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When the Floor Gives Out: Dow’s Dividend Cut Exposes Deeper Cracks

As tariffs loom and renovations spark presidential ire, investors navigate a landscape where government moves dictate market moods.

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When the Floor Gives Out: Dow’s Dividend Cut Exposes Deeper Cracks

As tariffs loom and renovations spark presidential ire, investors navigate a landscape where government moves dictate market moods. July 25, 2025
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A dramatic split image of a crumbling Federal Reserve building under construction scaffolding on one side, and stacks of recycled aluminum cans forming a rising stock chart on the other, with a faint overlay of tariff stamps and economic graphs, evoking tension and opportunity in a conservative, skeptical tone.
Visualizing the clash between bureaucratic excess and unintended market wins.

Good morning, folks. Washington is busy flexing power it barely understands. Whether through headline chasing Fed visits or tariff flirtations dressed as industrial policy. But back in the real economy, the pain is more precise: Dow Inc., once a rock in retirement portfolios, just chopped its dividend in half and blamed the world for its woes. It’s a story that says more about industrial rot than regulation and a reminder that yield without resilience is just bait. Let’s get into today’s Morning Bullets.

– Truly yours, Fred Frost


📈 Yesterday's Market Recap

Markets closed higher yesterday, buoyed by strong earnings beats from tech and consumer sectors, even as tariff uncertainties lingered. The S&P 500 notched a fresh high, reflecting investor optimism amid mixed economic signals.


    • Tech Earnings Lift Nasdaq: Alphabet and ServiceNow exceeded expectations, driving gains in the tech-heavy index. → CNBC

    • Beverage Sector Fizzes Up: Keurig Dr Pepper beat estimates, signaling recovery in U.S. consumer spending. → Stocktwits

    • Mining and Energy Stocks Climb: Newmont and Comfort Systems posted strong results, boosting materials and industrials. → Seeking Alpha

    • Meme Stocks Volatile: Opendoor surged while others dipped, highlighting speculative trading trends. → CNBC


    📈 Daily Performance Snapshot

    Index/AssetClosing ValueChange
    S&P 5006,363.35+0.07%
    Nasdaq21,057.96+0.18%
    Dow Jones44,693.91-0.7%
    Gold$3363.30-0.3%
    Crude Oil$66.14+0.17%
    Bitcoin$115,952-1.75%
    10-yr Treasury Yield4.408%+0.46%

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    🔭 What to Watch Today

    With earnings season in full swing and policy ripples from Washington, keep an eye on how these developments could sway sectors from tech to commodities, reminding us that government actions often create more volatility than value.

    • Bajaj Finserv Q1 Earnings (Expected Today): Analysts project strong profit growth; a breakout above resistance could signal further upside in financials. → Stocktwits
    • Fed Rate Decision Looming (July 29-30): Low odds of a cut amid Trump's pressure; watch for market reactions to ongoing tariff talks. → The Atlantic
    • Deutsche Bank Q2 Results: Beat expectations despite challenges; European banks eye tariff impacts on growth. → CNBC
    • Moncler Pricing Strategy Update: Luxury firm adjusts for U.S. tariffs; could indicate broader retail sector adaptations. → NY Times

    💡 Opportunity Watch

    Amid tariff-induced shifts, savvy investors spot edges in AI storage, biotech breakthroughs, and undervalued income plays, proof that market distortions from policy can unearth real value for those who look beyond the headlines.

    • Pure Storage (PSTG): Meta deal validates AI capabilities; positioned for double-digit growth despite near-term valuation concerns. → Seeking Alpha
    • NextCure (NXTC): Stock surges 45% on brittle bone disease data; potential FDA path could drive long-term gains. → Stocktwits
    • John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (HTD): 8% yield at a discount to NAV; strong historical returns make it a buy for income-focused portfolios. → Seeking Alpha

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    🔥 The Big Bullet

    Dow Inc. Slices Dividend as Earnings Evaporate


    What happened: Dow Inc. sent a shiver through dividend-watchers yesterday, cutting its quarterly payout by half, from $0.70 to $0.35, after posting a steep Q2 loss of $835 million, a sharp reversal from its $439 million profit a year ago. Revenues missed expectations, dropping 7.4% to $10.1 billion amid sluggish demand for plastics and industrial materials. Management pinned the miss on oversupply and "unfair" global competition. The dividend cut, expected to conserve nearly $250 million in cash, came alongside thinly veiled lobbying for tariff support. Shares sank more than 16% on the day, the stock’s biggest drop in five years → MarketWatch


    Why it matters: For a company once considered a ballast in income portfolios, this is no routine belt-tightening. A dividend this large doesn’t get halved unless the pressure is structural, and persistent. It’s a red flag for the broader industrials complex, where margins are already under siege from flatlining demand, Chinese oversupply, and inventory pileups. And let’s not ignore the optics: Dow’s dividend was a symbol of financial stability. Gutting it now hints at something deeper unraveling beneath the balance sheet.

    What’s next: Earnings from sector peers, like DuPont, Eastman Chemical, and LyondellBasell, will now arrive under a microscope. Watch especially for guidance on pricing power and capex cuts. Politically, Dow’s appeal for tariffs might resonate in an election year, but don’t bank on Washington bailing out poor pricing strategy. For investors, this is a wake-up call: dividend durability needs more than history, it needs cash. Defensive rotation into quality names with clean payout ratios may accelerate from here.

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    🧭 Policy & Market Ripples

    • USDA Decentralization Push: Relocating staff to regional hubs aims to cut bureaucracy but draws criticism for potential disruptions to farm support. → Fox Business
    • Paramount-Skydance Merger Approved: FCC greenlights deal amid controversy over Trump settlement, raising editorial independence concerns. → Fortune
    • Biden Confidante Testimony: Revelations on cognitive decline and internal doubts spotlight ongoing political investigations. → Daily Signal
    • Mortgage Rates Dip Slightly: Average 30-year fixed at 6.74%; Trump eyes capital gains tax cut on home sales to ease housing crunch. → Natural News
    • Wine Scam Guilty Plea: Bordeaux Cellars founder admits fraud, defrauding investors of $100M in fake luxury wine loans. → AInvest

    📜 This Day in History – July 25

    On this day, history reminds us how policy shifts and innovations reshape landscapes, much like today's tariff booms inadvertently fueling recycling, proving markets adapt when governments overreach.

    2000 – Concorde crash highlighted the risks of high-stakes tech, a lesson in why grounded, free-market innovation often outpaces flashy overreach.

    1978 – Louise Brown's IVF birth sparked ethical debates, underscoring individual autonomy in medical advancements over regulatory hurdles.

    1965 – Bob Dylan's electric set at Newport challenged norms, much like contrarian investors who buck herd mentality for real gains.

    1969 – Nixon Doctrine shifted U.S. defense burdens to allies, a nod to fiscal responsibility and reducing government overextension abroad.

    The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency.
    , Vladimir Lenin
    That's the wrap on today's bullets, stay vigilant, question the spin, and let markets guide your moves.

    Stay sharp,
    Fredrick Frost
    Editor, MorningBullets

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