Buy the Rumor

China’s government officials have come out swinging against the White House, saying they strongly opposes what they described as “U.S. abuse” of reciprocal tariffs. Earlier today, President Trump revealed that he was willing to reduce tariffs on China imports to 80% from a triple-digit percentage level. Washington, D.C. and Beijing officials are set to come to the negotiating table this weekend. Stocks are lower on the trade deal uncertainty.

The stock market has reversed course, leaving all three of the major stock market averages in the red after coming out of the gate higher on China trade deal hopes. Traders and investors appear to be playing it cautiously until the White House and Beijing sign on the dotted line. Market declines are modest, including a 0.07% drop in the Nasdaq Composite. At this rate, stocks are likely to continue meandering between positive and negative ground for now.

The Nasdaq Composite is on pace for a fractional gain today and  has advanced a more impressive 7.9% over the past month. Year-to-date, the tech-heavy index is still lower by 6%. Over the past five trading sessions, Broadcom (Nasdaq: AVGO) has gained 5% while Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has lost 7.4%.