New Poll: Portfolios 'Suffering' as Trump Wages Tariff War
etf.com survey participants overwhelmingly respond that the trade war is hurting their investments.
President Donald Trump’s trade war is overwhelmingly hurting investors’ portfolios, according to the results of an etf.com social media survey.
Eighty-three percent of those responding to a LinkedIn poll posted March 12 voted for the “my portfolio is suffering” choice; on an X survey, 68% chose that option. A total of 102 responses were tallied.
The polls reflect investors’ souring moods since President Trump took office for a second time in January and, in the following month, launched a trade war with Canada, Mexico the European Union and China. While that battle has included a mix of threats and actual imposition of levies, U.S. equity indexes have tumbled as fears of inflation and recession jump.
VOO, DIA Drop as Safe Havens Rise
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) has dropped 7.7% over the past month as investors bid down the price of broad equity funds, while the narrower SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) has lost 6.7%.
Investors are bidding up safer investments like the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT), which has added 1.5% over the past month. The gold-focused SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) has gained 3.4% this month, adding to its year-to-date gain of 14%.
“ETFs that invest in Europe, emerging markets, Treasury bonds and gold are all performing well amid tariffs,” said etf.com Senior Content Editor Kent Thune, CFP.
Crypto ETFs are among the funds struggling the most since Trump began calling for a trade war and the imposition of duties on steel, aluminum, wine, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, as well as across-the-board duties on Canada, China, Mexico and the EU.
The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has lost 13% over the past month and investors have pulled $1.5 billion from the fund.
A total of 102 social media follower responses collected over three days via etf.com's LinkedIn (top) and X (bottom) poll posts.
Tariffs currently in effect include a 20% tax on all items imported from China and 25% on all steel and aluminum, according to an NBC News tally.
Still, investors aren’t giving up on equities and appear to be staying in stocks for the long haul. VOO has pulled in $30.1 billion over the past month while its price dropped, including $14 billion on March 14.
In the X poll, 16% chose “portfolio is doing great,” and the same number said there was no impact. 10% of LinkedIn respondents said their portfolio is doing great, while 7% chose the no-impact option.
