Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition

On today's podcast: 1) The Trump administration is clearing a path for two key Persian Gulf allies to pursue their artificial intelligence ambitions — and some of the biggest US tech companies are seizing on that opening with plans to spend billions of dollars in the region. 2) The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indexes turned higher for the year on Tuesday, reversing multi-trillion dollar routs, as enthusiasm for US stocks grows with global trade tensions cooling after the Trump administration and China agreed to temporarily lower tariffs. 3) House Republicans could land on a compromise on the state and local tax deduction on Wednesday, a deal that would represent a breakthrough in one of the thorniest policy debates in President Donald Trump’s economic package. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) The Wall Street stocks rally is set to pause due to concerns about inflation and economic growth, with US futures pointing to a decline. Investors are taking a breather after the 90-day tariff cool-off between the US and China, and will be looking for clues on the trajectory of Federal Reserve interest rates in the US inflation print. 2) President Donald Trump is in Saudi Arabia on his first major overseas trip since taking office. He was welcomed on the tarmac by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a sign of their warm ties. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is also in Riyadh where he told an investment forum he’s upbeat on trade talks with nations in Asia and that progress with Europe will be slower. 3) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the European Union has a "collective action problem" that's hampering trade negotiations with the US. Bessent downplayed the possibility of a quick agreement with the EU, citing differences among member states such as Italy and France. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) Stocks soar as the U.S. and China agree to de-escalate their trade war. The US and China will temporarily lower tariffs on each other's products, with the US reducing its levies from 145% to 30% and China reducing its duties from 125% to 10%. The tariff reductions are a move to cool trade tensions and give the two countries three more months to resolve their differences, with talks potentially leading to "purchasing agreements" by China. 2) Drug stocks tumble as President Trump plans to order pharmaceutical price cuts. The declines affected European drugmakers, US drugmakers, and Asian pharmaceutical companies, with some companies experiencing their biggest one-day loss since August. The plan to lower prescription drug prices may have a significant impact on the industry's revenues, particularly for companies that depend heavily on US sales 3) Hamas says it will free its last American hostage as the president heads to the Middle East. It will release 21-year-old Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a US citizen, as a step toward reaching a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The release is a result of renewed talks between the US and Hamas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) The Trump administration is weighing a dramatic tariff reduction during weekend talks with China to de-escalate tensions and temper the economic pain both are already starting to feel. 2) President Donald Trump is pushing lawmakers to increase tax rates on some of the wealthiest Americans as a way to offset other cuts in his signature economic package. 3) Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as Roman Catholic pontiff, the first ever pope from the US and a possible bridge between the moderate and hardline sides of a divided Church. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) President Trump is expected to unveil a limited trade deal with the UK this morning and hints at a new tension point in trade talks with China. The UK deal is likely to focus on reducing tariffs on cars and steel, and may include discussions on tech, AI, and digital trade, but will come with significant caveats and may not be a comprehensive trade pact. 2) Fed Chair Jay Powell says he won't be rushed into lowering interest rates. Powell says he won't lower borrowing costs until there's more certainty on the direction of trade policy, which will have to come from the White House. The Federal Open Market Committee held interest rates steady and said the risks of seeing higher inflation and unemployment had risen due to uncertainty over trade policy and tariffs. 3) The White House plans to get rid of Biden-era chip export restrictions. The repeal would provide fresh opportunities for other countries to negotiate their own chip access, influenced by investment promises or broader trade and diplomatic considerations, while measures targeting China would remain in place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg's Tom Keene, Jonathan Ferro and Lisa Abramowicz discuss remarks from Fed Chair Jay Powell following the Federal Reserve's latest policy decision on a special edition of Bloomberg Surveillance. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said officials are not in a hurry to adjust interest rates, adding tariffs could lead to higher inflation and unemployment. “If the large increases in tariffs that have been announced or sustained, they’re likely to generate a rise in inflation, a slowdown in economic growth and an increase in unemployment,” Powell said Wednesday at the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Washington. “The effects on inflation could be short lived, reflecting a one time shift in the price level,” he said. But it’s “also possible that the inflationary effects could instead be more persistent.” Officials voted unanimously to keep the benchmark federal funds rate in a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, where it has been since December. In a statement, policymakers said they see a growing risk of both higher inflation and rising unemployment. “Uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further,” the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement. They added, “the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen.” The S&P 500 index of US stocks and Treasury yields fell following the announcement, while the dollar pared gains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will travel later this week to Switzerland for trade talks with China led by Vice Premier He Lifeng, seeking to de-escalate a tariff standoff that has threatened to hammer both economies. 2) India conducted targeted military strikes against Pakistan, which said it retaliated in expected tit-for-tat blows after a militant attack last month in Kashmir that killed 26 people. 3) Former US President Joe Biden said the Donald Trump administration is appeasing Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin by pressuring Ukraine to give up territory as part of a potential peace deal to end Russia’s invasion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) Scott Bessent walked on stage at the largest gathering in months of Wall Street’s champions of global trade, aiming to explain why President Donald Trump is putting up hurdles to global trade. 2) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he’ll meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, their first face-to-face encounter since he won an election in part because of an anti-Trump message. 3) Ford Motor Co. suspended its full-year financial guidance and said President Donald Trump’s auto tariffs will take a toll on profit, joining rivals stung by volatile global trade policies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) President Donald Trump suggested that his administration could strike trade deals with some countries as soon as this week, offering the prospect of relief for trading partners seeking to avoid higher US import duties. 2) Warren Buffett picked the final minute of his 60th shareholder meeting to drop a long-awaited announcement that was still completely surprising for his fans, most of his board and even his successor. 3) Elon Musk called the US government inefficient and said artificial intelligence should be used to replace the functions currently done by some public workers, according to a person who attended the closed-door session at the Milken Institute Global Conference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Financial analysts were far more prepared than most CEOs for the US tariffs announced on April 2. Analysts, who serve as a proxy for the financial markets, anticipated tariffs would soon be an enormous issue, mentioning the topic 62% more often than did CEOs during Q1 earnings calls. That’s the conclusion of the second edition of the CEO Radar—a tool to help CEOs determine which issues truly deserve their time and attention. It unpacks the leading topics discussed on almost 4,900 earnings calls worldwide in Q1 2025, enabling chief executives to compare their agendas to those of their peers, and to the market’s expectations. On this episode of the CEO Radar Podcast, Edward Adams of Bloomberg Media Studios is joined by BCG Global Chair Rich Lesser and Michael Brigl, Head of BCG’s Central European practice, to discuss how tariffs are likely to have a long-term effect on corporate operations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) China said it is assessing the possibility of trade talks with the US, the first sign since Donald Trump hiked tariffs last month that negotiations could begin between the two sides. 2) Apple Inc.’s much-awaited quarterly earnings report failed to soothe investor concerns about its biggest challenges, including escalating tariff costs and a slowdown in China. 3) President Donald Trump will request a record $1.01 trillion in national security spending for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, more than 13% over the current year’s figure, according to administration officials familiar with the matter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon.com gave a weaker-than-expected forecast for operating profit in the current quarter, pointing toward tariffs and trade policies that may cause consumers to pull back on spending. The world’s largest online retailer projected operating profit of $13 billion to $17.5 billion, compared with an average estimate of $17.8 billion. Sales will be $159 billion to $164 billion in the period ending in June, the company said Thursday in a statement. Analysts, on average, expected $161.4 billion. Amazon shares have fallen about 13% this year as Wall Street weighs the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on a retail operation that sources much of its goods from China. Investors are generally bullish on the company’s efforts to become a major force in artificial intelligence, but there are concerns that Amazon’s prodigious spending on data centers may not translate into meaningful sales growth any time soon. Amazon Web Services, the largest seller of rented computing power, reported first-quarter sales gained 17% to $29.3 billion, in line with analysts’ estimates. It was the unit’s slowest growth in a year. For instant reaction and analysis, hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec speak with: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) Microsoft Corp. shares jumped after the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly sales and profit growth, suggesting customer demand for cloud services has held steady despite a wave of tariffs and economic turbulence. 2) Meta Platforms Inc. quelled Wall Street concerns about the impact of the Trump administration’s trade war on advertising sales, reporting first-quarter revenue that beat expectations and forecasting additional spending. 3) The US and Ukraine reached a deal over access to the country’s natural resources, offering a measure of assurance to officials in Kyiv who had feared that President Donald Trump would pull back his support in peace talks with Russia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft Corp. reported better-than-expected sales and profit, suggesting customer demand hasn’t been rattled by tariffs and wider economic uncertainty. Total revenue in the fiscal third quarter increased 13% to $70.1 billion, while adjusted profit was $3.46 a share, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Analysts on average estimated sales of $68.5 billion and adjusted per-share earnings of $3.21. Meta Platforms Inc. posted first-quarter sales that beat Wall Street estimates, a sign that the company’s advertising business is so far weathering the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war. Sales were $42.3 billion in the first quarter, the maker of Facebook and Instagram said Wednesday. That beat analysts’ estimates for $41.4 billion for the quarter ended March 31. The company also said current-quarter revenue will be in line with analysts’ expectations, and that it will boost spending as it continues to invest in artificial intelligence. Qualcomm Inc., the biggest maker of chips that run smartphones, gave a tepid revenue prediction for the current quarter, underscoring concerns that tariffs will hurt demand for its products. Revenue in the period ending in June will be $9.9 billion to $10.7 billion, the company said Wednesday in a statement. The midpoint of that range was slightly below the average analyst estimate of $10.33 billion. The outlook renews concern that the market for smartphones is suffering from a looming trade war. For instant reaction and analysis to these results, plus other tech earnings, hosts Tim Stenovec and Carol Massar speak with Bloomberg Intelligence senior technology analysts Mandeep Singh and Kunjan Sobhani. Bloomberg Technology Co-Host Ed Ludlow also joins alongside Clockwise Capital Technology Analyst James Cakmak. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) President Trump marks his first 100 days in Michigan car country and hits the Fed as he defends sweeping tariffs. Trump criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, saying he's "not really doing a good job" and that Trump knows more about interest rates than Powell does. He also defended his economic policies, including tariffs, which he claims will inspire economic growth and lure manufacturers back to the US. 2) Amazon says it will not display the cost of tariffs on products. Amazon will not display the cost of US tariffs on products after the White House criticized the reported move and President Donald Trump called Jeff Bezos to complain. The company said the idea was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties. 3) Microsoft and Meta release earnings after the closing bell. Investors are cautiously optimistic, but the bullish Big Tech proposition is coming under scrutiny, with four of the Magnificent Seven reporting earnings this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) Canada’s Liberal Party is projected to win a fourth consecutive election, giving a mandate to former central banker Mark Carney after a campaign in which he pledged to boost economic growth and stand up to US President Donald Trump in a trade war. 2) President Donald Trump is on track to ease the impact of his auto tariffs, with changes sought by the industry that would lift some levies on foreign parts for cars and trucks made inside the US. 3) Spain and Portugal were returning to some semblance of normality early Tuesday, with many questions remaining about what caused one of Europe’s worst blackouts in years across the Iberian peninsula the previous day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's podcast: 1) President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught has roiled Washington and Wall Street for nearly a month. If the trade war persists, the next upheaval will hit much closer to home. 2) Donald Trump promised Americans a “boom like no other” if they elected him president. But based on the stock market’s performance during his first 100 days in office, it depends on what you mean by “boom. 3) Canada is holding an election on April 28, with the Liberal Party led by Mark Carney and the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre as the top contenders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.