Market Wrap: Trade Tensions & Tech Triumphs

Fresh news and strategies for traders. SPY Trader episode #1204. What's crackin' everybody, it's your pal Bubba Butters here, and welcome to Spy Trader! It's 12 pm on Friday, May 30th, 2025, Pacific time, and boy oh boy, do we have a mixed bag of news today. Let's dive right in. So, the big picture is that while we're looking at solid gains for May overall – the S&P is up 6%, Dow up 4%, and Nasdaq crushing it with a 10% jump – today's trading is a bit choppy. The Dow's inching up, but the S&P and Nasdaq are taking a little dip. Typical Friday, am I right? First up, those good ol' trade tensions are back! Remember Trump? Well, some tariffs got reinstated after a court battle, and that's stirring up the pot with China again. This is making everyone a little nervous. On the inflation front, we've got some cooling happening. Core PCE is looking steady, and overall inflation is slightly below what folks expected. That's a bit of good news, but Wall Street is still playing it cool. Now, let's talk companies. Regeneron took a hit because of some mixed drug trial results. Ouch! But on the flip side, Nvidia is soaring! All that AI server demand is really paying off for them. Dell is in the same boat; they can't keep up with the demand for AI servers either! And Costco? Well, they did okay, beat expectations by a little bit. Not bad, not bad at all. HP Inc., though, not so great, they cut their outlook and the stock price tumbled. Oh, and consumers are feeling a little better this month. Consumer sentiment actually stabilized, probably because of that pause on some China tariffs. Gives everyone a little breathing room, you know? Now, what does all this mean for your hardearned cash? Well, I'm thinking cautious optimism is the name of the game. With all the trade drama and economic question marks, you gotta be smart. Here's what I'm thinking: Diversify, diversify, diversify! Don't put all your eggs in one basket, folks. And maybe beef up on those defensive stocks – you know, healthcare, consumer staples, the stuff people need no matter what. Also, take a look at value stocks; they might give you a better bang for your buck right now. Keep your eyes peeled on those trade talks. Any little hiccup can send the market on a rollercoaster. And remember, play the long game! Don't panic sell because of a few bad days. Unless stocks drop by 20% or more, then you might want to think about buying more, based on what's happened in the past. Also, if you're feeling fancy, maybe check out some hedge funds. They can be a good way to spread things out and maybe even make some extra dough, but remember, they can be risky too! We've got to remember the impact of those tariffs on companies and how much money we're spending, the Fed's decisions on interest rates, and what's going on in the world, because what happens in other countries can affect us here too. Alright, that's all for today, folks! Bubba's out! Remember, this ain't financial advice, just my two cents. Talk to a real financial pro before you make any big moves. Stay groovy!