The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 look set to hold up because options chains are pretty bullish through June. Bears and doomers are out in force, and anyone betting heavily on SPY, QQQ or Dow puts could get crushed. x.com
Theresa Perrin
Self-Directed Investor & Trader, Former Hospice Nurse
A breadth thrust and fresh buying point to at least a multi-week rise in US indices, most probably a big rally for a few months after the midterms. LS Breadth is flipping bullish as the bear count falls; more stocks are starting uptrends and first consolidations. The Nasdaq 100 is bouncing with strong breadth, and the S&P 500 looks ready to leave a massive base. The Nasdaq 100 could sell off at declining averages but should rise if broad selling does not return. x.com
Improving breadth and GPUs massively outrunning depreciation costs put US-equity risk/reward heavily in bulls' favour. Some 59% of S&P 500 stocks are above their 50-day average; the Nasdaq 100 is positive over five trading days, and small caps bounced off their 200-day average. Buy gradually, as the selloff may not be completely over. x.com
Short dealer gamma could amplify SPY and QQQ selling as liquidity drains. SPY's first long-gamma strike is 745 next week, a possible magnet; QQQ has no long-gamma floor in frame, with vanna near 700. A bottom looks likelier next week than this week, with chop between. When strength returns, probably late October, easing should flood equities sooner than most expect: a strong November, stronger December and a Santa rally, with high beta leading into year-end. Its early hourly turn could reverse. … Show more
Rising S&P earnings revisions and a Nasdaq valuation far below the 2000 bubble level argue against a bull trap in US large caps. Nasdaq trades at 18x forward earnings versus over 80x in 2000. Positive breadth divergences, record short ETF exposure and put volume, and semiconductors waking up add to the case. In all 19 post-midterm instances cited, markets were very green over the following 12 months. x.com x.com
Broader participation, earnings growth and lower multiples support US equities into year-end, with seasonality also favorable. The equal-weight S&P rose 1.95% this week while the cap-weighted index slipped 0.05%; EPS is up 38% so far and multiples are down 17% year to date. The 10-year yield fell 41 basis points. x.com
SPY's weakness after Monday's gap up has rewarded the bears who loaded up on puts into that rally. x.com
US large-cap equities refuse to go down despite many negative headlines that should have cut several percent by now, showing strong resilience. Since 2009 November has been green 14 of 17 times, and the three red ones were essentially flat. That leaves bears only a small window of October volatility before seasonally stronger months. x.com x.com
US stocks are getting cheaper even as they rise, because earnings are booming and P/E multiples are declining, making this the opposite of a bubble. x.com
US stocks look increasingly vulnerable: high interest rates are making long positions harder, while more bearish setups are appearing as the market worsens. x.com
US large-cap equities offer a smoother path higher than individual stocks as returns become more dispersed, with different sectors leading each day. Indexes are near all-time highs, and earnings season in two weeks could bring rerating and an S&P 500 breakout if earnings growth keeps momentum. Yields are back at all-time highs and a rate scare may come this week; any macro-driven drawdown is a chance to add risk. x.com