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And today’s email is brought to you by our favourite firm, Lark Funding. They’re the only CDBO Certified prop firm that’s been paying traders for over 1,000 days.

☕️ Howdy Munchers! The S&P 500 just followed the Nasdaq into correction territory—turns out Trump's tariffs scare the market even more than my wife's face when I suggest cooking at home instead of DoorDash.

The full menu:

• 🤯 Trump, Tariffs & Total Market Chaos

• 🤔 Are Prop Firms Regulated?

• 😬 Inflation Report Incoming: Can the Market Handle It?

• ❌ Is This Prop Firm Paying For Negative Reviews To Be Removed?

• 📈 Bitcoin Rallies Back Up

• 🚀 An Update On The Russia Ukraine War

MARKET OVERVIEW

🤯 Trump, Tariffs & Total Market Chaos

Today’s market was messier than trying to untangle AirPods after a cycle in the dryer.

Here’s the deal:

Trump kicked things off this morning by announcing he’d DOUBLE tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 25% to a whopping 50%.

Yep—50%. And it was all set to start today.

Why?

Because Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he’d slap a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S., essentially flipping off Trump's earlier tariffs.

But wait! A few hours later, everything changed…

Premier Ford quickly folded faster than a cheap lawn chair at a BBQ and announced he was pausing Ontario’s electricity tariff after chatting it over with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

And suddenly, Trump's team reversed course too.

Peter Navarro jumped on CNBC and casually mentioned, “Actually, that whole 50% tariff thing? Never mind.” (But the original 25% tariff stays.)

Confused yet? Join the club.

The market tried to make sense of the chaos but couldn’t quite get its balance:

• S&P 500: Down 0.76%

  

• Nasdaq: Down 0.18%

  

• Dow Jones: Down 1.14%

  

The swings had traders sweating harder than a Peloton instructor.

Just yesterday, the Dow tanked nearly 900 points in its worst session since 2022, leaving traders jumpier than a cat in a cucumber patch.

So why all the drama?

Analysts like Ross Mayfield at Baird are pointing out Trump seems totally comfortable letting the market feel pain to achieve his goals—even if investors have zero clue what those goals actually are.

And today, the real damage wasn’t in tech but in sectors closely tied to consumer spending and economic growth.

With uncertainty around tariffs and policy direction at an all-time high, businesses and consumers alike are hitting the brakes until the path ahead gets clearer. 🛑

Need proof?

The latest NFIB Small Business Optimism Survey just saw its biggest monthly plunge in businesses believing "now’s a good time to expand" since April 2020 (a.k.a. peak COVID panic).

👉️ Bottom line: Trump's tariff flip-flops have markets wobbling, traders scratching their heads, and Canada checking its blood pressure hourly.

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MARKET MOVING NEWS

😬 Inflation Report Incoming: Can the Market Handle It?

Today isn’t just any Wednesday—it’s the Super Bowl for traders. The big kahuna. The event your annoying finance-bro cousin won’t shut up about.

Yep, we’re talking inflation.

February’s CPI report is dropping at 8:30 a.m. ET, and traders everywhere will be glued to their screens.

Why?

Because this is the Fed’s favorite show, and Jerome Powell will be watching it closer than your spouse checks your phone when it vibrates at 2 a.m.

Here’s what traders expect:

• Monthly CPI: Forecast to rise by 0.3% in February.

• Annual CPI (headline): Expected at 2.9%, down slightly from January.

• Annual Core CPI: Projected to land at 3.2%, also down 0.1% from last month.

Now, why is this so important?

Simple.

The Fed’s entire strategy hinges on inflation heading back to their magic 2% target.

If we’re on track (2.9% or lower), it’s game on for rate cuts—and traders will likely celebrate harder than a frat house after finals.

But if inflation surprises to the upside?

Well, buckle up, because the market might go into meltdown mode faster than you can say "transitory."

Morgan Stanley’s Diego Anzoategui says prices might stay stubbornly high due to rising used-car prices, lingering supply constraints, and inflated airfares.

Not exactly music to Powell’s ears. ❌ 

Bottom line: Today’s CPI isn’t just numbers—it’s the roadmap telling Powell where to steer next. Traders, get your coffee, buckle your seatbelts, and hold onto your hats.

Things are about to get spicy. 🌶️

STOCKS

📊 Stocks Mixed as Tech Bounces Back

The market had a mixed session yesterday as traders tried to recover from recent volatility.

Here's how things shook out:

• Tesla $TSLA ( ▼ 0.04% ) surged +3.79%, shaking off some recent losses.

• NVIDIA $NVDA ( ▲ 3.12% ) bounced back +1.66% after a brutal sell-off earlier in the week.

• Broadcom $AVGO ( ▲ 5.6% ) rose +3.06%, signaling renewed strength in semiconductors.

But not everything was rosy:

• Apple $AAPL ( ▲ 4.06% ) fell -2.92%, as investors remain cautious about consumer spending.

• Google $GOOGL ( ▲ 2.83% ) dipped -1.09%, continuing its recent slump.

• Financials like JPMorgan (JPM) and Visa (V) were still seeing red, down -1.33% and -2.73%, respectively.

Investors appear cautiously optimistic, but with uncertainty still in the air, no one’s popping champagne just yet.

CRYPTO

🚀 Bitcoin Bounces Back: Up From $77K to $82.7K

Just when traders thought Bitcoin was heading to the basement, it pulled a classic crypto comeback. After dropping to $77,000—its lowest since November—BTC rallied to $82,700, giving bulls some much-needed relief.

And it wasn't just Bitcoin on the comeback train:

• Coinbase surged 7%

  

  Still down 11% over the past 5 days.

• MicroStrategy jumped nearly 9%

  

Crypto stocks seem eager to follow Bitcoin’s lead, showing traders are cautiously optimistic again.

But as always, keep your helmet on—this ride ain't over yet.

PROP FIRMS

😬 Paying For Negative Reviews To Be Removed?

It looks like one prop firm is taking reputation management to a shady new level.

Funding Pips is under fire after claims surfaced on social media accusing the firm of bribing users to delete negative reviews.

Screenshots are circulating that reportedly show the company's team reaching out privately to dissatisfied traders, offering payments to quietly remove their complaints.

Not exactly the "transparency" traders want from a firm managing their hard-earned cash.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but Funding Pips is quickly becoming the industry's latest example of how not to handle bad publicity.

🚀 Pre-Market Fuel

1. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Vs Russia. If Russia agrees, a 30-day ceasefire will begin thanks to a deal brokered by the US.

2. 🇨🇦 The government of Canada is sending $272 million to Bangladesh. When will this nonsense end?

3. 🚗 Trump bought a Tesla and got it delivered to the White House. Too bad it’ll be 4 years before he’s allowed to drive it.

4. 🧑‍✈️ Major airlines are ringing the alarm bells. They’re warning that demand isn’t looking so hot.

🍪 Munchy Memes

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