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China’s military launches live-fire exercise in escalation of ongoing surprise drills near Taiwan

The Chinese military practiced live-fire strikes in the East China Sea in an escalation of ongoing surprise drills near Taiwan, the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement Wednesday.

China’s armed forces launched exercises, dubbed “Strait Thunder-2025A,” in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, focusing on testing the troops’ capabilities of “joint blockade and control” and “precision strikes on key targets,” the Eastern Theater Command’s spokesperson Senior Colonel Shi Yi said.

As part of the drills, which were not announced ahead of time, the ground army of the Eastern Theater Command conducted “live-fire long-range strike drills in designated areas of the East China Sea,” according to the statement.

“The drills involved precision strikes on simulated targets such as key ports and energy facilities and achieved the intended results,” Shi added.

Wednesday’s drills came after the PLA conducted joint exercises involving its army, navy, air force and rocket force around Taiwan “from multiple directions” on Tuesday, days after US defense chief Pete Hegseth vowed to counter “China’s aggression” on his first visit to Asia.

Eastern Theater Command said the drills were a “stern warning and forceful deterrence against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces,” calling them “legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity.”

For Taiwan, a democracy of some 23 million people that sits just 80 miles from China at its nearest point, the drills are the latest reminder of the threat that comes from its giant Communist Party-run neighbor, which claims the island as its own and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary.

Taiwan has denounced the drills as an “irrational provocation” and accused China of being a “troublemaker.”

The United States, Taiwan’s biggest international backer, condemned what it called “China’s irresponsible threats and military pressure operations near Taiwan.”

“China’s escalating military intimidation tactics only serve to exacerbate tensions and undermine cross-Strait peace and stability,” the State Department said in a statement.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Israel announces expansion of military operation in Gaza to seize ‘large areas’ of land, ordering residents to leave

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of the military’s operation in Gaza involving the seizure of large areas of land that would be “incorporated into Israel’s security zones.”

The operation would also involve a “large-scale evacuation of Gaza’s population from combat zones,” the statement said without specifying details.

Katz said the military operation would expand to “crush and clear the area of terrorists and terror infrastructure, while seizing large areas that will be incorporated into Israel’s security zone.”

The Israeli military’s spokesperson for Arabic media late on Tuesday ordered residents in Gaza’s southern Rafah area to leave their homes and move north.

Katz’s statement on Wednesday did not specify whether additional Israeli troops would be involved in the expanded operation.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Buildings in Myanmar continue to collapse days after deadly quake

Buildings in Myanmar are continuing to collapse five days after a powerful earthquake struck the country, creating perilous conditions for rescuers as they attempt to extricate survivors from the rubble.

More than 2,700 people were killed in the 7.7-magnitude quake, with thousands more injured, according to Myanmar’s military junta. Hundreds more remain missing, meaning the death toll is almost certain to rise.

The Myanmar Fire Services Department on Wednesday shared video of a heartwarming moment in the military capital Naypyidaw, where workers pulled a man from the rubble more than 100 hours after the quake, a miraculous rescue that offered a rare moment of hope.

The man appeared tired and disheveled as he was pulled out of an air pocket between broken slabs of concrete, to a round of applause.

A day earlier, a 62-year-old woman was similarly pulled from broken slabs of concrete in Naypyidaw.

Elsewhere, a team of Chinese rescuers on Monday pulled four people – including a five-year-old child and a pregnant woman – from the rubble.

Structurally vulnerable buildings in the country are still collapsing as tremors continue, according to human rights organizations, highlighting the dangers of the rescue mission.

Two hotels collapsed near the epicenter in Mandalay Monday night, after people went back to the structures days after the quake.

“With these additional tremors, fatalities are still occurring,” said Michael Dunford, Myanmar director at the United Nations World Food Programme.

“Many people are still sleeping out in the open on the streets or in the parks because they are too scared to go back into their homes. And of course, this is hampering our efforts to reach them and to provide the type of support that they need.”

Humanitarian organizations are continuing to stress the need for urgent aid, especially to more remote areas of the country.

Even before the quake, four years of civil war had left millions without adequate shelter and battered health and communication infrastructure.

In Sagaing town, near the epicenter of the quake, residents have described scenes of heartbreak and desperation as they wait for urgent medical supplies and food.

Rights group Amnesty International spoke to three residents, who said there was a rising need for body bags, torches, and mosquito-repellant coils. They also told the group that the military, which largely controls the town, was imposing “strict surveillance” for light vehicles traveling to Sagaing from Mandalay.

“Soldiers are inspecting deliveries, and checks can take longer if they come from other areas in Sagaing that have more connections to resistance groups,” Amnesty said.

The ruling junta seized power from Myanmar’s democratically elected government in 2021, sparking a brutal civil war between ethnic rebel groups and its military.

While the junta has reaffirmed its commitment to allowing assistance, rights groups have criticized Myanmar’s leaders for restricting access to some affected areas.

“The junta needs to break from its appalling past practice and ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas,” said deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch Bryony Lau.

Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Myanmar’s military to “refrain from deliberate air strikes and other forms of attack on civilian targets” in earthquake-affected areas.

Meanwhile, a major rebel alliance in Myanmar declared a temporary ceasefire to facilitate rescue efforts.

“We strongly desire that urgent humanitarian efforts, which are immediately needed for the earthquake-affected population, be carried out as swiftly and effectively as possible,” the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which involves the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the Kokang’s Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Arakan Army, said in a joint statement Tuesday.

International teams, including groups from China, Russia, and Pakistan, have been assisting with rescue efforts in Myanmar. Two Indian naval vessels carrying humanitarian aid, relief supplies and food arrived in Yangon Tuesday morning.

But humanitarian workers have warned that years of underfunding means more needs to be done.

“This is time, to be honest, for the world to step up and support the people of Myanmar,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar Marcoluigi Corsi said Tuesday.

“We keep saying that Myanmar does not rank very high among the different emergencies… The humanitarian response in Myanmar has been chronically underfunded for years. Four months into the year right now, less than 5 per cent of the required US$1.1 billion of the Humanitarian Response Plan has been received.”

Friday’s devastating quake was felt all the way in neighboring Thailand, where at least 22 people died in the capital Bangkok.

Of that number, 15 people were killed after an under-construction high-rise building collapsed, officials said.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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US moves B-2 stealth bombers to Indian Ocean island in massive show of force to Houthis, Iran

The Pentagon has sent at least six B-2 bombers – 30% of the US Air Force’s stealth bomber fleet – to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, in what analysts have called a message to Iran as tensions once again flare in the Middle East.

The deployment comes as US President Donald Trump and his defense chief Pete Hegseth warn of further action against Iran and its proxies, while US jets continue to attack the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Images taken by private satellite imaging company Planet Labs on Tuesday show the six US bombers on the tarmac on the island, as well as shelters that could possibly conceal others. Tankers and cargo aircraft are also at the island airbase, a joint US-British base which is 3,900 kilometers (2,400 miles) from Iran’s southern coast.

Planet Labs images from Sunday show four B-2s and six support aircraft on the Diego Garcia tarmac.

Without mentioning the B-2s directly, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed that the US military is sending additional aircraft and “other air assets” to the region to improve America’s defensive posture in the region.

“The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security … and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region,” Parnell said.

“The deployment of these B-2s is clearly designed to send a message – perhaps several messages – to Iran,” said the former US Air Force colonel.

“One of them could be a warning to cease supporting the Houthis in Yemen. Another message the Trump administration might be sending to Iran is that it wants a new nuclear deal (to replace the ‘bad’ deal Trump withdrew the US from in his first term) and if Iran doesn’t start to negotiate with the US the consequences could be the destruction of Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” Leighton said.

Trump began ramping up military action against the Houthis in mid-March, with airstrikes that killed at least 53 people and wounded almost 100 others in Yemen, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry.

Strikes have continued since, as Houthis threaten US warships in the region, in attacks that the militants say are in solidarity with Gaza as it faces bombardment by Israel, a key US ally.

In disclosures that caused a major controversy for the Trump administration, Hegseth shared sensitive information last month on pending military strikes against Houthi militants on an unsecured group chat with top national security officials — a chain to which The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added.

Trump, in a Tuesday post on his social media platform Truth Social, on Tuesday threatened more could be coming.

“Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran,” Trump posted.

Trump has also been pushing Iran to make a deal over its nuclear capabilities, saying on March 19 that he would give Tehran two months to come to an agreement or face the consequences.

There “are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran,” Trump told Fox News last month.

But Iran this week rejected any direct negotiations.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “continues to make clear that, should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive action to defend our people,” Parnell said.

“Six is a serious number. For Houthi deeply buried targets, two or maybe three, but six B-2s is a major effort,” Layton said.

“Such targets would potentially include Iranian nuclear and weapons storage facilities,” the former US Air Force officer said.

Layton, the aviation analyst, noted that the six B-2s likely represent the entire deployable fleet of the aircraft.

“I assume there are one or two at home for training and another few standing nuclear alert. Rest in maintenance,” said Layton, a former Royal Australian Air Force pilot and now visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute.

Parnell, the Pentagon spokesperson, said the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, which has been carrying out strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, will stay in the region through this month, though its deployment there was scheduled to have ended at the end of March.

Hegseth “also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities,” Parnell said. It’s unclear what squadrons or assets will be moving to the region.

Parnell added that the Nimitz Strike Group is deploying to the Western Pacific “to preserve our warfighting advantage in the Indo-Pacific.”

Leighton said that the presence of the B-2s on Diego Garcia would be noted across Asia.

“It’s unlikely the deployment of six B-2s to Diego Garcia is meant to deter actions by other powers, such as China or Russia, but they are surely taking note of this deployment as well. Of course, we can’t forget that Iran is an ally of those two countries,” he said.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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US approves sale of 20 US F-16 fighter jets to Philippines as Washington tightens key Asian alliance

The United States has approved the potential sale of 20 F-16 fighter jets to Manila, giving the key US ally in the Indo-Pacific a major upgrade to its air force just days after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to counter “China’s aggression.”

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced the proposed sale of the F-16s and related equipment, worth an estimated $5.58 billion, in a statement on Tuesday.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner that continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in Southeast Asia,” DSCA said.

The announcement comes less than a week after Hegseth visited the Philippines, his first trip to Asia as defense chief, and said Washington will enhance its military alliance with Manila as it aims to “reestablish deterrence” to counter “China’s aggression” in the Indo-Pacific region.

On Wednesday, China cautioned Manila on the deal.

“Any defense and security cooperation that the Philippines engages in with other countries should not target or harm the interests of any third party, nor should it threaten regional peace and security or escalate tensions in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

“As for who is fueling the flames, who is provoking military confrontation, and who is turning Asia into a powder keg, we believe that regional countries can see the situation clearly.”

The Philippines has been on the front lines of China’s increasingly aggressive posture in Asia. Beijing seeks to assert its claim over the bulk of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling denying its sovereignty over the waterway.

Hegseth said Friday the US would deploy additional advanced military capabilities to the US ally for joint training, enhance interoperability for “high end operations” and prioritize defense industrial cooperation.

In its statement, DSCA said Manila had requested to buy 16 F-16Cs – single-seat, single-engine fighter jets – and four F-16Ds, dual-seat jets that are usually used for training purposes.

The F-16s are the block 70/72 newest variant of the workhorse military warplane, which entered service with the US Air Force in the late 1970s.

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin says the new F-16s are the world’s most advanced fourth-generation fighter, touting a “structural service life” of more than 12,000 hours.

The F-16s, along with advanced avionics, radar and weaponry included in the deal, are a significant upgrade to the Philippine Air Force’s fighter fleet. Currently, it has only 12 South Korean-made FA-50 jets, a lighter ground attack and fighter jet.

The F-16s have a top speed of more than 1,500 miles per hour, Lockheed Martin says, about 350 mph faster than the FA-50.

Speaking alongside Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Friday, Hegseth called the US-Philippine relationship an “ironclad alliance, particularly in the face of Communist China’s aggression in the region.”

The Trump administration has vowed to “truly prioritize a shift” to the Indo-Pacific, Hegseth said, with the “recognition that for the 21st century to be a free century, America needs to stand alongside our allies and partners shoulder to shoulder.”

The American military presence in Asia is seen by allies as a critical counterbalance in a fractious region where China has been rapidly expanding its military might and a belligerent North Korea has been empowered by closer ties with Russia.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the structure of US military alliances and whether the US was getting enough out of such partnerships and basing arrangements, including those in Asia where tens of thousands of troops are stationed in sprawling bases in Japan and South Korea.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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S&P 500 Drops Quickly to Test Key Support Amid Rising Volatility

Thank You!

I’ve been writing at StockCharts.com for nearly 20 years now and many of you have supported my company, EarningsBeats.com, and I certainly want to show my appreciation for all of your loyalty. I believe we’re at a major crossroads in the stock market as the S&P 500 tests the recent price low from earlier in March. I called for a 2025 correction at our MarketVision 2025 event on January 4, 2025, to start the year and now it’s a reality. We decided at that time to add quarterly updates to our MarketVision series and our first update (Q1 update) is being held today at 5:30pm ET. I would like to invite everyone to join EarningsBeats.com and join me later today. We will record the event for those who cannot attend live.

Even if you decide not to join as an EB.com member, I do want to provide you my latest Weekly Market Report that we send out to our members at the start of every week, in addition to our Daily Market Report, which is published Tuesdays through Fridays.

I hope you enjoy!

MarketVision 2025 Q1 Update

Join us for our MarketVision 2025 Q1 update at 5:30pm ET today. This is an exclusive event for our annual members. If you’re already an annual member, room instructions will be sent to you in a separate email.

Not yet an annual member? Save $200 on membership TODAY ONLY. This offer will expire at the start of today’s event, so CLICK HERE for more information and details!

If you recall, on Saturday, January 4, 2025, I provided my annual forecast, which included my belief that we’d see a 10% on the S&P 500. That 10% correction is now in the rear view mirror, but what will happen from here? A lot has changed and we must remain objective as to where we might go. I’ll provide you my latest thoughts on this during today’s event.

I hope to see you at 5:30pm ET!

ChartLists Updated

The following ChartLists were updated over the weekend:

  • Strong Earnings (SECL)
  • Strong Future Earnings (SFECL)
  • Raised Guidance (RGCL)

These ChartLists are available to download into your StockCharts Extra or Pro account, if you have a StockCharts membership. Otherwise, we can send you an Excel file with the stocks included in these ChartLists in order to download them into other platforms. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at “support@earningsbeats.com”.

Weekly Market Recap

Major Indices

Sectors

Top 10 Industries Last Week

Bottom 10 Industries Last Week

Top 10 Stocks – S&P 500/NASDAQ 100

Bottom 10 Stocks – S&P 500/NASDAQ 100

Big Picture

The monthly PPO and monthly RSI are both moving lower now, but remember, we have not ever seen a secular bear market that did not coincide with a negative monthly PPO and a monthly RSI below 40. I believe we’ll see this market weakness end LONG BEFORE we see either of those technical developments on the above chart.

Sustainability Ratios

Here’s the latest look at our key intraday ratios as we follow where the money is traveling on an INTRADAY basis (ignoring gaps):

QQQ:SPY

Relative weakness in the QQQ:SPY, including and excluding gaps, has turned back down in a big way. That’s not what you want to see from a bullish perspective. We must remain on guard for potential short-term downside action, especially if key closing price support at 5521 fails on the S&P 500.

IWM:QQQ

Small caps (IWM) seem to be performing better than the aggressive, Mag 7 led NASDAQ 100, but that’s not saying a lot when you look at the IWM’s absolute performance in the bottom panel. Perhaps we’ll still get the small-cap run that we’ve been looking for over the past year, but it’ll likely need to be accompanied by a much more dovish Fed and with the short-term fed funds rate falling.

XLY:XLP

I mentioned last week that this chart was the biggest positive of the prior week. I suppose I now need to say it’s the biggest negative of last week because it did an abrupt about-face. It appears that the options expiration and oversold bounce we enjoyed for over a week have ended. We haven’t broken back to new relative lows, which would obviously be bearish, but we did back a lot of ground that we had previously made up. The XLY:XLP ratio is one of the most important in the stock market, as far as I’m concerned. Watching it turn back down is not a great feeling, and a new upcoming relative low would only make it worse.

Sentiment

5-day SMA ($CPCE)

Sentiment indicators are contrarian indicators. When they show extreme bullishness, we need to be a bit cautious and when they show extreme pessimism, it could be time to become much more aggressive. Major market bottoms are carved out when pessimism is at its absolute highest level.

When an elevated Cboe Volatility Index ($VIX) sends a signal that we could see pain ahead, which is exactly the message sent recently as the VIX approached 30, I usually turn my attention to a rising 5-day SMA of the equity-only put-call ratio ($CPCE) to help identify market bottoms. Once the stock market turns emotionally and begins to show fear and panic, key price support levels tend to fail, and a high reading in the VIX, combined with a huge reversal on the S&P 500 (think capitulation), usually are typical ingredients to establish a key bottom.

We’re finally starting to see some higher daily CPCE readings, which suggests that options traders are growing much more nervous, and that’s a good thing if we’re going to try to carve out a meaningful market bottom. The last four days have seen readings of 0.65, 0.71, 0.72, and 0.68. That’s not quite high enough to grow more convinced of an impending bottom in stocks, but it’s light years better than what we’ve seen during any other recent market selloffs.

253-day SMA ($CPCE)

We’re coming off an extended run higher in the benchmark S&P 500, where we topped on February 19. The long-term picture with sentiment is much different than it was 1.5 to 2 years ago. Back then, everyone was bearish, leading to an important market bottom and a subsequent rally to new all-time highs. We could use more bearishness in options to set us up for another rally to all-time highs. Based on this chart, we’re not there yet.

Volatility ($VIX)

Here’s the current view of the VIX:

There was one key development in the VIX. From studying the VIX long-term, whenever a top has been reached, and significant selling ensues, the VIX typically spikes into the 20s or 30s before we see some sort of a rebound, like the one we saw recently. When these bounces have been part of bear market counter rallies, the VIX has never dropped below the 16-17 support range. So for those looking for this current correction to morph into a bear market, the hope is absolutely alive and kicking. My interpretation is that bear markets require a certain level of uncertainty and fear. The VIX remaining above that 16-17 level is our proof that the market environment for further selling still exists. In the above chart, the VIX fell to 17 and then quickly reversed and today hit a high of 24.80.

Based on this one signal alone, I cannot rule out further selling ahead and a possible cyclical bear market, as opposed to the much more palatable correction.

Long-Term Trade Setup

Since beginning this Weekly Market Report in September 2023, I’ve discussed the long-term trade candidates below that I really like. Generally, these stocks have excellent long-term track records, and many pay nice dividends that mostly grow every year. Only in specific cases (exceptions) would I consider a long-term entry into a stock that has a poor or limited long-term track record and/or pays no dividends. Below is a quick recap of how I viewed their long-term technical conditions as of one week ago:

  • JPM – nice bounce off the recent 50-week SMA test
  • BA – up more than 20% in less than 2 weeks; 190-192 likely to prove a difficult level to pierce
  • FFIV – 20-week EMA test successful thus far
  • MA – another with a 20-week SMA test holding
  • GS – 10% bounce off its recent 50-week SMA test
  • FDX – lengthy four-month decline finally tested, and held, price support near 220
  • AAPL – weakness has not cleared best price support on the chart at 200 or just below
  • CHRW – testing significant 95 level, where both price and 50-day SMA support reside
  • JBHT – has fallen slightly beneath MAJOR support around 150
  • STX – 85 support continues to hold
  • HSY – did it just print a reverse right shoulder bottom on its weekly chart?
  • DIS – trendless as weekly moving averages are not providing support or resistance
  • MSCI – 3-year uptrend remains in play, though it’s been in a rough 6-7 week stretch
  • SBUX – first critical price test at all-time high near 116 failed miserably; support resides at 85
  • KRE – looking to establish short-term bottom at 55, with 2-year uptrend intact
  • ED – showing strength in March for 9th time in 10 years, moving to new all-time high
  • AJG – continues one of most consistent and dependable uptrends, trading just below all-time high
  • NSC – testing 230 price support as transportation woes continue
  • RHI – has broken recent price support in upper-50s; searching for new bottom with 4.4% dividend yield
  • ADM – struggled again at 20-week EMA, 45 represents a significant test of long-term uptrend
  • BG – approaching 4-year price support at 65 after failed test of declining 20-week EMA
  • CVS – bottom now seems light years away as CVS trades nearly 1-year high
  • IPG – how long can it hold onto multi-year price support at 26?
  • HRL – still bound between price support at 27.50 and 20-week EMA resistance at 30.15
  • DE – still trending above its rising 20-week EMA

Keep in mind that our Weekly Market Reports favor those who are more interested in the long-term market picture. Therefore, the list of stocks above are stocks that we believe are safer (but nothing is ever 100% safe) to own with the long-term in mind. Nearly everything else we do at EarningsBeats.com favors short-term momentum trading, so I wanted to explain what we’re doing with this list and why it’s different.

Also, please keep in mind that I’m not a Registered Investment Advisor (and neither is EarningsBeats.com nor any of its employees) and am only providing (mostly) what I believe to be solid dividend-paying stocks for the long term. Companies periodically go through adjustments, new competition, restructuring, management changes, etc. that can have detrimental long-term impacts. Neither the stock price nor the dividend is ever guaranteed. I simply point out interesting stock candidates for longer-term investors. Do your due diligence and please consult with your financial advisor before making any purchases or sales of securities.

Looking Ahead

Upcoming Earnings

Very few companies will report quarterly results until mid-April. The following list of companies is NOT a list of all companies scheduled to report quarterly earnings, however, just key reports, so please be sure to check for earnings dates of any companies that you own. Any company in BOLD represents a stock in one of our portfolios and the amount in parenthesis represents the market capitalization of each company listed:

  • Monday: None
  • Tuesday: None
  • Wednesday: None
  • Thursday: None
  • Friday: None

Key Economic Reports

  • Monday: March Chicago PMI
  • Tuesday: March PMI manufacturing, March ISM manufacturing, February construction spending, Feb JOLTS
  • Wednesday: March ADP employment report, February factory orders
  • Thursday: Initial jobless claims, March ISM services
  • Friday: March nonfarm payrolls, unemployment rate, average hourly earnings

Historical Data

I’m a true stock market historian. I am absolutely PASSIONATE about studying stock market history to provide us more clues about likely stock market direction and potential sectors/industries/stocks to trade. While I don’t use history as a primary indicator, I’m always very aware of it as a secondary indicator. I love it when history lines up with my technical signals, providing me with much more confidence to make particular trades.

Below you’ll find the next two weeks of historical data and tendencies across the three key indices that I follow most closely:

S&P 500 (since 1950)

  • Mar 31: -7.16%
  • Apr 1: +67.49%
  • Apr 2: +17.08%
  • Apr 3: -0.40%
  • Apr 4: -17.99%
  • Apr 5: +68.25%
  • Apr 6: +45.38%
  • Apr 7: -48.59%
  • Apr 8: +62.64%
  • Apr 9: +60.32%
  • Apr 10: +47.37%
  • Apr 11: -29.33%
  • Apr 12: +63.88%
  • Apr 13: -21.35%

NASDAQ (since 1971)

  • Mar 31: +39.81%
  • Apr 1: +83.56%
  • Apr 2: +18.47%
  • Apr 3: -86.48%
  • Apr 4: -70.46%
  • Apr 5: +112.55%
  • Apr 6: +26.71%
  • Apr 7: -38.23%
  • Apr 8: +44.64%
  • Apr 9: +60.64%
  • Apr 10: +47.74%
  • Apr 11: -51.08%
  • Apr 12: +33.04%
  • Apr 13: -0.08%

Russell 2000 (since 1987)

  • Mar 31: +78.83%
  • Apr 1: +27.91%
  • Apr 2: +18.08%
  • Apr 3: -113.26%
  • Apr 4: -75.19%
  • Apr 5: +101.16
  • Apr 6: +51.29%
  • Apr 7: -90.50%
  • Apr 8: +59.63%
  • Apr 9: +137.22%
  • Apr 10: +5.20%
  • Apr 11: -80.66%
  • Apr 12: +45.00%
  • Apr 13: -37.09%

The S&P 500 data dates back to 1950, while the NASDAQ and Russell 2000 information date back to 1971 and 1987, respectively.

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned last week, I’m sticking with my belief that the S&P 500 ultimate low in 2025 will mark a correction (less than 20% drop) rather than a bear market (more than 20% drop). But a bear market cannot be ruled out. Honestly, I think sentiment ($CPCE) must turn much more bearish. This morning, we had another gap down and early selling and this is beginning to take a toll on options traders as they’re now starting to grow more bearish. As an example, check out this morning’s equity-only put call ratio at Cboe.com:

These Cboe.com readings are very high and show a definite shift in sentiment among options traders. Intense selling pressure and lots of equity puts being traded, relative to equity calls, help to mark bottoms.

Here are a few things to consider in the week ahead:

  • The Rebound. It ended rather quickly last week. I mentioned it’s a rebound until it isn’t. We moved right up to 5782 price resistance on the S&P 500 and the bears took over.
  • The Roll Over. We’re now in rollover mode, but the S&P 500 quickly lost 300 points from 5782 to today’s early low of 5488, which tested key short-term price support from March 13, where we printed a low close of 5521. Can the bulls hold onto support?
  • Nonfarm payrolls. This report will be out on Friday morning and current expectations are for March jobs (131,000) to fall below the February number of 151,000. Also, unemployment is expected to move up slightly from 4.1% to 4.2%. Should any of these numbers come in weaker than expected, the Fed could be in a box and Wall Street could sense it by selling off hard.
  • Sentiment. As I’ve said before, once the VIX moves beyond 20, not many good things happen to stocks. Selling can escalate very quickly as market makers go “on vacation.” Many times, we don’t find a bottom until retail options traders begin buying puts hand over fist. That could be underway right now.
  • Rotation. Rotation led us to where we are now, we need to continue to monitor where the money is going.
  • Seasonality. There is one real positive here. We’re about to move from the “2nd half of Q1”, which historically has produced annualized returns of +5.05% (4 percentage points BELOW the average annual S&P 500 return of +9%), to the “1st half of Q2”, which historically has produced annualized returns of 13.08% (4 percentage points ABOVE the average annual S&P 500 return of +9%). This half-quarter trails only the 1st and 2nd halves of Q4 in terms of half-quarter performance.
  • Manipulation. Yep, it’s starting again, just like it did during 2022’s cyclical bear market, which ultimately marked a critical S&P 500 bottom. We’ve done a ton of research on intraday trading behavior on our key indices, and many market-moving stocks like the Mag 7. Our Excel spreadsheet has been made available to all ANNUAL members, where you can see the manipulation for yourself.

Happy trading!

Tom

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Stocks

Top 10 Stock Charts for April 2025: Big Breakouts Ahead?

Finding stocks that show promising opportunities can be challenging in a market that goes up and down based on news headlines. But, it’s possible.

In this video, watch how Grayson Roze and David Keller, CMT use the tools available in StockCharts to find stocks that are breaking out, displaying relative strength setups, and exhibiting moving average signals.

Be sure to watch it. You may find some hidden gems! 

This video premiered on March 31, 2025.

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Stocks

AU Surges Above Resistance: Here’s How to Take Action

As precious metals surge on safe-haven demand, some gold mining companies are following suit. One standout is AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU), which has been riding this upward momentum.

Recently, AU showed up among the Top 10 Large Cap category in the StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) Reports, indicating that it’s among the top large-cap stocks showing bullish technical strength across multiple timeframes and indicators.

FIGURE 1. SCREENSHOT OF SCTR REPORTS ON MONDAY MORNING. AU, which held the #6 spot at the time of the screenshot, had an ultra-bullish SCTR score of 99.3.

Unless you follow gold miners, you may not know much about AU. But here’s the skinny: AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. is a global independent mining company that’s incorporated in the UK but headquartered in Colorado, US. 

AU’s recent surge can be attributed to several factors, including rising gold prices, strong financials, recent strategic acquisitions, revised dividend policy, and general investor shift to safe havens.

If you’re unfamiliar with the stock, a good starting point is to compare its relative performance against its industry (Dow Jones Gold Mining Index or $DJUSPM) and spot gold price performance ($GOLD). The PerfChart below displays AU’s performance relative to the industry and gold’s price over the past year.

FIGURE 2. PERFCHARTS OF AU, DJ GOLD MINING INDEX, AND GOLD. AU began outperforming its overall industry and gold’s performance in late January.

AU and $DJUSPM have shown volatile, back-and-forth price action over the past 12 months, but AU began taking the lead in late January, surpassing both in comparative terms.

Now that you have a comparative view, let’s take a longer-term look at AU’s price action. Here’s a monthly chart spanning 20 years. Why so long? I had to go this far back to plot long-term resistance levels.

FIGURE 3. MONTHLY CHART OF AU. The stock just broke above a resistance range between $35 and $37, but there are plenty more technical headwinds above.

AU appears to be soaring at relatively high valuations and is running up against a major resistance range between $42 and $45. What adds weight to the long-term bullish case of AU’s current valuations is the rising Ichimoku Cloud, indicating a long-term uptrend projection (26 months) and a Relative Strength Index (RSI) reading that is rising but not quite overbought. Another thing to note, which is interesting, is that every time the RSI crossed 70, AU reversed to the downside. 

Despite this bullish projection, keep in mind that AU could still pull back—while remaining in a long-term uptrend—and decline to as low as $22.50 before rebounding. This level marks a key swing low and aligns with the top of the Ichimoku Cloud’s support range.

That gives us a long-term perspective. What about the near term? Might there be a favorable entry point for those looking to go long, or is AU technically overbought? 

Let’s shift over to a daily chart.

FIGURE 4. DAILY CHART OF AU. Pay attention to the most recent swing high and low.

The Gold Miners Bullish Percent Index (BPI) indicates strong bullish breadth as over 89% of gold mining stocks are rallying and triggering P&F buy signals. However, this can also indicate potential overbought levels, and the RSI supports this reading, as it, too, is over the 70 threshold (caveat: a stock can continue to rally for an extended period despite being overbought).

Volume-wise, note how accumulation preceded AU’s rally as far back as September when the Accumulation/Distribution Line (ADL) shown in orange began rising above AU’s price as if the smart money began accumulating the stock as it continued to decline before rebounding. AU currently trades above the ADL line, which could signal a near-term pullback. 

Pay attention to AU’s price relative to its most recent swing high (magenta dotted line) and swing low (blue dotted line). I plotted a ZigZag line to make these swing points clear. 

  • If AU pulls back, it may find support at the swing high near $33. What’s more important is that the stock price must hold above the swing low near $28 to sustain the current uptrend.
  • Expect resistance between $42 and $45 (as mentioned earlier when analyzing the monthly chart).

What Should You Do?

If you’re already in AU and not necessarily committed to the long term, consider tightening your stops or scaling out partial profits as the stock approaches the $42–$45 resistance zone. The RSI above 70 and elevated breadth readings across the gold mining sector suggest short-term overbought conditions, making a pullback likely—even within a broader uptrend. Watch for any bearish divergences or volume reversals, and use a bounce from $28 or $33 to potentially add to your position.

If you’re looking to enter, patience may pay. A retracement to the $33 support zone—or the swing low at $28 if sentiment reverses sharply—could offer a more favorable risk-reward entry. Keep in mind that a break below $28 would weaken the current technical structure and could open the door to a deeper correction, potentially down to $22.50.

For long-term investors, AU still holds promise. The rising monthly Ichimoku Cloud you saw in the monthly chart, strong accumulation trends, and outperformance vs. peers support a bullish longer-term case. But stay disciplined, and keep an ear on economic developments that may have a longer-term impact. Consider using a tiered entry approach rather than chasing highs.

In short, AU’s long-term momentum is intact, but don’t ignore the warning signs of a short-term cooldown. Stay tactical—ride the trend, but always protect your capital!

At the Close

While AU continues to ride the wave of bullish sentiment in the gold sector, a few of its technical indicators, appearing seemingly stretched, hint at a possible short-term breather. Long-term prospects remain intact, but near-term caution is warranted.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

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Stocks

Get Paid to Buy Your Favorite Stocks Using This Options Strategy

Did you know you can generate more than a 5% monthly yield by utilizing an options strategy? 

In this educational video, Tony Zhang walks you through an income-generating options strategy using the OptionsPlay Strategy Center on StockCharts.com.

Learn how to select the right stocks, identify strike prices and expiration dates, analyze various outcomes, and manage your trades.

Armed with this knowledge, you will never want to miss out on the opportunity to generate income from your portfolio. 

This video premiered on April 1, 2025.

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Business

AMC bets on premium screens as Hollywood slate boasts big blockbuster titles

Hollywood’s blockbuster slate is heating up, and AMC Entertainment is increasing the number of its premium screens to meet demand.

The world’s largest cinema chain is adding 40 Dolby Cinema theaters to its U.S.-based AMC locations through the end of 2027. It marks a 25% increase in the number of the branded premium screens, bringing the company’s total number to more than 200.

“Premium moviegoing is defining the modern box office,” said Kevin Yeaman, president and CEO of Dolby Laboratories. “In expanding our longstanding partnership with AMC, we look forward to providing even more audiences with access to the most immersive film experiences that you can only get at Dolby Cinema.”

The announcement comes just days after AMC revealed a partnership with CJ 4DPLEX to add 65 Screen X auditoriums and 40 4DX theaters to its theaters around the globe.

Premium large format screens, often referred to as PLFs, are elevated viewing experiences that come with a higher ticket price. The physical screens are often bigger than traditional movie screens or have auditoriums that feature higher-quality sound systems or seating options.

Dolby Cinemas are specially designed auditoriums with plush, reclining seats and a combination of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which deliver crisp visuals and immersive sound. Screen X theaters feature a 270-degree panoramic screen that extends the movie image onto the side walls using multi-projection technology, and 4DX is a premium experience that features gyroscopic seats and practical effects like fog, water and wind that play in time with the movie.

The films that benefit the most from PLF ticket sales have been Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, as audiences want to see explosive action movies and dazzling spectacles in the most state-of-the-art locations. It’s why films like Universal’s “Oppenheimer,” Disney’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” and Warner Bros.′ “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” captured a significant portion of the PLF box office during their runs.

The 2025 and 2026 box offices are packed with blockbuster features from major franchises like Avatar, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC comics and Mission Impossible.

“The expansion of this partnership is a powerful demonstration of AMC’s ongoing commitment to deliver this premium experience — sought out by filmmakers, studio partners, and our guests — to even more of our theaters and AMC moviegoers around the United States,” Adam Aron, AMC’s CEO, said in a statement Monday about the Dolby expansion.

As of 2024, there were more than 950 theaters in North America that had PLF screens, a 33.7% jump from just five years ago, according to data from Comscore. These screens accounted for 9.1% of the domestic box office, around $600 million in 2024.

Premium ticket prices average just under $17 apiece, according to movie data firm EntTelligence, an 8% increase since 2021, when the company first started reporting these figures.

PLF receipts still represent a small portion of the overall box office, with most audiences seeing films on traditional digital screens. However, the PLF box office has grown 33% in just five years.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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