📉 Worst day for S&P since 2020

🛡️ Tax-advantaged PPLI from Arta

Private market investing through a life insurance wrapper

Arta Finance gives qualified investors access to elite wealth strategies.

One of their most powerful tools is Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) — a structure that wraps private market investments in a tax-advantaged insurance policy.

❝

[PPLI] is an ultra-niche financial product, exploited by the super-wealthy to avoid taxes.

– US Senator, in this 2024 report

PPLI has long been used by billionaires to reduce taxes, defer gains, and pass on wealth efficiently.

Now Arta has made it more accessible.

Who's this for?

High earners in high-tax states
Investors allocating to alts with tax drag
Qualified Purchasers (≥$5m in investable assets)
Families thinking about multi-generational wealth

Learn more

Read our deep dive on PPLI
Attend one of their live info sessions in April and May
Express interest below 👇

Yes, I'm Interested →

This issue is sponsored by Arta Finance Wealth Management LLC. Alts.co is not a client of Arta and has been provided cash compensation for the endorsement. The opinions expressed are based on the author’s knowledge of Arta’s services and are not indicative of future results. This issue is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security.

📰 Market Headlines

US markets suffered their worst rout since 2020 as Trump's sweeping new tariffs ignited fears of a global trade war.

The Dow plummeted 4%, the S&P 500 sank 4.8%, and the Nasdaq plunged 6%.
Canada fired back with 25% counter-tariffs on US vehicles, while warning that the post-WWII trading system anchored by America “is over.”

The World Trade Organization slashed its 2025 global trade growth forecast from +3% to -1%, warning of “substantial implications” from the tariffs.

The Magnificent Seven stocks collectively plunged, losing over $800 billion in market value after President Trump's tariff announcement.

Trump even slapped tariffs on Heard and Mcdonald Islands: Australian islands where the only inhabitants are seals and penguins.

Higher inflation and slower growth now put the Federal Reserve Bank in an extremely tough position.

‘Unscathed from tariffs,’ Mexican stocks lead global gains

📊 Ideas, trends, and analysis

The Russell 2000 became the first major US benchmark to enter a bear market, plunging 22% from its November high during Trump's tariff rollout.
Mexico’s stock market soared the most in the world on Thursday as investors piled in following the news that the country was excluded from President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on trading partners.

🇲🇽 Alternative investing news

One year ago, we took our first investor trip to Mexico.

But the goal wasn’t to learn about Mexican equities, it was to explore alternatives in Mexico; specifically tequila, startups, and real estate.

We arrived as Mexico noobs, we left as tequila experts (okay snobs) and deployed $400,000 into 80 barrels of 100% Agave Tequila.

If there’s one single issue that perfectly encapsulates what Alts is all about, it’s this 👇

Investing In Mexico: A Recap Of Our Investor Field Trip To Jalisco – Alts.co

A comprehensive recap of our very first alternative investor retreat: A unique tequila-themed journey to the heart of Mexico.

alts.co/investing-in-mexico-a-recap-of-our-investor-field-trip-to-jalisco

🧠 Make yourself heard

Yesterday we asked which companies are most at risk after “liberation day” (results below).

Now let’s discuss the potential winners.

What companies will benefit the most from “liberation day?”

⚡️ Tesla — US-based production, less reliant on foreign suppliers

🧴 Procter & Gamble — Heavy domestic manufacturing base

🔩 Steel Dynamics — One of the largest US steel producers.

🧊 Yeti — Strong “Made in USA” brand; competitors Shein/Temu face import tariffs

😱 Fear and Greed Index

📊 Earnings

ConAgra reported Q3 sales decline due to supply chain issues; shares dropped 2.1%.
Lamb Weston beat Q3 expectations after hiring AlixPartners to find cost-saving measures; shares jumped 10%.
Guess? shares fell nearly 12% as earnings report missed estimates by 9.12%.

Market movers

Intel and TSMC agreed to a joint venture with TSMC taking a 20% stake after White House pressure to fix Intel’s manufacturing issues.
Capital One’s $35 billion deal to acquire Discover Financial cleared a key hurdle as the DOJ told regulators it found no major competition concerns.
Nissan halted US orders of Mexican-built Infiniti QX50 and QX55 SUVs but kept two shifts running in Tennessee to produce the Rogue.
GM increased truck production in Fort Wayne and added up to 250 jobs in response to new tariffs.
GSK and Pfizer ended their patent dispute over competing RSV vaccines, with the case dismissed permanently.
S tellantis laid off 900 US workers and paused production at Canadian and Mexican plants.

Like good newsletters?
Here are some other ones popular with Stocks & Income readers:

Explore →

📊 Crypto

President Trump's SEC pick, Paul Atkins, cleared the Senate Banking Committee 13-11, promising “much-needed clarity for digital assets.”
North Korean hackers netted $2.5 million from WBTC sales using sophisticated malware targeting crypto job seekers.
Hong Kong pledged action after Tron’s Justin Sun was accused of mishandling $500 million in client funds.

🌍 Global Perspectives

🇸🇰 Slovakia approved a massive cull of 350 bears after attacks on humans reached 1,900 last year.
🇭🇺 Hungary became the first EU nation to withdraw from the International Criminal Court during Netanyahu's visit.
🇮🇹 Italy's femicide crisis deepened as two female students were murdered within 48 hours, bringing 2025's total to 11 deaths.
🇷🇺 Russia banned Elton John's AIDS Foundation, which manages billions in humanitarian aid, citing protection of “traditional values.”
🇮🇳 India's parliament passed a controversial Waqf bill affecting $14.22 billion worth of Muslim religious properties.

🎤 What you said last time

“Nike. Not everyone is interested in low-cost fashion, Apple products, and alcohol. But everyone needs shoes.”

🧠 Miscellanea

The Icelandic town of Grindavik was forced to evacuate again as volcanic eruptions created an 11-kilometer lava corridor.
Scientists are finally close to digitally recreating worm brains after nearly three decades of failed attempts.
A crypto billionaire’s space trip took a turn as all four private astronauts got space sickness in polar orbit.
NASA spotted a “city-killer” asteroid before it vanished.