds Alarm On Signs Of AI Bubble In US: &#8216;People Are Building Data Centers On Speculation&#8217;</a>



It also gained 10 points on LiveCodeBench, reaching a score of 49.2. The new model, with 685 billion parameters, uses an MIT software license, unlike DeepSeek V3, which has 671 billion parameters and a commercial license.



Earlier this year, DeepSeek&#8217;s R1 model disrupted American tech supremacy, sparking debates about Big Tech&#8217;s significant investments in large <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/content/43851567/deepseeks-r1-model-revolutionizes-ai-landscape-says-expert-franklin-burgess" rel="noreferrer noopener">language models and data centers.</a>



R1 made waves with its performance and lower costs, but analysts reportedly believe DeepSeek&#8217;s biggest impact is encouraging the use of open-source AI models, CNBC <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/china-open-source-deepseek-ai-spurs-innovation-and-adoption.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>. This shift has been a key factor in the company&#8217;s influence on the industry.



Wei Sun, principal analyst at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC that DeepSeek&#8217;s success shows open-source strategies drive faster innovation and wider adoption, with many companies adopting the model. She also mentioned that R1 is influencing China&#8217;s AI scene, prompting major firms like Baidu to open-source their own LLMs in response.



Recently, Kai-Fu Lee, the former head of Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>)&nbsp;Google China and founder of AI startup&nbsp;01.AI, said that the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37179799/elon-musk-taunts-sam-altman-and-openai-over-open-image" rel="noreferrer noopener">rise of open-source AI</a> models like&nbsp;DeepSeek&nbsp;has exposed an existential risk to OpenAI&#8217;s business—and he&#8217;s pivoting his company accordingly.



He questioned the long-term sustainability of OpenAI&#8217;s business model, especially when competing against open-source projects that offer similar quality at a fraction of the cost.



Tim Wang, managing partner at Monolith Management, shared in an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/china-open-source-deepseek-ai-spurs-innovation-and-adoption.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview</a> with CNBC that models from companies like DeepSeek have been powerful enablers in China, showing how progress can be made with fewer resources.



He noted that open-source models have reduced costs, allowing for product innovation—an area where Chinese companies excel.



Wang compared this development to the &#8220;Android moment,&#8221; when Google&#8217;s decision to make its operating system&#8217;s source code available sparked innovation in the app ecosystem.



He added that the perception of China being 12 to 24 months behind the U.S. in AI has now shifted to just 3 to 6 months.



This shift in China&#8217;s AI landscape, driven by open-source models like DeepSeek, is changing global competition and challenging traditional business models.



Read Next:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/03/44465542/ai-investments-set-to-power-chip-revenue-boom-adoption-rises-among-large-companies-goldman-sachs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goldman Sachs Predicts $305 Billion AI Windfall While Adoption Remains Slow</a></li>
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China's DeepSeek Ups The Heat In OpenAI Rivalry, Upgrades V3 Model Improving Coding And Reasoning Capability

While President Donald Trump's rhetoric on tariffs has taken a noticeably softer tone in recent days, Goldman Sachs remains unmoved and says investors should brace for potentially <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/tariffs">unwelcome surprises on April 2.</a>



In a note shared Tuesday, Goldman Sachs economist Alec Phillips said markets may be caught off guard by Trump's approach, which appears designed to front-load tariff rates as a negotiation tactic. This echoes the administration's previous strategy on Mexico and Canada, where aggressive initial tariffs were later rolled back.



According to Phillips, the headline tariff rates could land far above investor expectations, potentially causing a shock for markets. 



Could The &#8216;Reciprocal Tariff&#8217; Be A Market Shock?



Despite recent media hints suggesting a narrower, more targeted approach, Goldman Sachs warns the risks lean toward a &#8220;negative surprise&#8221; for investors. According to a recent survey conducted by the bank, participants who expect a reciprocal tariff see an average rate of 9 percentage points. 



"We expect the initially proposed rate to be higher than the survey result, potentially closer to double what market participants expect," Phillips said in the report.



Goldman Sachs indicated Trump's team could propose a rate within the 15%–20% range—before moderating later.



This aggressive opening salvo could mirror past behavior. In 2018, the Trump administration initially imposed steep steel and aluminum tariffs before easing them for allies after a brief period. 



That tactic may return, especially given that the White House has openly stated that new tariffs are intended as a starting point for talks.



According to Phillips, the administration could propose higher rates at the outset, reinforcing the idea that the initial figures may not reflect the endgame—but could still jolt investors in the short term.



On Monday, Trump struck <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44464382/trump-hints-at-tariff-breaks-cheers-hyundai-21b-bet-with-louisiana-steel-plant-deal">a more conciliatory tone on tariffs,</a> saying, "I may give a lot of countries breaks on tariffs," though he also hinted at the magnitude of the potential measures: "They've charged us so much that I'm embarrassed to charge them what they've charged us. But it'll be substantial."



The remarks revived investor risk appetite, prompting a shift away from safe havens like bonds and gold toward riskier assets. The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose 1.8%, while the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) jumped 2% as tech stocks led the rally.



What Goes Into The Reciprocal Tariff Math?



According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 19 countries are currently under review for the reciprocal tariff framework. These nations account for 91% of U.S. imports, and 15 of them run trade surpluses with the U.S., representing 87% of imports.



Goldman Sachs indicates the new reciprocal tariff formula could be built on four components: import tariff differentials, non-tariff barriers, currency misalignments and foreign tax structures.



The investment bank estimates that tariff differentials between the U.S. and other countries stand at 1.3 percentage points, while non-tariff measures—such as regulatory hurdles or intellectual property restrictions—could add another 6 points on average, based on external studies.



On top of that, the administration might include controversial inputs such as value-added taxes and currency undervaluation. Trump has repeatedly cited VATs as unfair, despite them being standard fiscal tools across most economies. Currency misalignments, meanwhile, are tricky to quantify, but the administration could use thresholds to justify further rate hikes.



If all these components are included, Goldman Sachs expects the total increase in effective U.S. tariffs could reach 10 percentage points, up from just over 3 points. In a worst-case scenario, tariffs could rise by as much as 15 points.



Read now: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44460897/oil-prices-rally-exxon-hits-16-week-highs-as-trump-vows-25-tariffs-on-any-country-buying-venezuelan-crude">Oil Prices Rally, Exxon Hits 16-Week Highs As Trump Vows 25% Tariffs On Any Country Buying Venezuelan Crude</a></li>
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Trump's Tariff Rates Could Be 'Double What Market Participants Expect,' Goldman Sachs Warns

Elon Musk's Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) has something to cheer about in China, with weekly insured registrations hitting 17,300, marking the highest point this year.



What Happened: This increase aligns with the ramped-up production of the refreshed Model Y, as highlighted in a post on X by Future Fund LLC Managing Partner Gary Black on Tuesday.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">In today's pre-mkt summary for Subscribers: <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24TSLA&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$TSLA</a> China weekly insured registrations hit 17.3K, a YTD high as refreshed Model Y production ramps higher; TSLA Europe Feb sales decline of -47% not relevant given severely limited Model Y inventory as TSLA changes over to new Model…&mdash; Gary Black (@garyblack00) <a href="https://twitter.com/garyblack00/status/1904456879192903894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



In contrast, <a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44468724/teslas-market-share-shrinks-in-europe-despite-the-regions-rising-ev-demand-registration-declines-when-undertaking-a-model-changeover-says-analyst">Tesla&#8217;s European sales</a> have seen a 47% decline in February, primarily due to the limited availability of the Model Y during its transition to the new Model Y Juniper version, according to Black.



Additionally, former President Donald Trump has proposed &#8220;secondary tariffs,&#8221; a strategy designed to penalize<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/03/44468587/trump-announces-auto-tariffs-are-imminent-but-some-countries-might-receive-exemptions"> nations purchasing oil and gas from Venezuela</a>.



Why It Matters: Tesla&#8217;s recent achievement in China comes at a time when the company is facing multiple challenges globally.



See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44469620/elon-musks-spacex-is-preparing-new-starlink-dishes-offering-gigabit-speeds-report"> Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX Prepares To Launch New Starlink Dish Promising Gigabit Internet Speeds: Report</a>



In Europe, Tesla&#8217;s market share has been shrinking despite a growing demand for electric vehicles. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Tesla&#8217;s sales in Europe have dropped by 42.6% this year, with its market share falling to 1.8% from 2.8% last year.



The situation is compounded by a forecast from JPMorgan analysts predicting a potential<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/25/03/44466839/more-bad-news-for-elon-musk-as-top-analyst-forecasts-stock-price-falling-by-as-much-as-50"> 50% drop in Tesla&#8217;s stock price</a>. This comes after Tesla&#8217;s stock lost $127 billion in value in a single day of trading in early March.



Furthermore, Tesla owners could face<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44432174/tesla-owners-might-have-to-pay-more-for-insurance-amid-a-surge-in-attacks-on-elon-musk-led-ev-giants-vehicles-expert"> increased insurance premiums</a> due to a surge in vandalism against their vehicles, as reported by experts. Despite claims by Elon Musk and Donald Trump of<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44455245/tesla-vandalism-no-coordinated-efforts-detected-experts-dispute-elon-musk-and-trumps-allegations"> coordinated attacks</a>, law enforcement agencies have found no evidence supporting these allegations.



Adding to the challenges, Nova Scotia has joined other Canadian provinces in<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/03/44452731/nova-scotia-joins-other-canadian-provinces-in-excluding-elon-musks-tesla-from-ev-rebate-program"> excluding Tesla from their electric vehicle rebate programs</a>, further impacting the company&#8217;s market presence.



Tesla holds a momentum rating of 84.01% and a growth rating of 67.94%, according to<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/report/TSLA"> Benzinga's Proprietary Edge Rankings</a>. The Benzinga Growth metric evaluates a stock&#8217;s historical earnings and revenue expansion across multiple timeframes, prioritizing both long-term trends and recent performance. For an in-depth report on more stocks and insights into growth opportunities,<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/screener/top-momentum-stocks"> sign up for Benzinga Edge.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="837" height="145" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/25075934/Tesla-Edge-1-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-840325" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/25075934/Tesla-Edge-1-1.jpg 837w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/25075934/Tesla-Edge-1-1-300x52.jpg 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/25075934/Tesla-Edge-1-1-768x133.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 837px) 100vw, 837px" /></figure>



Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility"> following this link.</a>



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/03/44468587/trump-announces-auto-tariffs-are-imminent-but-some-countries-might-receive-exemptions">Trump Announces Auto Tariffs Are Imminent But Some Countries Might Receive Exemptions</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



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Tesla's China Weekly Insured Numbers Hit New Year-To-Date High: Gary Black Says TSLA's Europe Sales Decline Not Relevant

On Tuesday, at Capital Markets Day 2025, Shell PLC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHEL#NYSE">SHEL</a>) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/03/g44468818/shell-accelerates-strategy-to-deliver-more-value-with-less-emissions" rel="noreferrer noopener">disclosed several strategic updates and investments</a>.



The company plans to increase shareholder distributions from 30%-40% to 40%-50% of cash flow from operations (CFFO) throughout economic cycles.



In particular, the company expects to focus on share buybacks while maintaining a 4% annual progressive dividend policy.



Shell plans to prioritize high-margin growth in its Mobility and Lubricants businesses.



The company also seeks to capitalize on its competitive advantages by developing profitable and scalable ventures in low-carbon energy, with up to 10% of capital allocated to these initiatives by 2030.



Moreover, Shell plans to enhance its Chemicals division by pursuing U.S. partnerships, optimizing European operations, and reducing capital commitments while boosting returns by 2030.



Shell has raised its structural cost reduction target from $2-3 billion by the end of 2025 to a cumulative $5-7 billion by 2028, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">based on 2022 levels</a>.



Shell plans to invest for growth while reducing annual capital expenditures to $20 billion-$22 billion for the period of 2025-2028.



The company also aims to increase free cash flow per share by over 10% annually through 2030.



Shell plans to strengthen its leadership in liquefied natural gas (LNG) by increasing sales by 4%-5% annually through 2030.



Also, the company intends to expand overall production across its Upstream and Integrated Gas sectors by 1% per year while maintaining daily liquid production at 1.4 million barrels, with a focus on lowering carbon intensity.



Last week, Shell&#8217;s subsidiary, Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda., made the Final Investment Decision (FID)&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/25/03/44435971/shell-announces-final-investment-decision-for-major-brazil-oil-field-set-for-120000-barrels-day" rel="noreferrer noopener">for the Gato do Mato project</a>.



The project is a deep-water initiative located in the pre-salt region of the Santos Basin offshore Brazil.



Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Precidian ETFs Trust Shell plc ADRhedged (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHEH#BATS">SHEH</a>) and&nbsp;Abacus FCF Real Assets Leaders ETF&nbsp;(BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABLD#BATS">ABLD</a>).



Price Action: SHEL shares are up 1.68% at $72.48 premarket at the last check Tuesday.



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43471546/shell-resumes-north-sea-production-with-first-new-fpso-in-over-20-years" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shell Resumes North Sea Production With First New FPSO In Over 20 Years</a></li>
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Shell Unveils New Strategy: Higher Buybacks, Cost Cuts And 10% Annual Free Cash Flow Growth

Alibaba Group Holding&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) Chairman Joe Tsai has expressed apprehension about a potential bubble in the AI data center construction sector. 



What Happened: At&nbsp;the HSBC Global Investment Summit&nbsp;in Hong Kong, Tsai cautioned that the rapid expansion of data centers could surpass the early demand for artificial intelligence (AI) services. He pointed out the reckless rush by tech firms, investment funds, and other entities to set up server bases from the U.S. to Asia, potentially leading to numerous projects being developed without a well-defined customer base, reported the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3303769/some-ai-related-bets-are-speculative-and-creating-bubble-alibabas-tsai-says">South China Morning Post</a>.



&#8220;People are talking literally about $500 billion, several $100 billion [projects]. I don't think that is entirely necessary,&#8221; Tsai stated. The Alibaba Chair spoke specifically about the AI investments in the U.S.



"I start to get worried when people are building data centers on speculation,&#8221; Tsai added.



Major tech companies like&nbsp;Microsoft Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and&nbsp;SoftBank Group Corp.&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) are investing billions in AI development. Alibaba itself has plans to invest over 380 billion yuan ($70 billion) in AI&nbsp;within the next three years.



Tsai voiced concerns about projects seeking funding without first securing uptake agreements. He specifically pointed out the heavy spending by US companies like&nbsp;Amazon.com, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>),&nbsp;Alphabet Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), and&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) on AI infrastructure.



SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44468827/palantir-market-cap-surges-over-50-billion-in-2025-wont-be-a-seller-says-analyst-as-he-foresees-pltr-as-a-play-on-global-economy-and-ai">Palantir Market Cap Surges Over $50 Billion In 2025: Won&#8217;t Be A &#8216;Seller,&#8217; Says Analyst As He Foresees PLTR As An AI Play</a>



Why It Matters: Tsai&#8217;s concerns resonate with &nbsp;Edward Yardeni, the President of Yardeni Research who stated that the "AI bubble" <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44371661/ai-bubble-bursting-magnificent-7s-profit-margins-face-pressure-as-capital-spending-can-tumble-in-2025">could be "bursting.&#8221;</a> He stated, "The fear now is that open-source large language models (LLMs) like DeepSeek and Manus, developed in China, require much less powerful semiconductors to operate."



"If so, then AI capital spending will tumble along with the profit margins on AI systems," warned Yardeni.



In February, TD Cowen analysts noted that Microsoft is canceling some U.S. data center leases, raising concerns about potential overinvestment in AI computing capacity.



However, Goldman Sachs analysts predict that AI-related investments in chips and hardware could add $305 billion in revenue by the end of 2025. The analysts also noted that while <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/03/44465542/ai-investments-set-to-power-chip-revenue-boom-adoption-rises-among-large-companies-goldman-sachs">tech giants</a> are investing heavily in AI infrastructure, leading to a significant semiconductor revenue boom, most companies are still in the early stages of adoption.



Given these factors, Tsai&#8217;s warning about a potential bubble in data center construction is significant and warrants attention from investors and tech companies alike.



Alibaba holds a momentum rating of 96.04% and a growth rating of 73.41%, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/report/BABA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga&#8217;s Proprietary Edge Rankings</a>. The Benzinga Momentum metric measures a stock's relative strength based on its price movement patterns and volatility over multiple timeframes, ranked as a percentile against other stocks. For an in-depth report on more stocks and insights into growth opportunities,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/screener/top-momentum-stocks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sign</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/screener/top-momentum-stocks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">up for Benzinga Edge.</a>



<ul>
<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44469082/hyundai-announces-21-billion-us-investment-amid-tariff-pressure-trump-calls-it-vindication-of-his-administrations-use-of-levies">Hyundai Announces $21 Billion US Investment Amid Tariff Pressure: Trump Calls It Vindication Of His Administration&#8217;s Use Of Levies</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

BABA

SFTBY

Alibaba's Tsai Sounds Alarm On Signs Of AI Bubble In US: 'People Are Building Data Centers On Speculation'

Financial markets are experiencing a rare simultaneous downturn of the S&amp;P 500 tracked by SPDR S&amp;P 500 (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and the U.S. Dollar Index, echoing patterns last seen during the 2008 financial crisis. Recent data reveals a parallel decline that has sparked investor attention and raised <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44447947/big-short-investor-danny-moses-warns-of-economic-risks-from-elon-musks-doge-induced-federal-job-cuts">questions about economic stability</a>.



What Happened: In December 2024, the S&amp;P 500 Index stood at 5,881 before dropping to 5,767 by Mar. 24, representing a 1.93% decline. Simultaneously, the dollar index fell from 108 to 104, a 3.70% reduction. 



This synchronized retreat mirrors a similar occurrence in 2008, when the S&amp;P 500 declined 9.94% and the dollar index dropped 7.61% between December 2007 and March 2008.



The current market landscape is characterized by growing recession concerns. Goldman Sachs has increased its recession likelihood forecast from 15% to 20%, while a Bank of America survey indicates that 55% of fund managers perceive a global recession as <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/mid-cap/25/03/44449090/recession-fears-escalate-as-economists-identify-warning-signs-will-materialize-as-early-as-july">a primary market risk</a>.



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44468827/palantir-market-cap-surges-over-50-billion-in-2025-wont-be-a-seller-says-analyst-as-he-foresees-pltr-as-a-play-on-global-economy-and-ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Palantir Market Cap Surges Over $50 Billion In 2025: Won't Be A ‘Seller,' Says Analyst As He Foresees PLTR As An AI Play</a>



Why It Matters: Economic indicators present a mixed picture. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose to 0.18 in February from -0.08 in January, and the S&amp;P Global Services PMI climbed to 54.3 in March from 51 in February. However, the manufacturing PMI declined to 49.8, signaling <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44468629/dow-jumps-around-600-points-as-recession-fears-ease-investor-fear-eases-fear-greed-index-moves-to-fear-zone">potential economic challenges</a>.



Investor sentiment remains cautious, with the CNN Money Fear and Greed Index moving to the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone at 27.9, reflecting <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44468629/dow-jumps-around-600-points-as-recession-fears-ease-investor-fear-eases-fear-greed-index-moves-to-fear-zone">underlying market uncertainty</a>. 



Economists like David Rosenberg warn that a recession could materialize as early as July, pointing to factors such as increased household debt and <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/mid-cap/25/03/44449090/recession-fears-escalate-as-economists-identify-warning-signs-will-materialize-as-early-as-july">struggling small- and mid-cap stocks</a>.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44468737/satya-nadella-says-speed-scale-and-frequency-of-cyberattacks-outpacing-capabilities-of-human-defenders-as-microsoft-unveils-ai-security-agents" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Satya Nadella Says ‘Speed, Scale And Frequency' Of Cyberattacks Outpacing Capabilities Of Human Defenders As Microsoft Unveils AI Security Agents</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

S&P 500, Dollar Index Decline Together For 1st Time Since 2008 Financial Crisis

U.S. stock futures declined on Tuesday, after advancing for two consecutive sessions on Friday and Monday.



Futures of major benchmark indices were lower in premarket trading, signaling some profit-taking after two days of advances.



President Donald Trump said Monday that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/03/44468587/trump-announces-auto-tariffs-are-imminent-but-some-countries-might-receive-exemptions">automobile tariffs are imminent</a>, though not all will take effect by April 2. During a White House briefing, he suggested some countries may be exempt but provided no details, per Reuters. 



He also introduced a 25% tariff on nations purchasing Venezuelan oil or gas, impacting global prices. A White House official stated that the timeline for industry-specific tariffs, including those on automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductor chips, remains unclear.



The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.35%, while the two-year yield was at 4.05%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is an 89.2% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep the interest rates unchanged during its May meeting. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>-0.31%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.18%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.15%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.49%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, dropped in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was down 0.11% to $573.44, while the QQQ declined 0.24% to $489.50, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Cues From Last Session:



Consumer discretionary, communication services, and industrials led a broad market rally on Monday, driving U.S. stocks higher.



Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) saw significant jumps, with Tesla up around 12%. This optimism was fueled by President Trump&#8217;s softened stance on tariffs ahead of the April 2, 2025 deadline, and strong March service sector data.



Specifically, the S&amp;P Global Services PMI climbed to 54.3, and the Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose to 0.18. However, the S&amp;P Global U.S. Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.8, and utility stocks closed slightly lower, bucking the overall positive trend.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>2.27%</td><td>18,188.59</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>1.76%</td><td>5,767.57</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>1.42%</td><td>42,583.32</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>2.55%</td><td>2,109.38</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts:



As the market has rebounded after Trump&#8217;s softer stance on tariffs, &#8220;Recent calm suggests advisors may have persuaded Trump to hold off the worst, but clarity is essential,&#8221; said senior economist Jeremy Siegel.



&#8220;A clear and measured tariff plan—particularly if it avoids broad retaliation—could trigger a strong relief rally,&#8221; he added.



Market watchers are keenly focused on international trade, with April 2nd emerging as a pivotal date, according to Siegel. The anticipated release of President Trump&#8217;s reciprocal tariff plans on that day holds the potential to either alleviate or exacerbate existing trade war concerns, he noted.



Siegel emphasized that the recent 10% equity downturn from December&#8217;s peaks underscores the significant investor apprehension surrounding unpredictable tariff announcements and their potential to destabilize global market sentiment.



Talking about the Federal Reserve&#8217;s commentary last week, Siegel added, &#8220;Fed Chair Powell's tone emphasized flexibility, dismissing long-term inflation fears tied to tariffs, and citing evidence from the financial markets muted long-term expectations. It's no surprise equities liked that combination from Powell, but sentiment remains jittery on tariff side.&#8221;



According to Kathy Jones, managing director and chief fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, the markets were stuck in a range amid policy uncertainty.



&#8220;Some of the proposed policies are expected to slow growth such as tariffs and limits on immigration, while tax cuts and deregulation could boost growth. Similarly, some policies are likely to raise inflation pressures while slower growth could reduce them. With the Fed on hold amid the policy &#8216;uncertainty,&#8217; the market is stuck in a range.&#8221;



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures </a>



Upcoming Economic Data



Here&#8217;s what investors will keep an eye On Tuesday:



<ul>
<li>The S&amp;P Case-Shiller home price index for 20 cities is scheduled to be released at 9 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Consumer confidence and new home sales data are scheduled to be released at 10 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul>
<li>Core &amp; Main Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CNM#NYSE">CNM</a>) was up 2.30% in premarket on Monday ahead of its earnings before the opening bell. Analysts expect quarterly earnings of 36 cents per share on the revenue of $1.67 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>GameStop Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NYSE">GME</a>) was 0.27% higher as Wall Street expects it to report earnings of 8 cents per share on revenue of $1.48 billion after the closing bell.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Worthington Enterprises Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOR#NYSE">WOR</a>) slipped 0.15% ahead of its earnings after the closing bell. Analysts expect quarterly earnings of 71 cents per share on revenue of $285.54 million.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>KB Home. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBH#NYSE">KBH</a>) slumped 9.37% after reporting weaker-than-expected first-quarter results after the closing bell on Monday. KB Home said it expects full-year 2025 housing revenue to be in the range of $6.6 billion to $7 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Trump Media &amp; Technology Group Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DJT#NASDAQ">DJT</a>) surged 9.80% after it announced a partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com to introduce a series of exchange-traded funds.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>WANG &amp; LEE GROUP Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WLGS#NASDAQ">WLGS</a>) plunged 7.31% after the company announced the pricing of a $12.0 million registered direct offering.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>23andMe Holding Co. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ME#NASDAQ">ME</a>) dropped 5.77% after the company announced it had initiated voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy to pursue a strategic sale and secured $35M in DIP financing.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PROP#NASDAQ">PROP</a>) spiraled 19.45% after it priced a $38.5 million public offering of common stock at $4.50 per share, with net proceeds expected to be approximately $35.4 million. Underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase an additional $5.8 million in shares.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Atomera Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ATOM#NASDAQ">ATOM</a>) plummeted 15.94% following the resignation of VP Shawn Thomas, effective March 28, 2025.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.52% to hover around $69.48 per barrel.



Gold Spot US Dollar gained 0.26% to hover around $3,019.99 per ounce. Its previous record high stood at $3,057.51 per ounce.



Asian markets closed on a mixed on Tuesday. China&#8217;s CSI 300, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and South Korea's Kospi index fell in trade. Whereas, India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex, Japan's Nikkei 225, and Australia's ASX 200 index advanced. European markets were mostly higher in early trade.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44468827/palantir-market-cap-surges-over-50-billion-in-2025-wont-be-a-seller-says-analyst-as-he-foresees-pltr-as-a-play-on-global-economy-and-ai">Palantir Market Cap Surges Over $50 Billion In 2025: Won&#8217;t Be A &#8216;Seller,&#8217; Says Analyst As He Foresees PLTR As An AI Play</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Market Summary

Futures

Federal Reserve

Pre-Market Outlook

Trading Ideas

ATOM

NVDA

PROP

WLGS

US Stocks Likely To Open Lower After 2-Day Advance: Clear And Measured Tariff Plan Could 'Trigger A Strong Relief Rally,' Says Expert

Leading cryptocurrencies continued the upper march Monday as President Donald Trump hinted at tariff reprieve for some countries.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>+1.57%</td><td>$87,627.82</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+3.84%</td><td>$2,091.44</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+5.89%</td><td>$0.1844</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



What Happened: Bitcoin sailed above $88,750 in early trading, its highest in over two weeks, before retreating to the $87,000 region late evening.



Ethereum breached $2,100 following a nearly 4% jump in the last 24 hours.



The rally hit bearish traders as over $158 million in short positions was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the past 24 hours.&nbsp;



A further $600 million in shorts risked liquidation if Bitcoin breaches the $90,000 mark.



Bitcoin's Open Interest jumped 4.17% in the last 24 hours, reaching its highest level in a month. Interestingly, nearly 54% of Binance traders were positioned short as of this writing, suggesting that traders eyed a pullback.



The market sentiment remained in the "Fear" zone, according to the Crypto Fear and Greed Index.



Top Gainers (24-Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Four (FORM)</td><td>+24.26%</td><td>$2.42</td></tr><tr><td>Berachain (BERA)</td><td>+16.22%</td><td>$7.89</td></tr><tr><td>Cronos (CORO)</td><td>+13.65%</td><td>$0.09214</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.87 trillion, following an increase of 1.70% in the last 24 hours.



Stocks started the fresh trading week on a strong note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 597.97 points, or 1.42%, to close at 42,583.32. The S&amp;P 500 spiked 1.76%, ending at 5,767.57. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed 2.27% higher at 18,188.59.



The rally came after Trump hinted that "a lot of countries" <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44464382/trump-hints-at-tariff-breaks-cheers-hyundai-21b-bet-with-louisiana-steel-plant-deal">may get tariff relief</a>. He reiterated that reciprocal tariffs are expected to be announced on Apr. 2, but indicated some flexibility.



See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-scanners">Best Cryptocurrency Scanners</a>



Analyst Notes: Influential cryptocurrency analyst and trader Rekt Capital highlighted Bitcoin's attempts at reclaiming $88,451 as support.



"Reclaim the 21-EMA as support and Bitcoin will be able to break out to ~$93,500," the analyst projected.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BTC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BTC</a> Bitcoin is now knocking on the door of the 21-Week EMA (green), trying to reclaim it as support to confirm even more upside Reclaim the 21-EMA as support and Bitcoin will be able to breakout to ~$93500<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Crypto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Crypto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://t.co/pzB0n0ig1a">https://t.co/pzB0n0ig1a</a> <a href="https://t.co/wvAsPpL4Ow">pic.twitter.com/wvAsPpL4Ow</a>&mdash; Rekt Capital (@rektcapital) <a href="https://twitter.com/rektcapital/status/1904203050186575940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Popular on-chain blockchain analytics firm CryptoQuant, however, cautioned about the leverage-driven Bitcoin pump.



With Open Interest hitting record levels amid BTC's surge to $87,500, the risk of liquidation cascades also increased, CryptoQuant stated.



"If the rally continues, the FOMO could fuel a parabolic move. But if bulls lose control, expect a sharp correction as over-leveraged positions get wiped out."



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">BTC Market Alert: Leverage-driven pump "Open Interest (OI) hit record levels above $32B as BTC price surges near $87.5K. But here&#39;s the catch: High OI + Rapid Price Increase = Risk of Liquidation Cascades!" – By <a href="https://twitter.com/IT_Tech_PL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IT_Tech_PL</a> Full post &#x2935;&#xFE0F;<a href="https://t.co/BzEOKHgPLI">https://t.co/BzEOKHgPLI</a> <a href="https://t.co/DHL0MGedSR">pic.twitter.com/DHL0MGedSR</a>&mdash; CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/cryptoquant_com/status/1904153765042585833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Photo by SvetlanaParnikova on Shutterstock



Read Next:    



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/03/44452813/arthur-hayes-predicts-bitcoin-to-hit-110k-before-retesting-76-5k-cites-feds-policy-pivot">Arthur Hayes Predicts Bitcoin To Hit $110K Before Retesting $76.5K, Cites Fed&#8217;s Policy Pivot</a></li>
</ul>

Cryptocurrency

$BTC

$DOGE

$ETH

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Match Stocks Rally As Trump Hints At Tariff Relief: Top Analyst Projects BTC's Breakout To $93,500 If This Level Is Reclaimed

On Monday, Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest made significant trades, notably increasing its stake in Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>). This move comes amid Baidu&#8217;s recent advancements in artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a formidable player in the tech industry.



The Baidu Trade



Ark Invest&#8217;s purchase of Baidu Inc. shares on Monday was executed through its ARK Autonomous Technology &amp; Robotics ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKQ#BATS">ARKQ</a>) and ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKW#NYSE">ARKW</a>). The funds acquired 44,623 and 84,828 shares respectively, totaling 129,451 shares. With Baidu&#8217;s closing price at $95.87, the investment amounts to approximately $12.41 million. This acquisition aligns with Baidu&#8217;s <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44349635/baidu-says-its-new-ai-is-smarter-than-deepseeks-and-costs-half-as-much-excellent-multimodal-understanding-ability">recent unveiling</a> of its advanced AI models, ERNIE X1 and ERNIE 4.5, which aim to challenge leading competitors like OpenAI and DeepSeek. 



Other Key Trades:



<ul>
<li>Beam Therapeutics Inc &#8211; Ark Invest purchased 120,217 shares through ARKK and 22,946 shares via ARKG.</li>



<li>UiPath Inc &#8211; A total of 161,225 shares were sold by ARKQ and 81,861 shares by ARKK.</li>



<li>Iridium Communications Inc. &#8211; Acquired 120,343 shares through ARKK, 12,420 shares through ARKQ and 7,839 shares through ARKX.</li>



<li>Roblox Corp &#8211; Sold 78,406 shares by ARKW.</li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/03/44466804/ray-dalio-jeffrey-sachs-tapped-to-advise-indonesian-sovereign-wealth-fund-during-economic-fallout">Ray Dalio, Jeffrey Sachs Tapped To Advise Indonesian Sovereign Wealth Fund During Economic Fallout</a></li>
</ul>



This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

ARKQ

ARKW

BIDU

Cathie Wood Bets On Baidu As Chinese AI Buzz Intensifies, Ark Loads Up On $12.4 Million Worth Of Stock

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed further improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index moved to the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Monday.



U.S. stocks settled higher on Monday, with the Dow Jones index jumping nearly 600 points during the session. The broad-market S&amp;P 500 reported gains last week after recording losses for four straight weeks. The Nasdaq gained 0.2%, while the Dow added 1.2% during the week.



President Donald Trump's softer tone on potential tariffs ahead of the looming April 2, 2025 deadline helped calm nerves. Adding to the optimism, fresh business surveys showed a strong rebound in services activity in March, easing recession worries.



The Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose to 0.18 in February versus a reading of -0.08 in January. The S&amp;P Global services PMI climbed to 54.3 in March from 51 in February. The S&amp;P Global US Manufacturing PMI declined to 49.8 in March versus 52.7 in the previous month.



Shares of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), which have dipped for nine consecutive weeks, gained around 12% on Monday. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) each jumped more than 3% during the session.



Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a positive note, with consumer discretionary, communication services, and industrials stocks recording gains on Monday. However, utility stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session slightly lower.



The Dow Jones closed higher by around 598 points to 42,583.32 on Monday. The S&amp;P 500 rose 1.76% to 5,767.57, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.27% at 18,188.59 during Monday's session.



Investors are awaiting earnings results from Core &amp; Main, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CNM#NYSE">CNM</a>), GameStop Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NYSE">GME</a>), and Worthington Enterprises Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOR#NYSE">WOR</a>) today.



What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?



At a current reading of 27.9, the index moved to the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Monday, versus a prior reading of 23.4.



The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.



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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Dow Jumps Nearly 600 Points As Recession Fears Ease, Tesla Rallies 12%: Greed Index Moves To 'Fear' Zone

The Donald Trump administration&#8217;s national security team accidentally leaked highly sensitive war plans to a journalist, exposing a major security breach in their communication practices.



What Happened: On Monday, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/">revealed</a> that he was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat discussing imminent military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.&nbsp;



The group purportedly included Michael Waltz, the national security adviser, Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, and other high-ranking officials, including an account that appeared to represent Vice President JD Vance, who shared operational details about the upcoming attack.



Goldberg was added to the group by Hegseth.



The person in the chat identified as Vance appeared to balk at the idea of helping European allies. He wrote, &#8220;I just hate bailing Europe out again.&#8221;



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44408839/trump-will-sign-an-order-to-dismantle-the-department-of-education-on-thursday-report">Trump Will Sign An Order To Dismantle The Department Of Education On Thursday: Report</a>



Goldberg also received detailed information about weapons packages, targets, and the timing of the strikes two hours before they occurred, courtesy of the group chat.



Despite his initial skepticism about the chat&#8217;s authenticity, the journalist realized its legitimacy when the attacks unfolded as described in the messages.



Surprisingly, even after leaving the chat, Goldberg said that no one seemed to notice that an unauthorized person was included in the chat.



When he sent emails to these officials to verify the authenticity of the chat and ask if Signal was used to share "sensitive information" regularly, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes responded, confirming that the Signal group was real.



Meanwhile, William Martin, a spokesperson for Vice President Vance, sought to dispel any notion of discord, asserting that the vice president remains fully aligned with the president.



This came after Goldberg noted that in the Signal chat, Vance expressed reservations about the timing and potential economic impact of the strikes.



Why It Matters: The use of a commercial messaging app for sensitive military discussions potentially violates several provisions of the Espionage Act and federal records laws, Goldberg noted.



National security experts and lawyers consulted for the story said that such communications should occur only through approved government channels, not on personal devices or commercial apps like Signal.



Following the publication of the report, Former National Security Adviser John Bolton criticized Trump officials saying, "If you think Signal is equivalent to U.S. government secure telecommunications, think again."



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I doubt anyone will be held to account for events described by The Atlantic unless Donald Trump himself feels the heat.  I have no faith that the Department of Justice will prosecute anyone involved. <a href="https://t.co/P5hWk2KDzz">pic.twitter.com/P5hWk2KDzz</a>&mdash; John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbJohnBolton/status/1904286098076897629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Hillary Clinton, who was repeatedly targeted by Trump to be jailed over her use of a private email server for official government business, also took to X saying, "You have got to be kidding me."



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">&#x1f440; You have got to be kidding me.<a href="https://t.co/IhhvFvw6DG">https://t.co/IhhvFvw6DG</a> <a href="https://t.co/bnNG4dGSpI">pic.twitter.com/bnNG4dGSpI</a>&mdash; Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1904263639605084512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Hegseth was asked to comment on the report by a Fox News reporter. In response, he attacked Goldberg saying, "You are talking about a deceitful, highly discredited so-called journalist."



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Wow! Pete Hegseth tries to attack the Atlantic journalist after he sent that journalist classified information by mistake. This man should forced to resign. What a terrible response to a very serious question. <a href="https://t.co/bpzJg2FvPL">pic.twitter.com/bpzJg2FvPL</a>&mdash; Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) <a href="https://twitter.com/EdKrassen/status/1904313028822331860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Tim Walz (D-Minn), former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) also criticized the officials.



When a reporter asked President Trump to comment on it, he said, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know anything about it. I&#8217;m not a big fan of The Atlantic … You&#8217;re saying that they had what?&#8221;



He went on to say that this was the first time he had heard about such an incident taking place.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Trump on his cabinet members using Signal to text war plans to a reporter: &quot;I don&#39;t know anything about it. I&#39;m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To be it&#39;s a magazine that&#39;s going out of business. But I know nothing about it. You&#39;re saying that they had what?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/cBl0g40tsm">pic.twitter.com/cBl0g40tsm</a>&mdash; Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) <a href="https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1904242852827480216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44451506/jeremy-clarkson-claims-victory-over-elon-musk-after-17-years-amid-tesla-vandalism-warned-you-no-good-would-come-of-your-buying-choice">Jeremy Clarkson Claims Victory Over Elon Musk After 17 Years Amid Tesla Vandalism: Warned You &#8216;No Good Would Come Of Your Buying Choice&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Legal

Media

Trump Officials Reportedly Text War Plans To Journalist On Signal, Exposing Secret Yemen Strike Hours Before Bombs Fell — President Says He Doesn't Know Anything About It: 'You're Saying That They Had What?'

KB Home (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBH#NYSE">KBH</a>) reported first-quarter financial results Monday after the bell. Here&#8217;s a look at the key metrics from the quarter.



Q1 Earnings: KB Home reported first-quarter revenue of $1.39 billion, missing analyst&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>&nbsp;of $1.50 billion. The U.S. homebuilder&nbsp;reported first-quarter earnings of $1.49 per share, missing analyst estimates of $1.59 per share, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.



Total revenue was down 5% year-over-year. KB Home delivered 2,770 homes in the quarter, down 9% year-over-year. The average selling price was $500,700, up 4% year-over-year, but net orders declined 17% year-over-year to 2,772.



KB Home said it repurchased $50 million worth of its common stock during the quarter. The company had $650 million remaining under its buyback program as of Feb. 28. KB Home ended the period with $267.8 million in cash and cash equivalents.



&#8220;Consumers are working through affordability concerns and uncertainties related to macroeconomic and geopolitical issues, which are causing them to move slowly in their homebuying decisions,&#8221; said&nbsp;Jeffrey Mezger, chairman and CEO of KB Home.



&#8220;Demand at the start of this Spring&#8217;s selling season was more muted than what we have seen historically, despite a healthy level of traffic in our communities.&#8221;



KB Home announced that it appointed Robert Dillard as the company&#8217;s executive vice president and CFO, effective March 31.



Outlook: KB Home expects full-year 2025 housing revenue to be in the range of $6.6 billion to $7 billion. The company anticipates 2025 average selling prices of $480,000 to $495,000.



&#8220;In mid-February, we took steps to reposition our communities to offer the most compelling value, and buyers responded favorably to these adjustments. Although we missed our sales goals for the&nbsp;first quarter, we are encouraged by the significant improvement in weekly sales and normalizing absorption pace over the last five weeks,&#8221; Mezger said.



KB Home said it will provide guidance for the second quarter on its earnings call, which is set for 5 p.m. ET.



KBH Price Action: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/KBH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KB Home shares</a> were down 9.05% after hours, trading at $56.20 at the time of publication Monday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.



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Photo: Shutterstock.

After-Hours Center

Real Estate

KB Home Q1 Earnings: Revenue Miss, EPS Miss, Demand 'More Muted' Than Expected, Buyers Responding Favorably To Value Pivot And More

President Donald Trump hinted at tariff relief for select nations in a White House appearance on Monday, while celebrating Hyundai Motor Co. (OTCPK: HYMLF) 's $21 billion investment push in Louisiana, a move that includes increased steel output and underscores growing foreign confidence <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s">in America&#8217;s manufacturing sector.</a>



Trump reiterated that reciprocal tariffs are expected to be announced on Apr. 2, but suggested some flexibility: "I may give a lot of countries breaks on tariffs," he said, adding that "not all tariffs will be included on April 2."



Trump&#8217;s remarks mark a significant twist in his tariff strategy, long defined by aggressive policies aimed at reducing the country&#8217;s trade deficits. 



"They've charged us so much that I'm embarrassed to charge them what they've charged us," Trump said. "But it'll be substantial."



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">New Tariffs Incoming, But Not for Everyone</h3>



Trump confirmed that new tariffs targeting foreign-made automobiles, chips and lumber will be unveiled "over the next days," though details remain limited. 



"We're going to get all those chip companies coming back," Trump said.



A separate 25% tariff on oil-importing nations trading with Venezuela, announced earlier on Monday, was also confirmed. 



The levy will be in addition to existing duties, Trump clarified. 



Trump dubbed the broader tariff push "Liberation Day," describing it as a turning point for the U.S. economy that would deliver "lower taxes and all the things that are good—and jobs, a lot of jobs."



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hyundai Commits $21B To US Manufacturing</h3>



Trump appeared alongside Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and Hyundai executive chair Euisun Chung to unveil the South Korean automaker's ambitious expansion in the United States. 



The centerpiece is a new steel plant in Louisiana expected to produce more than 2.7 million metric tons of steel annually and create about 1,400 jobs.



Hyundai will be exempted from tariff applications, Trump indicated. 



"This is the beginning of a lot of things happening," Trump said. "Hyundai is a great company. We have other great companies coming in… We're well into the $3 and $4 trillion mark [in investments], which has never happened to our country before."



The Hyundai steel facility is just one part of the company's broader U.S. strategy. In his Monday remarks, Chung said the firm is committing $6 billion to strengthen the American steel supply chain. 



A separate $8 billion EV manufacturing plant is opening this week in Georgia. Hyundai also plans to purchase $3 billion worth of U.S. liquefied natural gas.



Altogether, the company plans to invest $21 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.



Trump also highlighted major investment commitments from other companies such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>). 



"We're well into the $3 and $4 trillion mark [in investments], which has never happened to our country before," he said. "What it really means is jobs. We care about jobs."



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Louisiana's Industrial Boom: 50 Billion In Projects</h3>



"I told them we would have a great president this year," Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a staunch Trump ally, said. 



"It's not just promises, it's about action. We'll have $50 billion worth of construction projects going on in Louisiana. That is a record, Mr. President."



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Reactions</h3>



Wall Street advanced further during afternoon trading in New York amid reassuring Trump remarks on tariffs. The S&amp;P 500 index – tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) – was up 1.8%. 



Shares of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) rallied 11%, while the broader the tech sector as tracked by the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) soared 2%. 



Now Read: 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44461884/sp-500-rallies-on-best-day-in-2-months-as-recession-fears-ease-tesla-rockets-bitcoin-hits-88000-whats-driving-markets-monday">S&amp;P 500 Rallies On Best Day In 2 Months As Recession Fears Ease, Tesla Rockets, Bitcoin Hits $88,000: What&#8217;s Driving Markets Monday?</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

AAPL

HYMLF

Trump Hints At Tariff 'Breaks,' Cheers Hyundai's $21B Bet With Louisiana Steel Plant Deal

Crude prices surged and energy stocks rose Monday after President Donald Trump vowed to slap a sweeping 25% tariff on any country that imports Venezuelan oil, signaling renewed geopolitical tensions <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/oil">in global energy markets.</a>



West Texas Intermediate light crude, as closely tracked by the United States Oil Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USO#NYSE">USO</a>), rose over 1% to $69 per barrel, touching a three-week high.



"Any country that purchases Oil and/or Gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a Tariff of 25% to the United States on any Trade they do with our Country," Trump said, adding that enforcement would begin next month and be "registered and documented."



The statement came via a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114217914259825110">post </a>on Truth Social, where the former president accused Venezuela of sending violent criminals to the United States and branded the Tren de Aragua gang as a &#8220;Foreign Terrorist Organization.&#8221;



Trump added that the proposed secondary tariffs would go into effect on April 2, what he called "Liberation Day in America."



Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/03/44459470/us-business-activity-rebounds-as-services-growth-outpaces-forecasts-yet-cost-pressures-intensify">US Business Activity Rebounds As Services Growth Outpaces Forecasts, Yet Cost Pressures Intensify</a>



Venezuela's oil exports have risen in recent years, and they remain a crucial revenue source for the embattled regime of Nicolás Maduro. 



According to Reuters, Venezuela exported 772,000 barrels a day of crude last year, marking a 10% increase from a year earlier. China is widely considered the largest purchaser of Venezuelan crude, though much of the oil arrives through indirect routes or intermediaries that obscure its origin to sidestep international sanctions.



Beyond geopolitics, U.S. economic data on Monday gave oil another push. Business activity surveys in March came in stronger than expected, easing recession fears but raising concerns that input costs may be accelerating again.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">US Energy Stock Reactions</h3>



The oil rally ignited gains across the energy sector. Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOM#NYSE">XOM</a>) rose 1.1% to $116.75 by 11:15 a.m. in New York, reaching its highest level price since early December. Chevron Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>) added 0.4%, while ConocoPhillips (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COP#NYSE">COP</a>) gained 0.6%.



The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>) climbed 0.6%, extending its year-to-date gain to 7.8%—the best performance among all S&amp;P 500 sectors in 2025.



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Photo: Shutterstock

Latin America

Sector ETFs

Commodities

Oil Prices Rally, Exxon Hits 16-Week Highs As Trump Vows 25% Tariffs On Any Country Buying Venezuelan Crude

Police in Austin, Texas, discovered multiple &#8220;incendiary&#8221; devices at a Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) showroom <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/03/44461252/tesla-stock-soars-monday-could-a-new-documentary-about-elon-musks-political-influence-pour-cold-water-on-momentum">on Monday morning.</a>



What To Know: The FBI is assisting Austin Police in their investigation, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/tesla-musk-showroom-in-texas-targeted-with-incendiary-devices-police-say.html">reports</a>. Authorities responded to the scene around 8 a.m. local time, calling in the Austin Police Department Bomb Squad to handle the devices, which were safely taken into police custody without incident. Officials have not identified any suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.



The news comes after a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44434973/tesla-record-highest-trade-ins-amid-backlash-against-ceo-elon-musk-surge-in-vandalism">series of incidents</a> targeting Tesla locations. The electric vehicle company has faced increasing criticism, partly due to CEO Elon Musk's political affiliations and role in the Trump administration.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/03/44460563/tesla-jumps-10-on-china-fsd-optimism-tariff-easing-hopes">Tesla Jumps 10% On China FSD Optimism, Tariff Easing Hopes</a>



Musk currently leads DOGE, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44447947/big-short-investor-danny-moses-warns-of-economic-risks-from-elon-musks-doge-induced-federal-job-cuts">administration's initiative</a> to reduce federal spending and government workforce numbers. The timing of the incident coincided with Musk's attendance at a White House Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump.



What Else: Despite speculation by Musk and Trump that recent vandalism against Tesla is part of a coordinated effort, law enforcement agencies have found no evidence supporting these claims, according to NBC News.



At least 10 Tesla locations have been targeted, with reports of arson, vandalism and damage to Tesla vehicles circulating on social media. A website has also published a map of Tesla owners and facilities, though its origins remain unclear.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/03/44450464/fbi-alerts-public-over-increasing-tesla-property-attacks">FBI Alerts Public Over Increasing Tesla Property Attacks</a>



Last Thursday, Musk alleged on his platform X that the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44455245/tesla-vandalism-no-coordinated-efforts-detected-experts-dispute-elon-musk-and-trumps-allegations">attacks were &#8220;coordinated.&#8221;</a> Trump further amplified these claims in a Fox News interview, calling the acts &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; and blaming left-wing political groups, though he provided no evidence.



Attorney General Pam Bondi has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44455245/tesla-vandalism-no-coordinated-efforts-detected-experts-dispute-elon-musk-and-trumps-allegations">announced charges</a> against three individuals in separate states—Oregon, South Carolina and Washington—but federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, maintain that the attacks appear to be the work of lone offenders rather than an organized campaign.



Implications For Tesla and Its Owners: The rising number of vandalism cases has financial consequences for Tesla and its customers. Experts warn that the trend could lead to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44455245/tesla-vandalism-no-coordinated-efforts-detected-experts-dispute-elon-musk-and-trumps-allegations">increased insurance premiums</a> for Tesla vehicles.



Additionally, there has been a notable increase in Tesla trade-ins, potentially linked to backlash against Musk's political stances. Federal agencies have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/03/44450464/fbi-alerts-public-over-increasing-tesla-property-attacks">issued warnings</a> about the growing frequency of these incidents, urging Tesla owners to remain cautious.



Read Next:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/03/44458099/us-economy-faces-fork-in-the-road-is-yardenis-roaring-2020s-still-possible" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Economy Faces ‘Fork In The Road': Is Yardeni's ‘Roaring 2020s' Still Possible?</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Tesla Showroom Targeted In Austin As Vandalism Escalates

Wall Street soared Monday, kicking off the week in full risk-on mode as investors welcomed signs of easing trade tensions and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/03/44459470/us-business-activity-rebounds-as-services-growth-outpaces-forecasts-yet-cost-pressures-intensify">stronger-than-expected economic data. </a>



President Donald Trump&#8216;s softer tone on potential tariffs ahead of the looming April 2, 2025 deadline helped calm nerves. Adding to the optimism, fresh business surveys showed a strong rebound in services activity in March, easing recession worries.



U.S. economic activity accelerated in March, with the Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising rom 51.6 in February to to 53.5. Services PMI jumped to 54.3 — well above consensus forecasts of 50.8 and sharply higher than the prior month's 51.0 reading. Yet, the report also flagged a notable uptick in cost pressures, as businesses reported growing concerns over input prices, likely linked to heightened speculation around potential tariff measures.



The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.75% by midday in New York, on track for its best one-day performance since mid-January. The Nasdaq 100 rallied 2%, mirroring gains from March 14 — the index's strongest day since early November 2024.



Small caps outperformed their large-cap peers, underscoring the market's improving risk appetite. The Russell 2000 surged 2.8%, marking its best session since the post-election rally on Nov. 6, 2024.



Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) led the charge on both the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq 100, soaring 9.8%, on track for its sharpest one-day gain since early November.



All seven mega-cap tech stocks posted solid gains, with the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAGS#NYSE">MAGS</a>) climbing 2.9% after Friday's 1.4% rise, setting up what could be its strongest two-day advance since early January.



Every S&amp;P 500 sector, except utilities, traded in positive territory, with consumer discretionary and technology leading the pack.



The U.S. dollar index edged higher, eyeing a fourth consecutive session of gains. Meanwhile, Treasury yields spiked across the curve as investors rotated out of safe-haven assets. The 10-year yield jumped seven basis points to 4.32%, while the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) dropped 0.9%.



Gold pulled back 0.3% to $3,014 per ounce, on pace for its third straight decline, as investors favored riskier assets.



Oil prices gained 1.5% after Trump threatened a 25% tariff on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44460897/oil-prices-rally-exxon-hits-16-week-highs-as-trump-vows-25-tariffs-on-any-country-buying-venezuelan-crude">countries importing Venezuelan crude.</a>



Crypto-related assets also rallied. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) climbed 2.7% to $88,400, while MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) jumped 7.4% and Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>) rose 6.2%.



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Monday&#8217;s Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs</h1>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Major Indices</td><td>Price</td><td>Chg (%)</td></tr><tr><td> Russell 2000</td><td>2,104.07</td><td>2.3%</td></tr><tr><td> Nasdaq 100</td><td>20,160.42</td><td>2.1%</td></tr><tr><td> S&amp;P 500</td><td>5,762.34</td><td>1.7%</td></tr><tr><td> Dow Jones</td><td>42,589.04</td><td>1.4%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 12:20 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>



According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:



<ul>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose 1.8% to $573.92.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) rose 1.3% to $425.30.</li>



<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)&nbsp;rallied 2% to $490.39.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) soared 2.4% to $208.59</li>



<li>The&nbsp;Consumer Discretionary&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) outperformed, up 2.7%; the&nbsp;Utilities&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLU#NYSE">XLU</a>) lagged, down 0.2%.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Monday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h3>



<ul>
<li>Shares of Chinese electric-vehicle giant BYD Co. Ltd. (OTCPK: BYDDY) rallied 5.5% in over-the-counter markets amid stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings. The carmaker is now up 60% year-to-date. </li>



<li>Shares of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) soared 7.3%, eyeing their biggest one-day jump since February 2024, as Chinese conglomerate Ant Group is increasingly shifting to domestic and AMD chips amid exports controls. </li>



<li>Airline and travel-related stocks rallied substantially amid easing recession fears. United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UAL#NASDAQ">UAL</a>), Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DAL#NYSE">DAL</a>) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RCL#NYSE">RCL</a>) were up 5.7%, 4.2% and 4%, respectively. </li>
</ul>



Read now: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/03/44458099/us-economy-faces-fork-in-the-road-is-yardenis-roaring-2020s-still-possible">US Economy Faces &#8216;Fork In The Road&#8217;: Is Yardeni&#8217;s &#8216;Roaring 2020s&#8217; Still Possible?</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Travel

Treasuries

BYDDY

COIN

MAGS

MSTR

S&P 500 Rallies On Best Day In 2 Months As Recession Fears Ease, Tesla Rockets, Bitcoin Hits $88,000: What's Driving Markets Monday?

The U.S. economy stands at a critical juncture. Mounting recession fears are colliding with the possibility of a technology-fueled productivity boom that could reshape the decade and power the stock <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets">market to new heights.</a>



In a note shared Monday, Ed Yardeni, one of Wall Street's most enduring bulls, said the U.S. economy faces "a fork in the road." The Yardeni Research president gives a 65% probability of a so-called Roaring 2020s scenario and a 35% chance of a more stagnant, stagflationary outcome, including a recession.



"We've decided to fold our 1990s meltup/meltdown scenario into our Roaring 2020s scenario," Yardeni said. 



"The current correction in the stock market suggests that the former has played out already, as the bull market's highflyers have been hit hardest."



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What's Behind The Current Market Correction?</h3>



Markets have clearly been rattled. The S&amp;P 500 index — as tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) — has declined 10.1% from its Feb. 19 peak through Mar. 13, while the Nasdaq 100, tracked by the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), has slid 11.8% since its Dec. 16 high.



&#8220;The Magnificent-7 stocks led the recent rout,&#8221; Yardeni said.



The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAGS#NYSE">MAGS</a>)—tracking the elite group of tech giants like Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NYSE">MSFT</a>), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) —has dropped 18.8% from its Dec. 17 peak.



This contrasts with the Defiance Large Cap ex-Mag 7 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXMAGS#NYSE">EXMAGS</a>), often referred to as the "S&amp;P 493," which is down just 6% since mid-February. The sharper decline in tech mega caps signals that the stock market correction is concentrated among prior highflyers.



These types of corrections—defined as 10%-20% pullbacks—typically reflect rising fears of an economic downturn.



Yet Yardeni stressed that forward earnings for the S&amp;P 500 continue to hit record highs, suggesting that Wall Street analysts remain more optimistic than investors. That divergence, he said, can be attributed to analysts being closely tied to corporate guidance, which often downplays macro fears.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"> Two-Sided Outlook: Stagflation Or Productivity Boom?</h3>



Yardeni raised his recession probability to 35% earlier this month, attributing the increase to a "Trump Turmoil 2.0" characterized by tariff threats and political instability. Yet, his base case remains anchored in optimism.



In his Roaring 2020s scenario, Yardeni sees real GDP growth fueled by a 2% annual increase in productivity and labor force growth of 0.5%-1%, supporting potential economic expansion of 2.5%-3% annually. 



That would keep inflation in check, lift profit margins, boost wages and purchasing power, and ultimately push the S&amp;P 500 to 10,000 by the decade&#8217;s end.



"This includes the possibility of a rebound in the former highflyers," Yardeni said, suggesting tech stocks could still have room to run once market jitters subside.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What The Fed And Markets Are Pricing In</h3>



The Federal Reserve's March dot plot revealed that policymakers are still anticipating two rate cuts in 2024, followed by two in 2025 and one more in 2027. 



The longer-run federal funds rate remains anchored at 3%. These projections, along with the downgrade in real GDP forecasts to 1.7% for 2025, reflect the Fed's view of a soft landing. They also acknowledge the economic drags coming from tighter fiscal policy and potential trade disruptions.



Fed officials trimmed their real GDP growth expectations across the board: 



<ul>
<li>from 2.1% to 1.7% for 2025</li>



<li>from 2.0% to 1.8% for 2026, and</li>



<li>from 1.9% to 1.8% for 2027.</li>
</ul>



The Fed also raised its inflation forecast for core personal consumption expenditures, the central bank's preferred inflation gauge, to 2.8% for year-end 2024, up from 2.5% in December.



Kalshi, a prediction market regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, shows a 40% probability of a U.S. recession in 2025. That&#8217;s slightly higher than Yardeni's 35% estimate. These odds have ticked higher recently, mirroring growing concern over macro headwinds and geopolitical noise.



<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://kalshi.com/external-widgets/events/RECSSNBER-25/markets/RECSSNBER-25?color_scheme=light&#038;widget_size=large&#038;utm_campaign=benzinga_widget" width="552px" height="400px" style="border:0"></iframe>



Now Read: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/03/44449088/buffetts-berkshire-hathaway-outpaces-s-p-500-with-best-2-month-run-since-2010">Buffett&#8217;s Berkshire Hathaway Outpaces S&amp;P 500 With Best 2-Month Run Since 2010</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

EXMAGS

US Economy Faces 'Fork In The Road': Is Yardeni's 'Roaring 2020s' Still Possible?

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) stock is roaring back after a steep decline, surging over 10% on Monday morning as buyers stepped in following <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TSLA/news">a recent pullback</a>. 



The stock had been under heavy selling pressure, but renewed enthusiasm around its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43932533/tesla-starts-rolling-out-fsd-features-in-china">Full Self-Driving (FSD) rollout in China</a>, easing tariff concerns, and technical support levels appear to be fueling the rebound.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="618" height="487" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24103818/Screenshot-2025-03-24-at-8.05.39-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-838686" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24103818/Screenshot-2025-03-24-at-8.05.39-PM.png 618w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24103818/Screenshot-2025-03-24-at-8.05.39-PM-300x236.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px" /></a></figure>



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chart created using Benzinga Pro</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TSLA Stock: Buyers Step In, But Challenges Remain</h2>



Despite Monday's 10% pop, Tesla's stock is down 28% year to date and 17% over the past month. The bearish setup is undeniable:



<ul>
<li>Tesla stock trades below its five-day, 20-day and 50-day exponential moving averages.</li>



<li>The eight-day simple moving average (SMA) of $243.48 and 20-day SMA of $258.95, signal some bullish momentum, with the current price at $273.00.</li>



<li>However, Tesla's 50-day SMA ($332.89) and 200-day SMA ($284.66) all point to a bearish trend.</li>



<li>The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator at a negative 24.83 reinforces the bearish sentiment.</li>



<li>The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has risen back at 48.01, suggesting Tesla stock seems to have dodged the oversold territory, for now at least.</li>
</ul>



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/44459470">US Business Activity Rebounds As Services Growth Outpaces Forecasts, Yet Cost Pressures Intensify</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FSD In China &amp; Tariff Relief: Key Catalysts</h2>



Tesla's FSD rollout in China could provide a much-needed catalyst for further upside. While sales were expected, the big question is whether Chinese consumers will pay a premium for it, given that local rival BYD Co Ltd (OTCPK:BYDDF) offers driver-assist tech for free. If FSD adoption gains momentum, it could significantly boost Tesla's competitive position in the region.



Additionally, investors are cheering reports that former President Donald Trump is backing off some broad tariff threats made just weeks ago. The potential easing of trade tensions is seen as a positive for Tesla, which has significant exposure to China's electric vehicle market.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What's Next For TSLA?</h2>



Tesla's ability to sustain its rally will likely depend on whether buying pressure continues, and if fundamental catalysts such as the FSD launch and tariff relief can outweigh bearish technical signals. The upcoming first-quarter delivery report on April 2 will be another key moment for investors to watch.



With strong early trading momentum and buyers stepping in, Tesla's recovery is gaining traction. The next test? 



Whether this surge can break through key resistance levels and turn the tide for good.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/44458804">Elon Musk 10 Years Ago Called Autonomous Driving &#8216;A Solved Problem&#8217;—Said &#8216;We Will Be There In A Few Years&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Technicals

BYDDF

Tesla Jumps 10% On China FSD Optimism, Tariff Easing Hopes

Officials from the U.S. and Russia have commenced discussions in Saudi Arabia. The goal of these talks is to establish a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine and a distinct Black Sea maritime agreement.



What Happened: These talks come on the heels of U.S. negotiations with Ukraine that took place in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The discussions are a part of U.S. President Donald Trump&#8216;s escalated efforts to resolve the conflict that has been ongoing for three years. The U.S. delegation is spearheaded by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official, reported the Reuters on Monday.



The talks primarily aim to secure a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea to enable free shipping. Russia&#8217;s delegation features Grigory Karasin, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the upper house of parliament, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the Federal Security Service&#8217;s director.



Trump has expressed satisfaction with the progress of the talks and lauded Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8216;s involvement. However, major European powers remain doubtful about Putin&#8217;s readiness to make significant concessions.



The talks also aim to discuss &#8220;the line of control&#8221; between the two countries, peacekeeping, and &#8220;confidence-building measures,&#8221; including the repatriation of Ukrainian children taken by Russia.



About Ukraine honoring the terms of the Black Sea Grain Deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, &#8220;But if you remember the initiative in its previous form, there was quite a large part of the obligations to our country that were not fulfilled last time. Therefore, this will also be on the agenda today.&#8221;



SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/space/25/03/44454270/crypto-tycoon-joins-forces-with-elon-musks-spacex-to-launch-first-private-space-station">Crypto Tycoon Joins Forces With Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX To Launch First Private Space Station</a>



Why It Matters: These discussions follow the Trump administration&#8217;s push for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44435337/trump-administration-pushes-for-revised-terms-to-access-ukraines-critical-resources-amid-peace-talks-report">revised terms to access </a>Ukraine&#8217;s critical resources amid peace talks. The U.S. is persuading Kyiv to agree to comprehensive terms about the ownership and control of a joint investment fund. This could potentially extend to U.S. ownership of other economic assets in Ukraine, such as nuclear power plants.



 Trump announced that the U.S. is aiming to establish agreements on rare earths and minerals globally, with a special focus on Ukraine. This initiative is part of a larger strategy to secure a peace agreement with Russia.



Following the reports of the peace talks, oil prices climbed on Monday as the Brent crude futures gained 54 cents at $72.18 a barrel by 1102 GMT. IG market strategist Yeap Jun Rong told Reuters, &#8220;&#8230;the broader demand-supply outlook still remains mixed. Ukraine-Russia ceasefire talks raise the prospects of increased Russian exports on an eventual resolution, while the OPEC+ production hike as early as April points to further supply additions.&#8221; 



These developments, along with U.S. sanctions on Iranian exports, make energy ETFs a key area of investor interest. iShares U.S. Energy ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IYE#NYSE">IYE</a>) climbed 0.75% over the past month, while SPDR S&amp;P Oil &amp; Gas Exploration &amp; Production ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOP#NYSE">XOP</a>) dropped 2.57% during the same period. 



<ul>
<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/forex/25/03/44454065/india-china-markets-gain-in-asia-europe-mixed-dollar-eases-global-markets-today-while-us-slept">India, China Markets Gain In Asia, Europe Mixed; Dollar Eases &#8211; Global Markets Today While US Slept</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



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Oil Rises As US And Russia Begin Talks In Saudi Arabia For Ukraine Ceasefire, Black Sea Deal

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