KEY
TAKEAWAYS
- The S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones all broke above their 200-day shifting averages and signaled renewed energy.
- AI shares like NVDA and PLTR posted double-digit positive aspects, highlighting continued momentum in AI-driven investing alternatives.
- Buyers are rotating into offensive sectors like Know-how and Client Discretionary.
For those who did not examine in on the inventory market the final couple of weeks, you is perhaps stunned to see how robust they had been this week.
The three main inventory indexes — S&P 500 ($SPX), Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ), and Dow Jones Industrial Common ($INDU) — broke via their 200-day easy shifting averages (SMAs) and are about 3–5% away from their all-time highs.
The Dow took a little bit of a success early this week, largely as a result of shares of UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (UNH) took a tumble. By Friday, although, the Dow recovered.
A Clearer Outlook Forward
After coping with an unsure market, we’re lastly seeing some encouraging indicators. Massive-cap development shares try to regain the lead, market breadth is bettering (i.e. broader participation), and the Cboe Volatility Index ($VIX) has cooled off considerably.
One other useful sign — the Bullish P.c Index (BPI) — is above 50% for the main indexes. This implies that bulls are in management. Within the 11 S&P sectors, there’s been a switcheroo. Client Staples and Utilities now have a BPI under 50%.

FIGURE 1: BULLISH PERCENT INDEXES FOR THE S&P SECTORS. Client Staples and Utilities are under 50%.
Wish to dig into this your self? You’ll be able to view the complete image on the Market Abstract web page at StockCharts.com.
Picture supply: StockCharts.com. For academic functions.
AI Shares Again within the Highlight
For those who’ve been following the excitement round synthetic intelligence (AI), you realize it is a scorching space. This week proved that AI shares nonetheless had their mojo. A mixture of headlines, from new world investments in AI to easing tech laws, gave these shares a lift.
The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) jumped over 10% this week. And NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA), one of many greatest names in AI, surged 16% for the week. The inventory is now buying and selling above its 200-day SMA and approaching its February excessive, which may act as a resistance stage. That is the primary time NVDA’s inventory worth broke above its 200-day SMA after breaking under it on February 27.
Different massive names like Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. (TSM) additionally noticed stable positive aspects.

FIGURE 2. SEMICONDUCTORS MARKETCARPET. Be aware that NVDA, AVGO, and TSM noticed robust positive aspects this week.Picture supply: StockCharts.com. For academic functions.
Buyers Turning Towards “Offense”
Buyers are rotating into offensive sectors comparable to Know-how and Client Discretionary and shifting away from historically “protected” areas like Utilities and Staples. This is a sign that buyers are feeling extra assured.
Information of decrease tariffs between the U.S. and China has eased fears, which is mirrored within the efficiency of bellwether industries comparable to Residence Builders, Transportation, and Retail. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) took an enormous hit on the potential of excessive tariffs however bounced in early April. This week, the ETF gapped up and is now buying and selling above its 200-day SMA (see chart under).

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF SPDR S&P RETAIL ETF (XRT). After getting hammered, XRT is displaying indicators of restoration. The inventory is now gaining some traction. It is buying and selling above its 200-day SMA, and momentum is strengthening.Chart supply: StockCharts.com. For academic functions.
XRT’s relative energy index (RSI) is rising above 70 and the share worth oscillator (PPO) is effectively above zero. Each indicators recommend an increase in momentum.
A Phrase of Warning: Customers Are Nonetheless Nervous
Amidst the joy, we will not ignore one regarding sign: client sentiment.. The newest studying of the College of Michigan’s client sentiment index got here in at 50.8, which is fairly near the June 2022 studying of fifty, when inflation was over 9%.
Outcomes confirmed that customers are anxious about inflation — the expectation was a excessive 7.3%. Walmart (WMT) executives even talked about throughout its latest earnings name that greater tariffs would possibly result in worth will increase. That is one thing to maintain behind your thoughts as a result of, when client sentiment weakens, it may ripple via the inventory market.
Inflation expectations are beginning to climb greater. The chance of the rate of interest cuts has dropped, in line with the CME FedWatch device. Cuts in June and July are off the desk now. The chart under is value including to one in every of your ChartLists.

FIGURE 4: INFLATION EXPECTATIONS ARE CREEPING HIGHER. It is value monitoring this chart as a result of greater costs result in much less client spending and declining client confidence. This generally is a headwind for fairness markets.Chart supply: StockCharts.com. For academic functions.
The Backside Line
When the inventory market reverses course as shortly because it did this week, it does not damage to be skeptical. Earlier than getting caught up within the euphoria, regulate issues like offensive vs defensive sector rotation, market breadth indicators, and key fundamentals comparable to inflation expectations. If inflation heats up once more, the Fed can be reluctant to chop rates of interest. That is the form of factor that may put the brakes on a market rally.
Finish-of-Week Wrap-Up
- Dow Jones Industrial Common: 42,654 (+ 3.41%)
- S&P 500: 5,958.38 (+ 5.27%)
- Nasdaq Composite: 19,211 (+7.15%)
- $VIX: 17.24 (-21.28%)
- Finest performing sector for the week: Know-how
- Worst performing sector for the week: Well being Care
- Prime 5 Massive Cap SCTR shares: Palantir Applied sciences, Inc. (PLTR); Nebius Group NV (NBIS); NRG Power, Inc. (NRG); Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD); Tremendous Micro Pc, Inc. (SMCI)
On the Radar Subsequent Week
- Might PMI Flash
- April Current Residence Gross sales
- Earnings from Residence Depot (HD), Lowe’s Firms (LOW), Toll Brothers, Inc. (TOL), XPeng Inc. (XPEV), Snowflake (SNOW), Baidu Inc. (BIDU), and several other others.
- Fed speeches from Bostic, Jefferson, Williams, and others.

Disclaimer: This weblog is for academic functions solely and shouldn’t be construed as monetary recommendation. The concepts and techniques ought to by no means be used with out first assessing your individual private and monetary state of affairs, or with out consulting a monetary skilled.

Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan is Director of Website Content material at StockCharts.com. She spends her time arising with content material methods, delivering content material to coach merchants and buyers, and discovering methods to make technical evaluation enjoyable. Jayanthi was Managing Editor at T3 Customized, a content material advertising company for monetary manufacturers. Previous to that, she was Managing Editor of Technical Evaluation of Shares & Commodities journal for 15+ years.
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