Nate Endicott
Retail Investor, AI Infrastructure & Nebius
Extreme fear suggests the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust is closer to a local bottom than a local top. The Fear and Greed index reads 22, VIX is at 18, and the fund is only 2% below its all-time high. x.comÂ
SPY's current pullback looks brief because whale accumulation remains above the level associated with mid-term trend continuation. The reading is 87.74%; it fell below 80% before both recent major crashes. Barring a black-swan event or major unexpected fundamental shift, this decline looks closer to earlier minor corrections. The stock market still has significant upside, and fear-driven discounts remain opportunities. x.com x.comÂ
A new SPY low alongside a lower VIX high often, though not always, signals a near-term reversal. A roughly 30% VIX jump makes a shallow rally likely Monday or Tuesday, but after breaking below yesterday's low following a trend-line backtest, SPY still looks headed for $750 soon. x.com x.comÂ
The S&P 500 rally likely has a few more days worth staying exposed to, because SPY's cumulative advance/decline line is still below its all-time high. The A/D line turned up at the end of March and its trend remains positive. The Fear & Greed Index keeps climbing, though, so it may be time to start dialing back exposure. x.comÂ
A sharp VIX spike followed by a reversal has historically favored SPY over the following weeks when VIX was at or below 25. After a 21% spike Friday and a 7% fall today, SPY's one-week return averaged 1.10% in 14 comparable events over the past decade, with gains in 12; the next-day average was just 0.07%. Could this have been capitulation? x.com x.comÂ
The S&P 500 is vulnerable to a midterm-election drawdown, since history shows nasty 7-16% declines almost always come around midterms. Elevated 10-year yields and a strong dollar add risk, even though nothing looks bearish yet and rising yields have not dented the Nasdaq or mega-caps, and cheap volatility makes hedging attractive. SPY could reach $800 and still fall back to $750 within two months. x.comÂ
Extreme fear has historically offered strong long-term S&P 500 buying opportunities. After VIX spikes above 30, 35 and 40, average 12-month S&P 500 returns were 23%, 28% and over 30%, respectively; after spikes above 40, returns were positive more than 90% of the time. x.comÂ
US equities want to go higher off extreme pessimism. The wall of worry reached DEFCON 1 levels over the past several weeks and the Fear & Greed Index dipped into Extreme Fear, leaving opportunity across beaten-down growth stocks and crypto. If the Iran conflict de-escalates at any point, this is about as strong a setup as any since late March. x.comÂ
The S&P 500's index structure is still weak, and a break of its 200-day moving average could bring another 5-10% drop. Rates are no longer falling, leaving an almost lose-lose setup: either rates stay high and valuations compress, or cuts come because a weaker economy and layoffs hit demand and stocks. With a war ongoing and the index only about 5% off its highs, patience and caution are warranted until the structure clears. x.comÂ
US large-cap equities are at the point in the cycle where a violent, fast snapback rally is due, with the S&P 500 well off its highs and Nvidia and Meta down sharply. The best days almost always follow the worst, and missing the 10 best days cuts long-term returns in half. Selling covered calls now, effectively a bet against the stock, locks investors out of the recovery for a few hundred dollars of premium. x.comÂ