US equities took a hit on Thursday as market participants grew cautious. The culprit? A mixed bag of economic signals that left traders uncertain about where the economy's headed next. But here's the thing—while broader sentiment turned risk-off, there was a clear winner in the mix: defense stocks globally surged. Why? President Trump's push to significantly increase US military spending. It's a classic flight-to-defense play when growth narratives get fuzzy. For crypto and risk asset traders, this kind of macro rotation matters. When traditional markets start hedging toward defensive plays, it often signals that capital's getting more selective about risk exposure. Keep an eye on how this policy unfolds—military budget expansions typically create ripple effects across multiple asset classes.