• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Finance

Here’s What Just Wiped More Than $80 Billion Off Wall Street’s Trump Bump

Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 21, 2017, 5:01 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Wall Street led the so-called Trump Bump. And it also led the worst stock trading day of the year on Tuesday.

While banks stocks have risen the most dramatically since President Donald Trump’s election, the nine biggest Wall Street firms by market capitalization reversed that trend Tuesday. Together, the nine shed $81.6 billion in value, while the wider banking industry, as measured by the KBW bank index, also fell about 4% in Tuesday trading — making it the worst single day for banks since the Brexit vote in June.

Those nine banks — J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, U.S. Bancorp, Morgan Stanley, Blackrock, and PNC Financial Services — also shed 4% in market capitalization on the day, leaving their aggregate value at about $1.36 trillion.

That also helped send the S&P 500 down about 1.1%, and the Dow Jones industrial average down about 1.2% in Tuesday trading.

So why the sudden reversal in banks and the wider stock market?

For one, investors are increasingly beginning to think the stock market is overvalued, and perhaps their expectations of the Trump Administration’s more pro-growth policies — or at least its ability to implement those policies — might be a tad overblown. As stocks surged following Trump’s election, market watchers warned that the President’s proposed corporate tax cuts may take longer to appear than investors seemed to expect.

But what really rattled bank investors was likely flagging bond yields. Instead of shooting skyward after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates last week, yields on the 10-year Treasury note fell — and have been steadily falling ever since. That’s because investors had expected the Fed to signal a more hawkish outlook, such as an announcement about further rate hikes next year. That would have been a boon for banks, which theoretically would earn more from lending funds to consumers. Unfortunately for bank investors, the Fed did no such thing. As a result, banks stocks, which have risen about 20% since Trump’s election, also slid that day last week.

The gradual sell-off in bank stocks Tuesday came as something of a surprise. Investors often look at the financial services firm Jefferies and its earnings as a bellwether for the performance of big banks in the same quarter because it reports its earnings earlier than other banks. On Tuesday, the firm announced first quarter earnings that beat expectations, thanks to strong performance from its bond trading unit. The bank posted a net income of $114 million, compared to its $167 million loss the same quarter the year before.

Rafferty Capital analyst Dick Bove said Tuesday that those results from Jefferies won’t matter — not if Trump’s proposed policies don’t come to fruition.

“There’s a reason why all these bank stocks are cratering. It’s because of the belief that none of the Trump programs will be put into effect,” Bove, the vice president of equity research at Rafferty Capital Markets, told CNBC. “There won’t be enough money in the government to allow for a tax cut and fiscal stimulus program if in effect the government can’t even pay the interest on the debt without borrowing the money.”

Shares of J.P. Morgan (JPM) closed Tuesday down 2.9%; Wells Fargo (WFC) down 2.1%; Bank of America (BAC) down 5.8%; Citigroup (C) down 2.8%; U.S. Bancorp (USB) down 3%; BlackRock (BLK) down 1.3%; Morgan Stanley (MS) down 4.3%, and PNC Financial (PNC) down 4%.

About the Author
Lucinda Shen
By Lucinda Shen
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

The rise of white-collar socialists: ‘A lot of tech workers are working class’
EconomyLabor
The rise of white-collar socialists: ‘A lot of tech workers are working class’
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
3 hours ago
The ‘Soccer Capital of America’ is now gunning for the Soccer Capital of the World (Cup)
EconomySports
The ‘Soccer Capital of America’ is now gunning for the Soccer Capital of the World (Cup)
By Catherina GioinoJuly 11, 2026
6 hours ago
There’s no escape from inflation as a perfect storm of the ‘Godzilla’ El Niño, AI boom, Trump tariffs, fuel crunch, and Ukraine war keep prices high
EconomyInflation
There’s no escape from inflation as a perfect storm of the ‘Godzilla’ El Niño, AI boom, Trump tariffs, fuel crunch, and Ukraine war keep prices high
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
6 hours ago
Trump undercuts GOP midterms message with snub of housing bill
PoliticsHousing
Trump undercuts GOP midterms message with snub of housing bill
By Katy O'Donnell and BloombergJuly 11, 2026
8 hours ago
Help not wanted: World Cup hiring boost has yet to materialize
Economytourism
Help not wanted: World Cup hiring boost has yet to materialize
By Augusta Saraiva, Maya Prakash and BloombergJuly 11, 2026
8 hours ago
German carmakers are suffering some of their worst declines ever in China as Q2 sales plunge 30%-41%
AsiaAutos
German carmakers are suffering some of their worst declines ever in China as Q2 sales plunge 30%-41%
By Chan Ho-Him and The Associated PressJuly 11, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
2 days ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
Success
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
By Preston ForeJuly 11, 2026
12 hours ago
'The first time ever in my career': Senior Citi executive on why the ultrawealthy want to diversify away from America
Banking
'The first time ever in my career': Senior Citi executive on why the ultrawealthy want to diversify away from America
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 11, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.