Feb. 23, 2025 5:00 AM ETSteven Cress, Quant TeamSA Quant Strategist(12min)SummaryMajor U.S. indices exhibited mixed activity this week, with losses accelerating Friday afternoon; The Nasdaq slid over 2%, as the Dow Jones and S&P 500 declines reached above 1.75%.President Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on auto, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical imports dominated market sentiment, triggering renewed trade war concerns and potential supply chain disruptions.Corporate headlines included Alibaba (BABA) surging 10% following strong FQ3 earnings, while Walmart (WMT) faced scrutiny over potential Chinese tariff exposure.The 10-year Treasury yield edged up 7 BP to 4.57%, with Fed minutes flagging concerns that tariff-driven inflation risks might outweigh near-term rate cut expectations.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) soared above $97,300 as crypto ETFs gained steam among institutional investors.Parradee Kietsirikul/iStock via Getty ImagesDOGE Dividend ProposalFederal workforce reductions have captured headlines to challenge the job market. Roughly 79,000 federal workers agreed to deferred buyouts as part of an initiative led by the Trump administration aimed at reducingI am Steven Cress, Head of Quantitative Strategies at Seeking Alpha. I manage the quant ratings and factor grades on stocks and ETFs in Seeking Alpha Premium. I also lead Alpha Picks, which selects the two most attractive stocks to buy each month, and also determines when to sell them.This article was written bySteven Cress, Quant Team65.82K FollowersSteven Cress is VP of Quantitative Strategy and Market Data at Seeking Alpha. Steve is also the creator of the platform’s quantitative stock rating system and many of the analytical tools on Seeking Alpha. His contributions form the cornerstone of the Seeking Alpha Quant Rating system, designed to interpret data for investors and offer insights on investment directions, thereby saving valuable time for users. He is also the Founder and Co-Manager of Alpha Picks, a systematic stock recommendation tool designed to help long-term investors create a best-in-class portfolio.Steve is passionate and dedicated to removing emotional biases from investment decisions. Utilizing a data-driven approach, he leverages sophisticated algorithms and technologies to simplify complex, laborious investment research, creating an easy-to-follow, daily updated grading system for stock trading recommendations.Steve was previously the Founder and CEO of CressCap Investment Research until its acquisition by Seeking Alpha in 2018 for its unparalleled quant analysis and market data capabilities. Prior to that, he had also founded the quant hedge fund Cress Capital Management, after spending most of his career running a proprietary trading desk at Morgan Stanley and leading international business development at Northern Trust.With over 30 years of experience in equity research, quantitative strategies, and portfolio management, Steve is well-positioned to speak on a wide range of investment topics.Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given that any particular security, portfolio, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The author is not advising you personally concerning the nature, potential, value or suitability of any particular security or other matter. You alone are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, security or strategy, or any product or service, is appropriate or suitable for you based on your investment objectives and personal and financial situation. Steven Cress is the Head of Quantitative Strategy at Seeking Alpha. Any views or opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.CommentsRecommended For You