What Happened?
A number of stocks fell in the morning session after the Trump administration's announcement of new global tariffs, reignited trade policy uncertainty.
The move came swiftly after the Supreme Court ruled the previous week that the president could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for such duties, a decision that had initially sent markets higher. However, the administration invoked a different authority, the Trade Act of 1974, to impose a 15% global tariff for up to 150 days. The rapid reimposition of trade barriers creates significant uncertainty for companies across multiple sectors that depend on international supply chains and global trade. Investors are now weighing the potential impact of these new duties on corporate earnings and broader economic activity.
The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.
Among others, the following stocks were impacted:
- Professional Staffing & HR Solutions company Kforce (NYSE: KFRC) fell 4.9%. Is now the time to buy Kforce? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Professional Staffing & HR Solutions company Insperity (NYSE: NSP) fell 6.9%. Is now the time to buy Insperity? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Specialized Technology company PAR Technology (NYSE: PAR) fell 10.5%. Is now the time to buy PAR Technology? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Hardware & Infrastructure company Pure Storage (NYSE: PSTG) fell 7%. Is now the time to buy Pure Storage? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Hardware & Infrastructure company Xerox (NASDAQ: XRX) fell 5.1%. Is now the time to buy Xerox? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Zooming In On PAR Technology (PAR)
PAR Technology’s shares are very volatile and have had 28 moves greater than 5% over the last year. But moves this big are rare even for PAR Technology and indicate this news significantly impacted the market’s perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 10 days ago when the stock gained 3.3% on the news that the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report came in softer than anticipated, fueling investor optimism for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that prices rose 0.2% from December to January, below the 0.3% forecast. On an annual basis, inflation moderated to 2.4%, under the expected 2.5%. This cooling trend has significant implications for monetary policy, with investors now increasing bets on multiple rate reductions by the end of the year. The news prompted a rally in both stocks and Treasuries, as lower interest rates typically reduce borrowing costs for companies and can stimulate economic activity. The Russell 2000 index, which consists of smaller companies sensitive to domestic economic conditions and financial costs, saw a particularly strong positive reaction.
PAR Technology is down 44.5% since the beginning of the year, and at $19.83 per share, it is trading 72.2% below its 52-week high of $71.23 from July 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of PAR Technology’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $233.28.
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