SPY Trader: Market Volatility & Trading Tips

Fresh news and strategies for traders. SPY Trader episode #1006. Hey everyone, it's your pal Chip Flory here, and welcome to Spy Trader. It's Friday, March 7th, and the time is 11AM pacific. Let's dive into what's shaking up the market today. We're seeing a pretty volatile stretch, folks, so buckle up. The Dow is up a tiny 0.1% today, but get this, it's down nearly 3% for the week. The S&P 500 is flat today, but off 3.6% this week, and the Nasdaq is down a smidge today, and 4.1% for the week. Ouch! Year to date, the Dow is barely in the green, while the S&P and Nasdaq are both down. What's causing all this choppiness? Well, a few things. There's ongoing uncertainty about policies coming from the Trump White House, and some real fears about a potential economic slowdown. The jobs report wasn't exactly stellar, and those tariff concerns keep popping up, potentially leading to inflation and hurting companies with international business. The Fed is staying put for now, trying to separate the 'signal from the noise', as Powell put it, which adds another layer of uncertainty. We did see some action in individual stocks. Broadcom was a bright spot, their shares jumped after reporting betterthanexpected results thanks to strong AI demand. On the flip side, Marvell Technology took a dive after missing revenue expectations, which kind of spooked the chip sector a bit. All this means investor sentiment is souring, and there's a growing feeling that the economy might hit a soft patch in the first half of the year. The S&P 500 dipping below its 200day moving average is also making folks a little more cautious. Let's talk trading recommendations. First up, Viavi Solutions. Rosenblatt upgraded it to a 'Buy', citing growth in their Network Enablement business driven by 5G and fiber optic expansion. If you're looking at telecom and networking, this might be one to watch. On the other hand, keep an eye on consumer discretionary stocks. The downgrade of Traeger, the grill company, highlights concerns about consumer spending on bigticket items. Plus, potential tariffs on Chinese imports could hurt them and other companies reliant on Chinese manufacturing. Also, I'm seeing bullish options activity on S&P Global, suggesting some big investors think it could go up. Analysts generally agree, so that might be an opportunity. Teva Pharmaceutical is another one showing bullish options activity and analyst support. Finally, a word of caution about crypto. Singapore is tightening regulations, warning about the risks. This could chill the market and send investors back to safer havens. So, there you have it, folks. A volatile market with plenty of crosscurrents. Remember to do your own research, stay informed, and don't panic. Oh, and before I go, what do you call a careless stockbroker on a skateboard? A crash in motion. Until next time, this is Chip Flory, signing off. Happy trading!