✨Barnard Investment Group - Weekly Newsletter✨
🚨BIG General Body !
📢 Important Policy:
To become an official BIG General Body Member, you must attend 3-5 events throughout the semester. This is a great way to get involved and show your commitment to BIG’s mission!
🔹 Fireside Chat with Steven Quattry (Morgan Stanley)
Join us for an insightful conversation with Steven Quattry, investor on the Emerging Markets Equity team and portfolio manager for the Next Gen Emerging Markets strategy at Morgan Stanley. Learn about his work, investment strategies, and perspectives on emerging markets.
📅 Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
🕔 Time: 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Wang Pavilion Room
🌍 International Students in Banking with Shreya Goyal (Apollo Global Management)
Curious about breaking into banking and private equity as an international student? Join us for a fireside chat with Shreya Goyal, Private Equity Analyst at Apollo Global Management and former Investment Banking Analyst at JP Morgan. She’ll share her experience navigating recruiting, securing top internships, and landing roles at bulge bracket firms.
📅 Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Lerner 569
✨ Don’t miss these exclusive events—mark your calendar and join us!
🏢 Ruane Cunniff– Investment Banking Analyst, Equity Capital Markets (ECM)
📍 Location: New York, NY
📅 Deadline: March 23, 2025
📋 Details: Join Ruane Cunniff’s investment team and conduct in-depth primary research on potential investee companies. Interns will analyze businesses, competitive moats, and management teams, working alongside experienced analysts. Ideal candidates are intellectually curious and passionate about investing.
🔗 Apply Here
🏛 New York City Council – Summer Intern
📍 Location: New York, NY (Onsite)
Join the New York City Council as a Summer Intern and get firsthand experience in policy research, legislative analysis, and public affairs. You'll support city governance, attend council meetings, and engage with key stakeholders—an incredible opportunity to dive into public service and the political process.
🏦 Barclays – Banking Analyst (Coverage/M&A) Summer Internship 2026
📍 Location: New York, NY (Hybrid/Onsite)
Interested in investment banking? At Barclays, interns will gain hands-on experience in M&A, corporate finance, and financial analysis while working on live transactions. With mentorship from senior bankers, this is an excellent opportunity to explore the finance world and build a strong foundation in banking.
🌍 The World Bank Group – Internship
📍 Location: Washington, DC (Onsite)
Passionate about global development and economic policy? Interning at The World Bank Group gives you the chance to work on impactful projects in sustainable finance, economic research, and international development alongside leading professionals shaping global policy.
📈 Piper Sandler – 2026 Investment Banking Summer Analyst (Capital Solutions)
📍 Location: New York, NY (Onsite)
Join Piper Sandler’s Capital Solutions group and gain exposure to private equity and investment banking. As an intern, you’ll work on live transactions, financial modeling, and deal structuring, gaining direct experience with high-stakes deals and top industry professionals.
✨ The Walt Disney Company – LIVE! Kelly and Mark Production Intern (Summer/Fall 2025)
📍 Location: New York, NY
📅 Deadline: March 5, 2025, at 10:00 PM
📋 Details: Join the production team of the hit talk show LIVE! with Kelly and Mark. Interns will assist with research for celebrity interviews, cooking and lifestyle segments, and audience development. Responsibilities include supporting the show’s daily operations both on-set and behind the scenes. Ideal candidates are pursuing a career in television production, communications, or journalism.
📉 Wall Street on Edge as Trump’s Policies Threaten Economic Stability
Markets tumbled as President Trump’s latest economic policies sparked fears of a hard landing for the U.S. economy. His renewed focus on tariffs, federal workforce cuts, and economic “detox” has rattled investors, leading to a sharp selloff. On Monday, the Dow Jones dropped 890 points (-2.1%), the S&P 500 fell 2.7%, and the Nasdaq plunged 4%, marking its worst decline since 2022.
Adding to concerns, companies like Delta Air Lines have reported weakening consumer demand and stalled business investment. As a result, major financial institutions are adjusting their outlooks. JPMorgan raised its recession forecast to 40% from 30%, citing "extreme U.S. policies," while Goldman Sachs cut its growth projections, warning that economic expansion could slow significantly.
Some analysts believe Trump’s aggressive stance is a negotiation tactic in trade discussions, while others fear his policies could force the Federal Reserve to delay interest rate cuts, increasing financial uncertainty. With markets on edge, investors are left wondering whether Trump will adjust his approach or double down on policies that could push the economy into recession.
📌 Source: The Wall Street Journal, "Wall Street Fears Trump Will Wreck the Soft Landing," March 10, 2025.
💳 Consumers’ Debt Load Raises Recession Fears
Rising consumer debt is raising concerns that Americans may be reaching their financial limits—a troubling sign for economic stability. Stocks of major lenders, including American Express and Capital One, fell more than 4%, while consumer lending stocks are down 12% this year, significantly underperforming the broader market’s 4.5% decline.
Household debt has now surpassed pre-pandemic highs, with average credit card balances exceeding $10,000—the highest level since 2009. Delinquencies are also increasing, particularly among higher-income borrowers who lack significant assets. While lenders argue that low unemployment should help prevent defaults, a slowdown in economic growth could force households to cut back on spending, weakening one of the economy’s key drivers.
Adding to the uncertainty, Trump’s tariff policies and economic “detox” rhetoric have unsettled markets. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that short-term economic pain may be necessary to reduce dependence on government spending. With consumer sentiment declining and debt levels rising, analysts are watching consumer lenders closely for early signs of broader economic instability.
📌 Source: The Wall Street Journal, "Consumers Keep Bailing Out the Economy. Now They Might Be Maxed Out," March 11, 2025.
⚓ BlackRock Secures $23 Billion Global Port Deal Amid Trump’s Panama Canal Push
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has finalized a $22.8 billion deal to acquire over 40 global ports, including key facilities at the Panama Canal. The transaction, completed in just one month, was driven in part by President Trump’s push for greater U.S. control over the canal, adding a geopolitical dimension to the deal.
While Trump framed the acquisition as part of his effort to “take back” the Panama Canal, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink emphasized that Panama’s ports account for just 4% of the deal’s value. The acquisition expands BlackRock’s reach in global logistics, giving it control over ports in 23 countries, including Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, and South Korea.
The deal was facilitated by Fink’s ties to the Trump administration, including direct discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Under U.S. pressure regarding Chinese influence in the Panama Canal, Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison opted to sell rather than face regulatory scrutiny.
Despite past conservative criticism of BlackRock’s ESG policies, Trump defended the deal, stating:
“I’d much rather deal with BlackRock than a China-based company.”
The acquisition solidifies BlackRock’s dominance in global infrastructure, positioning the firm as a major player in the shifting landscape of trade, geopolitics, and global supply chains.
📌 Source: The Wall Street Journal, "BlackRock Becomes a Power Player in Global Shipping—With Help From Trump," March 10, 2025.
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