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On today’s menu:

• Alphabet Drops 7%: What Google's Miss Means for the Stock Market 📉 

• US Dollar Falters: How Tariffs Are Shaking Forex Markets 🇺🇲💱

• Is This Prop Firm Denying Payouts? ❌ 

• South Dakota Gets Bullish On Bitcoin 🤑 

STOCKS

Alphabet Drops 9%: What Google's Miss Means for the Stock Market 📉

Google, aka Alphabet, just took a dive—and not the fun, into-a-pool kind.

The tech giant’s stock fell 9% after missing revenue expectations in its latest earnings report.

That’s an $88 billion haircut in market cap—basically enough money to buy a small country or at least bribe your way out of explaining last week’s trades to your spouse.

So what happened? 😬 

The big dogs at Alphabet missed revenue targets, reporting $11.96 billion in cloud revenue vs. the $12.19 billion analysts were expecting.

Sure, what’s a few hundred million between friends?

But on Wall Street, that’s like telling your spouse you “forgot” to do the dishes again—somebody’s not happy.

Even worse, Google announced a $75 billion capital expenditure plan for 2025 to double down on AI.

Great for the long term, but traders weren’t thrilled about those short-term costs eating into margins.

Result?

The stock tanked faster than my confidence during live trades. 📉 

Why This Matters (Even If You Don’t Trade Stocks):

Here’s the thing: big stocks like Google aren’t just stocks—they’re the market’s emotional support pets. 🔑

When a behemoth like Alphabet stumbles, it sets the tone for risk sentiment across the board.

If Google can’t hit its numbers, what does that mean for smaller companies?

For the broader economy?

For you and me, the humble traders just trying to make it out here?

• Earnings are the economic pulse. Weak earnings = weaker economy = risk-off sentiment.

• Risk-off = USD, JPY, and CHF up; stocks and crypto down. And yes, that includes your altcoin bags.

• Top traders are watching this stuff. If they’re glued to earnings reports, so should you be.

What’s Next? 🤔 

It’s not just Google. ❌ 

Apple, Amazon, and Meta are up next, and if they disappoint too, the markets might end up looking worse than my trading account after 'just one more leverage trade.

For now, keep an eye on risk-off assets like the dollar and yen.

Stocks might rebound if we see strong earnings later in the week, but if the big tech dominoes keep falling, brace yourself for a bumpy ride.

👉️ Remember: the best traders adapt, and they always know what the market’s emotional support pets are up to.

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MARKET NEWS

US Dollar Falters: How Tariffs Are Shaking Forex Markets 🇺🇲💱

Tariffs. They’re like that one annoying roommate who won’t do the dishes—always stirring up drama.

Over the last few days, markets have been buzzing as the U.S. slapped tariffs on Chinese imports while putting Canadian and Mexican tariffs on a 30-day pause.

And traders?

They’re scrambling to figure out what it all means.

Here’s the lowdown on what’s happening, why it matters, and how you should adjust your playbook.

A Crash Course in Tariffs and Forex ✅ 

Tariffs are essentially taxes on imported goods, and they have a ripple effect across the global economy.

Here's how they hit the forex markets:

• Weaker Target Currency: When tariffs are imposed on a country’s goods, it can hamper its economy. For example, Canada’s heavy reliance on U.S. trade means that tariffs could drag down the Canadian dollar (CAD).

• Safe-Haven Demand: Tariff uncertainty often sparks “risk-off” sentiment. Currencies like the U.S. dollar (USD), Japanese yen (JPY), and Swiss franc (CHF) tend to get a boost as investors flee to safety.

• Inflation Fears: Tariffs raise prices, adding fuel to inflation. For central banks, this is like juggling chainsaws—they’re forced to weigh hiking rates (to combat inflation) against cutting rates (to prop up growth).

The Latest Tariff Drama 🥴

Let’s recap the soap opera of the week:

• 🇨🇦🇲🇽 Canada & Mexico: After a tense back-and-forth, President Trump hit pause on the 25% tariffs aimed at Canadian and Mexican goods. Trudeau agreed to beef up border security, deploy more resources to tackle fentanyl trafficking, and commit $1.3 billion to the effort. This temporary truce has traders breathing a sigh of relief.

• 🇨🇳 China Fights Back: Meanwhile, the U.S. imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, and China didn’t take it lying down. Beijing slapped retaliatory tariffs of up to 15% on U.S. goods, from coal to natural gas. Oh, and they also launched an antitrust investigation into U.S. big tech companies like Google. Talk about a power move.

Why This Matters for Traders 🚀 

If you’re trading forex (or even if you’re not), here’s why tariffs should be on your radar:

1️⃣ Volatility Galore: Tariffs create uncertainty, and uncertainty fuels price swings. If you’re not adjusting your risk management, you might as well be throwing darts at a board.

2️⃣ Inflation and Central Banks: Keep an eye on inflation data and central bank policy. Tariffs can tip the scales on whether rates go up, down, or sideways.

3️⃣ Safe-Haven Currencies: When the going gets tough, the tough buy USD, JPY and CHF. Watch these pairs during turbulent times.

TLDR 🧵 

The 30-day clock is ticking on Canadian and Mexican tariffs, but the U.S.-China drama isn’t going anywhere—it’s like a Netflix series with too many seasons.

For traders, this means keeping an eye on USD/CAD, AUD/USD, JPY, and CHF for the next plot twist.

Buckle up, because volatility is the main character in this saga.

🚀 Pre-Market Fuel

1. FTMO versus other prop firms. This is what happens when you join a new firm that doesn’t yet have a reliable track record.

2. This price-to-earnings chart is insane. Palantir’s numbers are just off the charts and are raising huge alarms in the Pip Munch office.

3. South Dakota is bullish on Bitcoin. They might become the first state to pass a Bitcoin reserve bill.

4. Zelensky says he’s now ready to negotiate with Putin. It took long enough…

🍪 Munchy Memes

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