Weekly column: Market tumbles amid trade tensions and economic uncertainty

Review

The Labor Department on Friday reported that employers added 73,000 jobs in July, a figure that was cooler than the estimate of economists polled by LSEG. Job gains in the prior two months were both revised, with job creation in May revised downward by 125,000 from a gain of 144,000 to 19,000; and June job gains were revised down by 133,000 from a gain of 147,000 to 14,000. Taken together, employment in May and June was 258,000 lower than previously reported, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted were “larger than normal” revisions.

— Eric Revell, “US Job Growth Cooled Amid Growing Economic Uncertainty,” Fox Business, August 1, 2025.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs on exports from dozens of trading partners, including Canada, Brazil, India, and Taiwan, sent global stock markets down on Friday. The presidential order listed higher import duty rates of 10% to 41% starting in seven days for 69 trading partners, effectively taking the U.S. effective tariff rate to about 18%, from 2.3% last year, according to analysts at Capital Economics.

— David Lawder and Chayut Setboonsarng, “Trump Hits More Countries with Steep Tariffs, Markets Tumble,” Reuters, August 1, 2025, www.reuters.com.

This was the week in which the Mercury retrograde cycle (July 17-August 11) reached its midpoint (July 30). This is important because in our studies, any market that didn’t reverse around the time of Mercury retrograde date will usually do so within a day of the Trickster’s midpoint. Indeed, that was the case last week as many global stock indices reversed sharply from their yearly or all-time highs made on July 30-31 into August 1, as President Trump once again delivered on his promise to unilaterally levy tariffs on scores of nations. Since tariffs are essentially taxes on businesses, stock markets did not take well to this news.

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, the Mercury retrograde midpoint correlation was especially evident in Australia and China. The former made an all-time high right on July 30, then dropped to a new 2-week low by Friday, with indications of lower prices ahead. In China, the Shanghai Composite (SSE) rallied to 3636 on July 30, testing its yearly high of 3674 made in October, and then turned south. The Hang Seng of Hong Kong and Japan’s Nikkei index had topped out a week earlier, on the new moon of July 24, but ended the week on a down beat that could easily continue in the days and even weeks ahead. The Nifty Index of India was already in a decline, and on Friday it dropped to its lowest mark since June 13.

In Europe, the carnage from tariffs was even more dramatic, despite a better-than-expected tariff penalty of mostly 15% for U.S. corporations importing goods from the EU. It was still seen as a very bad deal for Europe. The FTSE performed best of all, making a new all-time high on July 31, followed by a modest selloff on Friday (maybe because it is not part of the EU and made a deal earlier). The DAX suffered a new 6-week low on Friday. The damage was much greater in the Netherlands AEX and Swiss SMI, which fell to their lowest levels in 13 and 14 weeks, respectively.

In the Americas, Brazil’s Bovespa index fell to a 14-week low amid the U.S. slapping on a huge 50% “revenge” tariff rate for companies to import goods from that nation. In the U.S., both the NASDAQ and S&P futures put in new all-time highs in the pre-market of July 31. Then both dropped sharply into Friday. The DJIA, however, did not make a new all-time high on July 31. Nor did it even take out its secondary top of the prior week, July 23 (New Moon), for a clear case of intermarket bearish divergence involving an MMA geocosmic critical reversal date. On Friday, the DJIA “gapped down” (i.e., its range was entirely below the low of the prior day) to its lowest level in 5 weeks, confirming July 24 as its primary cycle crest.

In commodity markets, Gold dropped to a low of 3264 in the Mercury Rx midpoint zone of July 31, then commenced with a sharp rally on Friday. Silver also made a new 4-week low on July 31, but its rally on Friday was not as impressive. Still, both metals are in a time band for primary cycle lows, which would look good if Silver could take out last week’s low while Gold holds above (intermarket bullish divergence in a CRD and cycle time band). Crude Oil had a nice rally to 70.51 on July 31, its highest price in five weeks, before a sharp decline into Friday. November Soybeans dropped to 9.86 on Friday, their lowest price since the primary cycle began on April 9. With Venus involved in a square to both Saturn and Neptune on August 1, this is a good candidate for a rally—as is any market dropping to a potential cycle low with Venus square Saturn.

This Venus/Saturn correlation may be working well for currencies against the U.S. Dollar, like the Euro, which dropped to a multi-week low of 1.1400 on Friday before the employment reports came out. It then rallied sharply. Bitcoin and Ethereum also declined into Friday’s Scorpio Moon, which is typical as lows often form between Cancer and Scorpio moons. But neither rallied much afterwards as the Euro did. It will be interesting to see if the cryptos follow the foreign currencies or the U.S. stock market from here.

Short-term geocosmics

It is becoming increasingly clear that U.S. businesses … are absorbing much of the costs for now. In a competitive market, a company that hikes prices could lose market share to a rival that keeps its prices steady. Many are reluctant to raise prices until they absolutely must and until they know the ever-changing tariffs are sticking around. In some cases, companies have said they plan to raise prices in the months to come.

— Jeanne Whalen and Sarah Nassauer, “Trump’s Tariffs Are Being Picked Up by Corporate America,” The Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2025, www.wsj.com.

There is an irony in Detroit right now: The automaker most reliant on U.S. manufacturing is among the hardest hit by tariffs. Ford Motor, the second-largest American carmaker, prides itself on making most of its vehicles in the U.S. Some 80% of the cars Ford sells in the U.S. are built there, and it makes more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker. But the company said the Trump administration’s latest trade deals with Japan, the European Union and South Korea put it at a disadvantage with foreign rivals. Those deals now set a 15% tariff rate, which is lower than the 25% auto tariff that went into effect this spring. Ford faces steeper tariffs on many parts as well as higher costs for imported aluminum, which is subject to 50% duties.

Sharon Terlep, “Why Ford’s Made-in-America Strategy Hurts It in Trump’s Trade War,” The Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2025, wsj/com.

The White House proudly states how much money tariffs are bringing into the United States Department of the Treasury, which is true. But at what cost? (Hint: What happens when someone you had a trusting, favorable relationship with unilaterally raises prices on you?). Trust and feelings of betrayal are major themes under Saturn conjunct Neptune, especially when it squares a natal Venus (allies) in Cancer, which is the case in the U.S. chart. And who is actually paying for those tariffs that the U.S. government is collecting? Hint: It is not the countries exporting their goods to America. It’s U.S. corporations and businesses. And what are they going to do to cover those new 15% taxes? Hint: it’s not going to result in lower prices for consumers. For more on the inflation cycle, we refer you to Pouyan Zolfagharnia’s recent MMA Cycles + Report, which was issued last week, where he shares insightful cycle and geocosmic studies correlating to inflation.

But our expertise is not in explaining the fundamentals of either economics or politics. Our clients value MMA for our knowledge and expertise in cycles and geocosmic timing indicators. And right now, we are in the midst of several reversal signals, back-to-back, through the month of August.

The first is right now. Not only was July 30-31 the midpoint of the Trickster’s retrograde cycle, but August 1 was also the day of Venus (money, currencies, and Soybeans) square to the Saturn/Neptune conjunction. As mentioned earlier, the Euro and Soybeans both dropped to multi-month lows on Friday. Copper, also ruled by Venus, dropped sharply late last week to its lowest mark in 16 weeks.

This is just the first of the geocosmic whipsaw patterns this month. Another arises August 8-12, which includes Mars in opposition to both Saturn and Neptune. Mars/Saturn is particularly powerful with an 82% correlation to primary cycles within 10 trading days. This is a war-like signature when tempers and frustrations run high. And with Mars entering Libra, the sign of allies and partnerships, relationships may be severely tested, especially with Saturn and Neptune involved, because Saturn and Neptune challenge any relationship based on trust. Expect parties to accuse one another of bad faith, disloyalty, and changing the goal posts on previous agreements. This may not bode well for equities. However, it can also relate to extremes in weather temperatures (i.e., droughts and floods), which could provide a lift to grain prices.

It doesn’t end there. On August 24, we enter the next TUMDI period (Trump Uranus Market Disruption Indicator). On that day, the Sun will square Uranus (another powerful Level 1 signature with an 82% correlation to primary cycles +/- 10 trading days), with Jupiter sitting midway between both the Sun and Uranus (semi-squares). Shortly after that, on September 6, Uranus will turn stationary retrograde in Gemini. If matters seem chaotic and unstable now, those qualities may seem to be on steroids then. Whenever Uranus is highlighted, expect the unexpected. This is a very disruptive period in terms of both surprise announcements by world leaders, terrorist threats, and the possibility of natural calamities like hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Financial markets may either break out to new highs or reverse downwards with a vengeance that surprises everyone in their ferocity. Or both in quick order.

What to do as we enter this very volatile and electric month? Be open to inspiration and new ideas that are “out of the box.” The logical solutions to issues don’t work, but new ones may suddenly appear. The problem is timing. This is a time of revelation or revolution, but under Uranus, the timing is often off. It may be favorable if you are an astrologer seeking new insights, for Uranus rules astrology and all things extraterrestrial (no, I don’t think we get a wakeup call from aliens). But it can also mean losing one’s mind in personal relationships and behaving very immaturely, causing friction and separations. Uranus rules Aquarius, so when it is highlighted, there is often the mixed message that goes something like: “I love you, but don’t take it personally.” And then, “I’m out of here.” If you do that, understand that there may be no turning back. This is not the best period for TACO time behavior. You are either in or out. You own it now.