A trend worth highlighting is evolving among European equities, as evidenced by the strong performance of the MSCI Europe Index, which gained 8.6% during Q1. Europe is significantly outpacing U.S. benchmarks such as the S&P 500 and NASDAQ, both of which experienced modest declines. For many investors, this shift has sparked new interest in the opportunities global markets can provide. In this memo, we take a closer look at the key drivers behind Europe’s equity resurgence and explore why international diversification may play a more important role in your portfolio moving forward.

Today, the global financial markets are experiencing significant declines following President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping new tariffs. Dubbed "Liberation Day," these measures include a universal 10% tariff on all imports, with additional "reciprocal tariffs" targeting specific countries such as China and the European Union.

As mentioned in our previous Market Alert, the recent market volatility was anticipated. In light of the recent price drops, we are adjusting our recommended allocations. Below are the broad changes we suggest, which may vary slightly based on your personal situation:

In times of volatility, it becomes important to recall the words of Winston Churchill, “… an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” During this difficult time, you will start seeing us take advantage of opportunities for you.

In this edition of our “knowables” newsletter we’ll be covering the Trump administration’s announcement of significant tariff measures. Tariffs are likely to be a big topic of conversation this week, given the President’s promise to impose the postponed tariffs on March 4th.

As mentioned previously, this newsletter follows our "Knowables" piece we sent a few weeks back. Contained within, we outline some investment ideas we can act upon or control, considering the things that we know.