US Bank Stocks Tumble as Sweeping Tariff Stokes Recession Fears

Shares of U.S. banks were hit hard during yesterday’s session following Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs — a move that has sparked fears of a global trade war, and is expected to lower economic growth and reignite inflation.

Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.9%, the S&P 500 dipped 4.8% and the Nasdaq Composite declined 5.9%. Bank stocks (whose financial well-being depends on the nation’s economic health) performed worse than the major benchmarks. The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index slid 9.8% and the S&P Regional Banks Select Industry Index tanked 10.3%.

Across the banking industry, Citigroup C, Bank of America BAC plunged more than 10%. Shares of Morgan Stanley MS, Goldman Sachs GS and Wells Fargo WFC declined more than 9%. 

Quick Dig Into Trump’s Sweeping Tariff 

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced "reciprocal" tariffs against several countries. Trump said that each country's imports would be taxed at rates based on "tariffs, non-monetary barriers and other forms of cheating" that are levied against American goods.

The tariffs range from 10% to as high as 50%. Chinese products will be hit with a 34% tariff, the European Union will be tariffed at 20% and goods from Japan at 24%.

The tariffs will take effect by April 9, 2025, marking one of the most significant trade shifts in recent history.

How New Tariffs Affect Banking Stocks

The new tariffs are likely to push overall tariff rates to their highest level in a century, slow economic growth, reduce investment and weigh on consumer spending. Many investors and economists are concerned that the sweeping tariff raises the risk of recession and complicates the Federal Reserve's efforts to bring inflation down to its 2% target.

The heightened recession fears can negatively impact banks as the demand for loans may drop. Additionally, this could cause a spike in delinquency rates, mainly in the consumer loan portfolio. This will thereby hurt banks’ asset quality.

In addition, on the investment banking side, with companies holding off acquisitions amid tariff uncertainty, investment banking income is likely to remain under pressure.

Entering 2025, banks had expected to benefit from a healthy economy and a favorable interest rate environment. But with tariffs, that outlook has changed dramatically. Since banking profitability is closely tied to the overall economy, any downturn will undoubtedly weigh on the sector.

With the probability of prolonged market volatility, investors should closely monitor further tariff plans and broader economic indicators before making financial decisions.

At present, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research