Companies keep saying two words that prove they’re worried about the future

Telling investors what’s coming is a normal part of doing business. But with tariff chaos sown throughout the economy, many major companies are “suspending guidance” entirely.

Telling investors what’s coming is a normal part of doing business. But with tariff chaos sown throughout the economy, many major companies are “suspending guidance” entirely. Corporate America is wading through uncertain waters, stuck in an uncomfortable wait-and-see mode until it becomes clear whether Trump’s broad reciprocal tariffs – which he suspended for 90 days beginning April – will actually happen. That uncertainty translates into many companies suspending guidance, meaning they have temporarily delayed or paused the release of their earnings forecast. That’s not a great sign for the general state of the world – back in the Covid-19 lockdowns, many companies suspended their guidance because they didn’t want to release inaccurate information as the crisis unfolded. Suspending guidance poses challenges for analysts, who heavily rely on the forecasts companies issue. And the guidance is a good bellwether for how companies expect the economy to fare. The same holds true for Trump’s tit-for-tat trade war, which leaves companies unsure whether they’ll have to overhaul their entire business models with its constantly changing headlines. Other companies have slashed or updated their guidance, the first hint of Trump’s trade war’s effects on the economy’s outlook.