empty
10.04.2025 10:58 AM
Wall Street responding to president's call

Where there's smoke, there's fire. At the start of the second week of April, a rumor spread on social media about a 90-day delay in US tariffs, causing markets to surge, only to return to their previous levels shortly after. The fake news was debunked, but it turned out that someone had access to sensitive information. Just two days later, Donald Trump himself announced the delay, and that earlier "rehearsal" became a moment of glory for the S&P 500 bulls.

The broad stock index jumped by 9.5%, marking its best percentage performance since the 2008 global financial crisis. Market capitalization surged by a record-breaking $5.1 trillion, with the biggest beneficiaries of the positive news from the White House being the tech stocks—yesterday's underdogs.

S&P 500's daily performance

This image is no longer relevant

Another record was set by the volatility index (VIX), which posted the sharpest downward move in its history. No surprise there—rarely does fear on the market so suddenly give way to greed, and the fear of missing out pushed the S&P 500 up like a rocket.

A clear example of this dramatic mood shift came from Goldman Sachs, which initially raised the probability of a US recession within the next 12 months to 65%, only to retract that forecast following the White House's 90-day tariff delay. The bank reverted to its base case: no recession.

Wags say the stock market has predicted nine out of the last five recessions. A steep drop in the S&P 500 is often a harbinger of economic contraction, as seen in 2008 and 2020. But there are cases, like during Russia's 1998 debt crisis, when the index tanked without a subsequent drop in GDP.

Share of equities in US household assets

This image is no longer relevant

Still, the connection between the S&P 500 and the real economy is undeniable. Currently, the share of equities in American household assets has reached a record-high 36%. Market growth sparks optimism and boosts consumer spending—and vice versa. Consumer activity directly affects GDP. That's why if the broad stock index doesn't recover, a cooling of US GDP will be almost inevitable.

This image is no longer relevant

In reality, the trade war is far from over. The 10% universal tariff remains in place, China is facing a 125% tariff burden, and there's no guarantee that talks with other countries will succeed. They may commit to terms they never intend to fulfill—just as China did in 2018–2019. Uncertainty hasn't gone away, and the S&P 500's rapid rise may yet prove to be a "fools' rally."

Technical outlook

On the daily chart, a large-bodied bar was formed. Long positions opened during the dip to support at 4,910 proved to be a smart move. However, a drop back below 5,405—or a rejection from resistance levels at 5,500 or 5,600—should be taken as signals to lock in profits and consider switching to short positions.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

The Market Took a Step Back

The longest winning streak of the S&P 500 in two decades has come to an end. But who's responsible? The Federal Reserve, which plans to keep rates unchanged

Marek Petkovich 10:16 2025-05-06 UTC+2

Markets Anxiously Await the Fed's Monetary Policy Meeting (Potential for Renewed Growth in Bitcoin and #NDX)

Markets remain tense. The U.S. Dollar Index and the cryptocurrency market are stagnating, caught between opposing forces. Investors are tensely awaiting the outcome of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting

Pati Gani 10:02 2025-05-06 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – May 6: Trump Goes After the Film Industry

The GBP/USD currency pair traded upward during the first half of Monday and downward during the second half. While the U.S. dollar didn't lose much this time, its brief attempt

Paolo Greco 07:04 2025-05-06 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – May 6: The Protest Against Donald Trump Continues

The EUR/USD currency pair began a new upward cycle on Monday. At this point, no one is likely surprised by another drop in the U.S. dollar. The market started selling

Paolo Greco 07:04 2025-05-06 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on May 6? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

There are very few macroeconomic events scheduled for Tuesday. In the Eurozone and Germany, the second estimate of April's services PMI will be published, but these are unlikely to attract

Paolo Greco 05:49 2025-05-06 UTC+2

Fed Rate Cut Probability Is Near Zero

This week marks the third Federal Reserve meeting of the year. At the first two meetings, monetary policy parameters remained unchanged, and there is virtually no chance of a rate

Chin Zhao 00:50 2025-05-06 UTC+2

The Dollar Sell-Off Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

The latest CFTC report reveals that the dollar sell-off continues unabated. Weekly changes against major currencies amounted to -$3.1 billion, bringing the total accumulated short position to -$17.1 billion

Kuvat Raharjo 00:50 2025-05-06 UTC+2

GBP/USD. The Pound and Politics

The pound reacted negatively to the results of the local elections in the UK, where the right-wing Reform UK party secured a convincing victory in many districts. However, the British

Irina Manzenko 00:50 2025-05-06 UTC+2

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to show resilience, climbing above the key psychological level of $3300. Geopolitical tensions stemming from the prolonged Russia–Ukraine conflict and escalating hostilities in the Middle East continue

Irina Yanina 17:45 2025-05-05 UTC+2

USD/CHF: Analysis and Forecast

The USD/CHF pair remains under pressure at the start of the new week, attracting sellers for the second day in a row, weighed down by several factors. However, spot prices

Irina Yanina 17:35 2025-05-05 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.