Author: Timothy St. John

Timothy St John is a seasoned financial analyst and writer, catering to the dynamic landscapes of the US and European markets. Boasting over a decade of extensive freelance writing experience, he has made significant contributions to reputable platforms such as Yahoo!Finance, business.com: Expert Business Advice, Tips, and Resources - Business.com, and numerous others. Timothy's expertise lies in in-depth research and comprehensive coverage of stock and cryptocurrency movements, coupled with a keen understanding of the economic factors influencing currency dynamics. Timothy majored in English at East Tennessee State University, and you can find him on LinkedIn.

Tariff Talks Help Stock Market Inch Upward

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Timothy St. John

The stock market indices made little progress this week, overall coming out flat ahead of Friday’s trading session but closing high for the day Thursday.

The stock market could end the week high after yesterday's tariff news. — The stock market could end the week high after yesterday’s tariff news.

The uptick in stock market indices for Thursday was due primarily to an announcement of a trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, which could help to take some pressure off the stock market. There are also rumors swirling about talks between China and the United States, with the possibility that the U.S. will cut back its 145% tariffs on China to 80%.

The Dow Jones gained just 0.1% for the week so far and is up 0.62% before trading opens on Friday. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.3% overall for the week but gained 1.07% on Thursday. The S&P 500 dropped 0.4% this week so far and added 0.58% on Thursday.

All of this leads to the last day of trading for the week, which we expect to be decent with an upward swing that could bring the market indices out positive by the time Friday trading finishes. The good tariff news is promising for the markets and should help propel them to an overall positive standing by week’s end.

What Is Holding Back the Stock Market?

With news of a deal between the U.K. and the U.S., the stock market should be doing very well, but there are still a number of issues that are keeping the market from climbing as quickly as it could.

The topmost of these is the tariff problem, and the 90-day reprieve that President Trump has issued for tariffs has many investors worried. Will Trump unpause the tariffs early? What will happen to the market once the pause is over and tariffs resume? These questions have investors playing cautiously with the stock market for now.

Investors also have to deal with the stagnating interest rate, which the Fed refused to cut in its recent meeting. Some analysts have predicted that as long as those cuts do not happen, the economy could head toward recession. For those looking to the Fed to counteract what Trump is doing with the tariffs, there was some disappointment this week, and the Federal Reserve is still planning two cuts this year. One of those is scheduled for the summer and the other just before the end of the year. The Fed has hesitated to issue new cuts while the inflation rate is still high, and these sticking points have kept the stock market from gaining as much as it could have been.

$8.88 Million Deposit Helps Ethereum Climb to Major Gains

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Ethereum (ETH) Gained 15.53% today as the cryptocurrency market surged, and one whale deposited 8.88 million in USDC to an Ethereum account, adding to the coin’s gains.

Ethereum is on the rise thanks to tariffs disappearing.

Now at $2,076 (ETH/USD), Ethereum has reached its highest point since late March and is still well away from its all-time high, but the coin is climbing out of its 2025 doldrums this week. Throughout most of the year, Ethereum’s price has been dropping, falling from $3,634 in early January to a low of $1,472 in early April.

[[ETH/USD]]

That low point was as low as the coin had been in about a year and a half, and getting away from there has helped Ethereum gain some momentum and earn the help of some whales. One of those ETH whales deposited millions this week, showing confidence in ETH’s long-term position.

This has triggered short-term trades as other investors take note and add to their ETH wallets as well. Trade volume for the crypto coin is up 87% over the last 24 hours as a result.

Why Is Ethereum Shooting Up?

It is not only whales who are helping Ethereum gain so much value so quickly. Analysts point to a potential ease in trade tariffs as the United States and United Kingdom are working out a trade deal.

This deal was announced today and has resulted in the United States government removing all tariffs for the UK on aluminum and steel. Car export tariffs have also been cut, down to 10% from 27.5%. The U.K. is responding in kind by removing tariffs on ethanol coming from the United States and pledging reciprocal tariffs on beef.

The US still has a 10% tariff on most U.K. goods, but this is considered a win for both sides and certainly for the U.S. stock market and cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin (BTC) climbed quickly when the press conference for the deal was announced and then climbed even higher (5.61%) after the deal was completed.

We expect more freedom from Ethereum and other crypto coins now that trade issues have lightened between the United States and the United Kingdom. There is also hope that the trade war between the U.S. and China will come to an agreeable close as rumors swirl that the two countries are eyeing a potential agreement.

Electronic Arts’ Earnings Gives Stock a Boost, But Will It Be Short-lived?

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Video game Publisher Electronic Arts (EA) posted a better than expected quarterly earnings statement, and their stock jumped as a result, but investors may want to be cautious.

The Madden and Battlefield publisher performed well last quarter.

EA stock climbed 0.69% during Thursday’s trading session, due entirely to the company’s impressive earnings- a net revenue of $1.9 billion for the most recent quarter. That is far better than Wall Street experts had predicted, and the company was able to extend its guidance moving forward as a result. They also managed to drop their operating expenses by 5% for the quarter, impressing their investors.

EA did particularly well with the launch of the new game Split Fiction, which sold about 4 million units. Their Sims franchise also did very well this quarter, reconnecting with their player base through new content releases despite the lack of a new game coming out.

Net bookings for EA’s Madden NFL and College Football series gained 70% in net bookings, an impressive feat for the long-running series. On the downside, the company expects its Apex Legends game to continue to lose players year over year as that game runs out of steam. By next year they anticipate a loss of 40% of the player base.

Can EA Sustain Its Momentum?

EA has its big franchises to fall back on for the next quarter, including two football series and the Sims, but there are no major releases scheduled for the current quarter. The company is planning to reveal the next Battlefield game this summer, but that will likely not be released until late in the year, probably close to Christmas, if it even releases this year.

On top of that, the company will have trouble sustaining interest in its current big franchise unless it releases new content. Split Fiction was a surprise hit, but there may not be another such hit for the current quarter, which would leave investors losing out for the second half of the year.

We expect EA stock to take a dip over the next few months, though it may recover by the end of the year. Investors should anticipate summer lows that will be hard to turn around very quickly unless EA manages to launch new content or has another surprise hit on their hands.

Massive Bitcoin Jump Nears $100K Milestone

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin (BTC) is hovering near $100K with a price of $99,412 (BTC/USD), and if it passes that important level, it will be the first time the coin has done so since early February this year.

The price of Bitcoin is close to $100K now.

Talks of a US/UK trade deal have helped the cryptocurrency market jump in trading late Wednesday and early Thursday. The White House will hold a press conference later today that will lay out the details of that trade deal, and the resulting impact has pushed Bitcoin right next to the $100K line.

[[BTC/USD]]

Bitcoin climbed 2.48% in 24 hours, closely matching its increase from the day before. Trade problems have kept the cryptocurrency market low in recent months, but with the pressure easing up, Bitcoin don other coins are gaining back a lot of lost ground.

Where Will Bitcoin Go from Here?

Bitcoin Ilkley to run into a problem as it hits $100K later today. The whales are sure to push the coin higher, but less committed investors may cash out in droves, having been waiting for the $100K level to drop out and make their gains. Many of them have seen Bitcoin fluctuate rapidly this year and then have trouble hitting $100K. They may realize that the ocean has trouble staying above that level for long and may not want to risk committing their investments to it any longer.

A move past $100K will also benefit Bitcoin, though, giving it more widespread notice and bringing in new investors who are excited to come on board as the coin surpasses this important level.

We anticipate that Bitcoin will hover near $100K for a short while and then enjoy a boost from the market that pushes it higher. What investors should not expect is that the coin will set a new record high anytime soon. There is simply too much pressure from trade wars holding it back, and with inflation high and the Fed unlikely to issue an interest rate cut, Bitcoin will struggle once it gets past the $100K mark.

The Trade War Could Be Over between the United States and the United Kingdom

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Timothy St. John

The stock market indices climbed slightly on Wednesday after the governments of the U.S. and the U.K announced that they are about to sign a trade deal.

A trade deal is incoming for the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 indices all climbed slightly in response to trade deal rumblings from President Donald Trump and the United Kingdom. Trump announced on Wednesday that there would be a Thursday press conference to detail the deal. If an agreeable deal is struck, it could mean the end of the trade war that has been waged between the two nations since Trump took office.

That could be excellent for the stock market, and we are already seeing positive repercussions from this upcoming deal, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining 0.27% by the end of trading on Wednesday, and S&P 500 adding 0.43%, and the Dow Jones increasing by 0.70%.

Stock Market Expected to Rise

We anticipate that the stock market will continue to move upward through Thursday trading, and it will likely enjoy a considerable bump after the scheduled 10 a.m. press conference from the White House concerning its trade deal with the U.K.

Of course, the ongoing trade wars that the United States is having with multiple countries is most significant on the Chinese side. As long as that trade dispute still wages, the stock market will have trouble reaching its full potential. China currently imposes a 125% tariff on many U.S. goods, and the United States has imposed a 145% tariff on many Chinese goods.

The two countries are starting to play nicer with one another, with talks of a potential trade deal in the works. China recently exempted a number of U.S goods from its high tariffs, including microchips, aircraft engines, and some pharmaceuticals. This could be the first cautious step in the right direction.

Of course, the two countries are strong trade partners, but the United States has traditionally been at the mercy of Chinese tariffs and trade regulations. Now that the tables have turned under President Trump, a fierce trade war has broken out that both sides seem hesitant to back down from.

Bitcoin Rallies ahead of Fed Meeting

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Climbing to $96,930 (BTC/USD), Bitcoin has regained a lot of the ground it lost recently, but the upcoming Fed meeting today could change things for the crypto coin.

Bitcoin's bullish movement today has investors excited. — Bitcoin’s bullish movement today has investors excited.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell to $93,606 this week, setting back its climb to $100K, but it looks like things are turning around for the digital currency. Over the last 24 hours, Bitcoin has shot up by 3.16%, which is one of its biggest increases in months.

[[BTC/USD]]

The anticipated resistance level for the coin is now set at $98,000, and hitting $100K will still be very difficult for the coin with all the pressure it is facing. There is immense downward pressure for the market being created by high inflation, ongoing tariffs, and the trade war, as well as a tightening global economy.

The recent high levels that Bitcoin has achieved have moved up the support level to around $95,000. This means that Bitcoin is likely to stay high and grow from that higher level rather than continually fall below it.

Upward pressure is being created for Bitcoin from massive whale movements, with major Bitcoin holders buying up the coin in large amounts recently. This shows their faith in Bitcoin’s long-term prospects as an investment, and that makes it easier for less committed investors to feel good about giving Bitcoin a chance.

Where Is This Rally Headed?

We expect that Bitcoin’s jump today is probably the largest one it will have for a while. There is nothing expected on the horizon to indicate that Bitcoin is going to make another strong upward push on that same level. The Fed meeting today is likely to end with no immediate action taken, which would mean that the crypto market is not likely to receive a push from that corner.

The ongoing trade war between China and the United States will hurt Bitcoin’s prospects, at least in the short term. Investors should expect that the tariffs issued by both countries will keep Bitcoin trading from reaching its full potential.

Bitcoin is nearing $97K now, and could reach $100K this week, if the upward pressure continues to build, but it is more likely to stall out before then and fall back down to its support level.

The Stock Market Will Crash, Predicts Famous Hedge Fund Investor

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Back in 1987, Paul Tudor Jones predicted the Black Monday market crash. Now, he says another crash is coming for the stock markets, and there is only one way to avoid it.

Investors worry that a stock market crash could happen soon.

Hedge fund investor Jones is predicting that a crash is imminent for the stock markets. Because President Donald Trump is focused on tariffs and not letting that platform go, and the Chinese government is battling with them over the same issue, the stock markets are bound to collapse. What makes the situation worse, Jones told CNBC on Tuesday, is that the Federal Reserve is adamant about not issuing interest rate cuts.

If these three sides stick to their guns and do not waver, then the stock market is going to feel the pressure. We already saw tariffs hit the stock markets hard this year, with steep declines that only recently started to abate.

Jones is factoring in that Trump might roll back some of the tariffs, cutting them in half or more as public pressure builds and the stock market trends down. To take some of the pressure off of businesses and the economy, it is likely that Trump will cut his tariffs in the near future, but even that may not be enough to stop the economy from losing a few percentage points of growth.

What Can Turn Things Around?

Jones says that the only possibility he sees that will cause the economic situation to improve is if the Fed cuts interest rates. The Fed has already declared that they will only issue two interest rate cuts for the remainder of the year- one in July and another before the end of the year.

While the Fed is waiting to issue those cuts, though, the economy may trend down sharply, and by the time the cuts come, it could be too little too late to avoid substantial damage.

It is less likely that Trump or China will back off entirely from the trade war and ease the pressure for the U.S. economy. So, it falls to the Fed to take action before the economy drops too hard.

The Nasdaq dropped another 0.87% on Tuesday before the markets closed, and the Dow Jones fell by 0.95%. The S&P 500, which ended a long running winning streak, dropped by 0.77% on Tuesday. All of these indices are expected to continue to fall in Wednesday’s trading. The Fed is holding a meeting later today and will likely stick to its two-cuts plan moving forward, but Jones is not the only investor saying that this could be a bad move.

Bad Sales News for Tesla as Stock Takes a Dive

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Tesla (TSLA) stock fell more than 3% in early trading on Tuesday but bounced back to just 1.75% loss from the previous day by the afternoon. The stock is being hindered by news of poor sales around the world.

Tesla stock and sales are down right now.

Germany registered only 885 Tesla vehicles in April, which is about half of what was registered at that same time in 2024. Tesla stock is sitting at $276.19, however, which is up from $171 at the same time last year.

Tesla is facing strong competition from China, as the BYD company saw 1,556 of their vehicles registered in Germany for April. Electric vehicles are not the problem for Tesla. These vehicles are becoming more popular, with an increase of 53.5% EV registrations for this year compared to last year. In Germany, electric vehicles account for about 19% of the market.

Why Tesla Sales Are Down

Around the world, Tesla sales are dropping. There are multiple reasons for this, and the most notable are that political anger is aimed at Tesla CEO Elon Musk and strong competition for Tesla is coming out of China. In Germany in particular Musk is very unpopular, as he has backed the Alternative for Germany political party.

Tesla sales have been dropping in Germany for the past few months while its competitors continue to perform well. In those months, Tesla sales have fallen a total of 60%, and this problem does not look like it will go away soon.

While there have been rumors that Musk will be replaced as CEO, Tesla has denied those rumors and continues to throw their support behind their embattled head. Meanwhile, Musk may be stepping back from at least some of his duties as the head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and spending more time focusing on Tesla and his other business ventures.

Bitcoin Sticks with $94K ahead of Fed Meeting

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin (BTC) climbed close to $100,000 last week and then faltered, losing its momentum and dropping to its current price of $93,973 (BTC/USD).

It may be difficult for Bitcoin to climb back up to its recent highs after such a precipitous drop. The psychological damage of BTC climbing quickly, nearing $100K and then falling short is going to have long-term effects on the coin. Investors may be less likely to consider putting their money into a currency that is not making upward progress.

[[BTC/USD]]

Bitcoin is looking bearish over the short term, with little hope that it will shoot back up to the $97K level in the next few days. The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, will be holding a meeting on Wednesday where it is expected that they will talk about the state of the economy and lay out their plan for any interest rate cuts for the remainder of the year.

Is BTC Worth the Investment?

Bitcoin may not move much in the short term and may not see the $100K level for a while, but the metrics show that investors are seeing profits. Santiments’ Network Realized Profit/Loss shows that BTC holders are making profits regularly, as many of them hold on to Bitcoin until it scores them a profit.

Because Bitcoin is so fluid, quickly moving between highs and lows, there is opportunity for investors to make a profit quickly and then exit the market. For those who are investing long term, which would include major whales like MicroStrategy, the potential for long-term profits is substantial. Some estimates put Bitcoin’s price at $150K by the end of 2025, and further forecasts show that the coin could hit as high as $1 million in a few years.

Even if we do not see much progress from Bitcoin this week, investors are urged to not sell the dip, since Bitcoin is likely to turn around soon. This week’s Fed meeting could give it a boost, but investors need to keep in mind that the Fed is currently very dovish about the market and is trying to hold back on interest rate cuts until the inflation rate decreases.

Record Winning Streak over for Stock Market Index

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Timothy St. John

Friday last week marked the longest winning streak in 20 years for the S&P 500 stock market index, but Monday brought an end to that historic run with a decline of 0.64%.

The Federal Reserve meeting coming later this week has already stirred up fear about where the stock market is headed, and that in part halted the S&P 500’s historic positive streak. The Dow Jones also fell on Monday, ending the day with a decline of 0.24%. The Nasdaq Composite dropped by 0.74%, adding to investors’ dread.

The good news is that most of the ground lost since President Donald Trump took office has been claimed back by the stock markets. The Nasdaq is almost back to where it was at the beginning of the year. The Dow Jones has not quite made up that lost ground, but it is higher now than it has been throughout all of last month.

March was the hardest month so far for the stock market in 2025, with tariffs creating fear in the market and driving down guidance from a number of companies and bringing stock prices low. However, the stock markets still stayed well above their lowest points from 2024, meaning the economy is getting better, even when it looked dark in March.

Hope for the Future

If the stock market can still stay high even when fears over the economy, a recession, and the trade war are so prevalent, then it looks like Trump may be on track to improve the economy over the long term.

There are some outlier stocks that are behaving differently from the majority of the stock market, and Tesla (TSLA) is probably the most notable. Despite the boost this company received when Trump won the election and when he was sworn in, the Tesla stock price is only barely above its 2024 average. However, this is due primarily to political backlash against the company rather than a tightening of the economy.

Apple (AAPL) is above its three-year low but on par with its average for 2024. This is a company that will face some of the stiffest pressure from tariffs because of its partnership with Chinese companies and its massive consumer base in Asia. However, the extremely high tariffs issued by the United States and China have not sunk the company’s stock below last year’s lows, except for a brief period at the beginning of last month.

Walmart (WMT) gives a better indication of wider market trends, with its steady upward movement hampered by only some short term lows in February and March of 2024. The retail sector will likely continue to perform well even if the trade war intensifies, although there are indications that China and the United States may be ready to negotiate on tariffs very soon.