Post-election confidence surge reversed in February

a president usually needs several years to make his mark on the economy, but Trump did it in just a few weeks. Many companies are optimistic about Trump's presidency, with post-election optimism clearly on the rise. However, events that occurred after the inauguration weakened this optimism. The S&P 500 index rose 5% in the first five trading days after the election, but has since been flat.

Preliminary results from a small business survey conducted by Vistage Worldwide show a reversal in confidence surge after the U.S. election in February. Wall Street just had its quietest January for merger announcements in 10 years. Ethan Cap, CEO of the nonprofit organization Magnet, said, "There's too much chaos. People don't know where things will land. Although tariffs have potential long-term benefits in terms of reshoring, what's happening now is just turmoil." (The Wall Street Journal)