The Week Ahead: 7-11 April

It feels a little futile to be writing a Week Ahead in these conditions. Financial results don’t matter much when the world has tipped over the brink and into an all out trade war and the biggest economies are now hurling tariffs at each other.

I am watching the slide in NVIDIA (NSQ:NVDA) (a stock which, up to December, contributed more than 12% of my portfolio) in horror. I’m glad my rule for rebalancing prompted a bit of top slicing. The shares are down 30% since the start of the year and they’re dragging the wider US market down with them.

Trump’s tariffs haven’t given any of us much of a breather in the wake of UK company earnings to take stock. The good news is that because we’re only just on the other side of reporting season, most numbers will be up to date, so investors can spend some time hunkering in and assessing the fundamental investment case of stocks in their portfolios. Remember, market mayhem is not the time for rash decision making. Try to hold your nerve and stick to your strategy.

Next week is quiet on the earnings front, but later in the week will see the first of the US banks announce their Q1 numbers. Blackrock, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo all announce their numbers before the market opens on Friday. The turmoil of this week won’t be reflected in the numbers (which will be for the period ending in March), but it will be interesting to assess any management comment on the situation that’s panning out in US equity markets.

In the UK, there is another big chunk of shares going ex-dividend on Thursday. Be aware of any sellers on the day adding more negativity to the news.

But the main strategy right now is keep your head, stick to your strategy and prepare for the opportunities - there should be plenty.

Economic Calendar

Companies Reporting

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