Trump and Tech: M&A Revival, Trade Shifts, and the Rise of Automation

Published Date: December 5, 2024 |

Author: Anthony Ginsberg, fund manager of the HAN-GINS Tech Megatrend Equal Weight UCITS ETF (ITEK)

A new president

In the new year, Donald Trump will once again take office.

Fed rate cuts have been due irrespective of the election result, and this should lead to cheaper borrowing costs and increased tech company valuations. These cuts also serve as an impetus for M&A activity. Trump’s presidency is expected to result in the removal of many of the anti-trust restrictions and litigation currently blocking tech mergers. This would be a positive tailwind for the sector, given corporate activity (M&A) was blocked and postponed due to Biden’s FTC’s anti-trust policies and litigation imposed by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).

Donald Trump and tech giant Elon Musk

Source: (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to impose more trade tariffs, in an effort to reduce China’s economic influence and strengthen the U.S. industrial base. On the one hand, this reshoring of manufacturing should lead to the creation of more jobs — but on the other hand, it will be a costly endeavour given the need for a larger domestic workforce and subsequent labour costs. This may boost activity in the robotics & automation space, as manufacturers look for cheaper solutions.

It also remains to be seen whether the incoming President will scrap Biden’s IRA and CHIPS Act as he has often claimed, but doing so may not be such an attractive option. 51% of the investments tied to the IRA and CHIPS Act incentives are flowing to Republican states, and a further 29% to swing states – the red senators in these regions are unlikely to support a move to repeal the incentives their states have benefited – and are still benefitting – from.

We should also bear in mind that Trump has gained significant support from the tech sector – most notably from Elon Musk. The multi-billionaire is hoping that the President-elect’s promise of “the lowest regulatory burden” will benefit electric vehicle maker Tesla – especially now that Musk has been placed in charge of the U.S. government’s efficiency drive. We also expect more government outsourcing to Silicon Valley, particularly with cybersecurity, AI, and cloud technology.

 Trump’s newfound support from big tech names speaks volumes – large parts of the tech sector clearly believe his impact will be positive.

The broader picture

The S&P 500 could be poised for a strong year. Goldman Sachs predicts it will appreciate 10%, ending 2025 at 6,500. But the fact remains that the S&P 500 presents significant concentration risk for investors. Throughout 2024, the Magnificent 7 (Mag 7) stocks – Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, and Tesla – have represented around a third of the index’s weight. This has almost doubled over the past 10 years.
This is less of an issue when those stocks are outperforming – but we saw in the latter half of 2024 some of these stocks begin to dive. In Q3 2024, for the first time since Q4 2022, the Mag 7 lagged the S&P 500.

For investors seeking true diversification, they may want to consider an equal weighted approach. In this scenario, constituents have an equal impact on the index’s returns, regardless of market-cap. This means if one stock – or a group of stocks such as the Mag 7 – falter, it will not necessarily have a disproportionate impact on the entire index’s returns.

For professional investors only. When you invest in ETFs your capital is at risk.

HAN-GINS Tech Megatrend Equal Weight UCITS ETF (ITEK) provides exposure to the disruptive technology companies in “Industry 4.0” that are changing the world through global megatrends. The ETF uses a double diversification approach, allocating equal weight to each subtheme and then equal weighting constituents within, with the aim of avoiding concentration in larger stocks such as the Mag 7. The ETF’s constituents are not limited to one region or country, giving global coverage and access to smaller, global companies to better contribute to ITEK’s performance. We include 15 leading companies within each of our 8 tech subthemes: Cloud Computing, AI & Robotics, Cybersecurity, Social Media, Blockchain, Genomics, Digital Entertainment & Future Cars.

ITEK’s 120 holdings are largely immune from future Trump tariffs and we expect many to benefit from the freeing up of M&A activity under Trump.

More Articles

Four key drivers behind copper’s growth opportunity

September 2026

Three things investors should consider before investing in uranium ETFs

September 2026

The Merits of Bottom-Up Investing

September 2026

El Niño’s ripple effects: How a strengthening pacific pattern is moving different asset classes

August 2026

The forces shaping crypto’s next move

August 2026

Buried Treasure: How Geopolitical Relief Could Unearth Mining Gains

August 2026

Canada beyond the headlines: the case for energy, financials, and real estate

August 2026

Beyond a Chatbot: How can emerging-market platforms monetise AI?

July 2026

Lloyd Capital Outlook

July 2026

Mag 7 to Lag 7: What a tech stumble says about the potential risks of investing in major indices

July 2026

Natural Gas – growing source of global energy and uncertainty

July 2026

What is the cost of rebuilding Ukraine?

June 2026

Why are central banks buying what they once sold?

June 2026

Defence 2.0: How Drones and Cyber are reshaping investments

June 2026

What investors should consider before investing in Defence ETFs in 2026

June 2026

Copper’s role in the world has shifted

June 2026

The quest for the perfect business

June 2026

How memory is the AI bottleneck

June 2026

What does AI mean for cyber defence?

June 2026

Do drones mean the death of defence primes?

June 2026

Computing’s next big disruption is already here

May 2026

Why can’t silver supply keep up with demand?

May 2026

How much will the US military spend on drones?

May 2026

What does the Iran war mean for travel and North American energy?

April 2026

Navigating geopolitics, energy security and structural demand

April 2026

Global Instability and the Future of European Energy Security

April 2026

Canada has what the world needs

March 2026

Ukraine could become the West’s solution for rearmament

March 2026

Iran crisis – four sectors to keep on your radar

March 2026

From tanks to code: why the next defence boom will be digital

February 2026

Why cybersecurity and defence may be complementary themes?

February 2026

Preferred shares and outlook for months ahead

February 2026

Next stop for global travel

February 2026

The new nuclear age – why physical uranium matters now

February 2026

Critical Commodities for 2026

February 2026

Reconciling responsibility with rearmament

January 2026

The New Age of Tech | Tech Megatrend Outlook 2026

January 2026

The Future of Emerging Markets: 2026 Market Outlook

January 2026

Shape of the Markets by PT Asset Management

October 2025

Nuclear Energy – why uranium is back in favour

September 2025

Copper’s less known demand driver: defence

September 2025

Indo-Pacific Rearmament: How much will defence budgets grow by 2030?

September 2025

How gold is custodied and why it should matter to investors

September 2025

Travel in 2025 – strong data drives growth

August 2025

Understanding covered call ETFs

August 2025

Different approaches to covered call ETFs

August 2025

The opportunity presented by volatility

August 2025

Heightened demand for defence in the pacific region

August 2025

Three drivers of the health care sector in 2025

August 2025

Equal weighted tech – an interview with Anthony Ginsberg

July 2025

Indo-Pacific Defence: What, Why and How?

July 2025

Magnificent 8 of India – High-growth tech stocks in India to watch

July 2025

The nuclear revival – a new dawn for uranium investment

June 2025

ETFs are getting active – is your portfolio ready?

May 2025

Three themes shaping the future of energy and ETFs to access them

May 2025

Sharpening the Blade: How traders use leveraged and short crypto ETPs

May 2025

Practical Uses for Leveraged and Short Crypto ETPs

April 2025

Why it is not too late for European defence

April 2025

Understanding Daily Leveraged and Short ETPs

April 2025

The basics of the covered call strategy: Potential income and capital growth

March 2025

Tariffs, Tensions and the Uranium Opportunity

March 2025

What would a US withdrawal from NATO mean for European defence?

March 2025

Holding case study: Rheinmetall

March 2025

Holding case study: Bae Systems

March 2025

Three themes that are reshaping the gold market

February 2025

ETFs Are Gaining Ground Over Mutual Funds

February 2025

Europe’s sidelining by US prompts defence spending reality check

February 2025

Will Europe be forced to defend itself alone?

December 2024

Uranium 2025: Opportunities in a Structurally Undersupplied Market

December 2024

Copper 2025: The Red Metal’s Next Chapter After a Year in the Black

December 2024

Midstream Energy: Dividend Growth and Natural Gas Demand Drive 2025 Outlook

December 2024

Emerging Markets 2025: The Rise of Digital and E-Commerce Giants

December 2024

2025: A Year for Disciplined Investing in an Uncertain World

December 2024

Health care’s Comeback: Why 2025 Could Revive the Sector’s Vital Signs

December 2024

Bitcoin’s Year Ahead: Why 2025 Could Be a Halving Hit

December 2024

Clear skies ahead: is the travel industry poised for takeoff in 2025?

December 2024

Golden Era: Why 2025 Could Shine Bright for Gold and Miners

December 2024

Global Equities Under Trump: A New Era of Tariffs, Taxes, and Uncertainty

December 2024

Europe rearms for a world of greater geopolitical risk

November 2024

US Election 2024: The Stakes for NATO and the Defence Industry

October 2024

Do the Mag 7 have too much influence over the S&P 500?

October 2024

Investors don’t care enough about recycled gold

October 2024

The Royal Mint: A Millennium in the Making

October 2024

Currency Hedged Physical Gold ETCs FAQs

October 2024

Why would you use an ETF over a mutual fund?

October 2024

Five companies leading India’s internet boom

September 2024

Can gold shine through the market turbulence

August 2024

Taking a U-turn: the world may be ready to embrace nuclear

June 2024

AI adds to positive natural gas outlook

June 2024

Copper – the defining metal of a new age

June 2024

Trump stance will force NATO countries to spend more whether elected or not

May 2024

The great travel industry rebound

May 2024

ESG Mining – Turning a brown industry greener

May 2024

ESG and defence investing: a balancing act

May 2024

Dominant Magnificent 7 could lose ground to broader tech rally

May 2024

The fall of Russian defence spending, and the rise of NATO

April 2024

The AI Revolution – a commodities play?

April 2024

Recycled gold and traceability

April 2024

Why investors should consider defence

April 2024

Copper’s new supercycle | Fresh highs and the long-term story

April 2024

Bitcoin in 2024 – a monumental year so far

March 2024

Gold price rallies but miners need to catch up

March 2024

Investing in India’s rise – what makes India an ideal emerging market?

February 2024

Global instability – three potential ways to hedge

February 2024

Energy Transition: The Metal Elephant in the Room

January 2024

HANetf’s 2024 Outlook

December 2023

Two Ways to Invest in Low-carbon Gold

March 2023

US ETFs are not the only ETF wrapper with a tax advantage; Irish domiciled ETFs have one too!

March 2023

Making Gold sustainable with HANetf’s Recycled Gold ETC and ESG Gold Mining ETF

February 2023

Article | There is no Walt Disney Company in crypto yet…

January 2023

Gold Shining in 2023?

January 2023

HANetf 2022 wrap up and outlook for 2023: Where did the inflows go?

January 2023

Key Dates for Digital Assets in 2022

January 2023

Article | The Merge and Ethereum – what you need to know

September 2022

Article | Why small ETFs are not necessarily less liquid

February 2022

Solar Energy 101 | Understanding the Solar Energy UCITS ETF

June 2021

The Royal Mint ESG Credentials

May 2021

Six Things to Know about Investing in a Gold ETC

August 2020

The Royal Mint Physical Gold ETC (RMAU) Frequently Asked Questions

April 2020

The Importance of the Physical Gold ETC Custodian | RMAU

March 2020

Responsible Gold Bars & Physical Redemption | RMAU | The Royal Mint Physical Gold ETC

March 2020

How to Buy