Restrictions on sales to China bring down Nvidia and raise questions about tech

Nvidia shares, along with many others in the tech sector, plunged on Wednesday on news that the Trump administration will be blocking sales of certain technology to China. Particularly hard hit was the outlook for Nvidia’s H20 chip. The company expected the president’s decision to cost it $5.5bn in sales. Today on the show, Katie Martin and Aiden Reiter are joined by Lex editor John Foley to discuss the clampdown on tech and the prospects for AI in general. Also they go long turbulence at the Federal Reserve, and short Dutch chip company ASML.&nbsp; For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1d2ba248-4919-4b29-a059-5a88182e2b80" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

Nvidia’s bad day

Beijing may have more leverage than President Donald Trump thought

The White House has announced dizzyingly high — and hard-to-follow — tariffs on goods from China. And Beijing has responded. But the real trade war may be between the US president and the American consumer. Today on the show, Katie Martin and Aiden Reiter dig into the tariffs battle and discuss China’s options. Also, Aiden doubles down on donkey metaphors and Katie goes short performative space expeditions. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d0f48b7f-66d3-436c-b509-948fc29b42a3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

Will China back down?

Have Trump’s policies hurt the US’s ability to borrow?

Trump folded on Wednesday, reducing his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs across the board, with the notable exception of massive taxes on goods from China. Today on the show, Rob Armstrong and Katie Martin unpack the market gyrations that followed, and wonder if lasting damage has been done to America’s borrowing costs. Also, they go long global trade and long battered European stocks. Join Unhedged for a subscriber webinar about the Trump effect on markets on&nbsp;April 23 at 13:00-14:00 UK time. Go to&nbsp;<a href="http://ft.com/trumpmarkets" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ft.com/trumpmarkets</a>&nbsp;to register now and send your questions to the team. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/860abb8d-5592-4431-b1cd-4eda054e8063" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

The real cost of a trade war

As markets bounce around, China announces its own tariffs

As the markets try to absorb and value the announced US tariffs, China has responded with&nbsp;its own levies. Today on the show, Katie Martin and Rob Armstrong sum up the old bad news, add it to the new bad news, and divide it by the good news. The result isn’t pretty. Also they go long patience and short buying the dip.&nbsp; For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/fdf003d3-e5c8-4096-b154-9e8b66797415" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

Surveying the wreckage

A stunning rollout of new taxes astonishes traders

On April 2, in the Rose Garden of the White House, President Donald Trump announced taxes on almost every kind of imported finished goods. Markets plunged as traders fled equities, and even the dollar weakened. Today on the show, Rob Armstrong and Aiden Reiter go over the tariffs and discuss how they will make it harder for American companies to make money. Also they go long TIPS, and short the fortunes of the American consumer, who will have to pay for all these new levies.&nbsp; For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a8819638-924b-489a-9dbd-2875a57ad558" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

Tariffs up. Markets down 

Spirits are low but indicators seem fine

Markets, investors and companies are all feeling a little bit jumpy about the state of the economy. Surveys of managers, consumers and investors are all grim. Today on the show, Rob Armstrong and Aiden Reiter take a look at those soft numbers and compare them to hard numbers such as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey and try to figure out what’s really going on. Also they go short Indonesia’s plan for a sovereign wealth fund and short the president’s plan for “liberation day”.&nbsp; For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1584ea2b-c249-4650-ad8a-51e2080500a8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

Vibes vs data

An unusual company enters an unusual investing environment

CoreWeave’s IPO is one of the odder tech plays to come along in a few years. It buys chips from Nvidia, and rents them out, mainly to Microsoft, but also to Nvidia. Today on the show, Rob Armstrong gets into the cloud computing company's business with Lex editor John Foley and the FT’s corporate finance editor Rob Smith. Also they go long Ferraris and short car tariffs.&nbsp; For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7139e03b-6a29-41c0-938a-7eb41e4e168b" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

What does CoreWeave’s IPO say about the market?

To fund tax cuts, the administration wants cheaper money

President Donald Trump has been clear he wants lower interest rates. Cheaper money would goose the market and give the government room to spend. But interest rates haven’t exactly been co-operating. Today on the show, Katie Martin, Rob Armstrong and Aiden Reiter discuss plans to move the needle on long-term bonds, from the stalled “Mar-a-Lago Accord” to Treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s embrace of shorter-duration bonds. Also they go long the price of oil and short the 10-year Treasury bond.&nbsp;&nbsp; For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/23e79569-a275-49a7-b346-d19e2352fe79" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

Can Trump drive down bond yields?

Is uncertainty about the president already priced in?

On Wednesday Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell announced that US interest rates would remain unchanged. But the monetary policy committee is clearly worried that tariffs might slow growth and increase inflation. Today on the show, Rob Armstrong, Katie Martin and Aiden Reiter try to figure out why markets weren't worried by what they heard from the Fed. Also they go long Twitter (X… whatever) and short Tesla. For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: <a href="https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer</a>. You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at <a href="mailto:unhedged@ft.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unhedged@ft.com</a>. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ff5075d8-4b25-4331-b3cc-b6730c67e178" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com</a>

Dour Fed, cheery market

A new twice-weekly markets podcast from the FT and Pushkin

Katie Martin, Robert Armstrong and other markets nerds at the Financial Times explain the big ideas behind what’s happening in finance right now. Every Tuesday and Thursday.

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