Stock prices bounced, but will they resume the uptrend before a long holiday weekend?

Stock prices broke their short-term losing streak yesterday, as the S&P 500 index gained 0.86%. Earlier this week, the market kept retracing its last week’s record-breaking rally; however, it was doing so at a very slow pace. Last Thursday, the S&P 500 reached a record high of 5,261.10, and on Tuesday, it traded as low as 5,203.42. Last week, stock prices were influenced by the FOMC Rate Decision on Wednesday; this week, investors are bracing for economic data releases, including tomorrow’s Friday’s Core PCE Price Index. However, with as the long holiday weekend approaching, volatility may be decreasing.

This morning, the S&P 500 futures contract is gaining 0.1%, indicating a neutral opening of the index. The question remains: will the last Thursday’s surge lead to a downward correction and a potential retracement of the advance? From a contrarian standpoint, such a correction seems likely, but the overall trend remains bullish.

On March 1, I mentioned about February, “Despite concerns about stock valuations, the market rallied to new record highs, fueled by hopes of the Fed's monetary policy pivot and the AI revolution.”. And last week, it was all about that Fed pivot, hence a positive market reaction. The S&P 500 index still seems to be crawling a wall of worry here.

While indexes were hitting new record highs, most stocks were essentially moving sideways. So, the question is – is this a topping pattern before a more meaningful correction? Still, there have been no confirmed negative signals; however, one might consider the possibility of a trend reversal.

The investor sentiment much improved; yesterday’s AAII Investor Sentiment Survey showed that 50.0% of individual investors are bullish, while only 22.4% of them are bearish, down from 27.2% last week. The AAII sentiment is a contrary indicator in the sense that highly bullish readings may suggest excessive complacency and a lack of fear in the market. Conversely, bearish readings are favorable for market upturns.

The S&P 500 index continues to trade above its over month-long upward trend line again, as we can see on the daily chart.

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Nasdaq 100 Bounced From 18,200

Last Thursday, the technology-focused Nasdaq 100 index reached a new record high of 18,464.70, extending its long-term uptrend yet again. However, this week, it went back slightly below the 18,200 level, before bouncing and gaining 0.39% yesterday. The market retreated back within the recent consolidation, indicating a failed breakout attempt. The short-term support level remains at 18,200.

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VIX Remains Close to 133

The VIX index, also known as the fear gauge, is derived from option prices. Last Thursday, the index dipped slightly below the 12.50 level, before bouncing closer to 13 later in the day. It was the lowest since mid-January, indicating a lack of fear in the market. Yesterday, it kept fluctuating along the 13 level, before closing below that level on advancing stock prices.

Historically, a dropping VIX indicates less fear in the market, and rising VIX accompanies stock market downturns. However, the lower the VIX, the higher the probability of the market’s downward reversal.

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Futures Contract Is Above 5,300 Again

Let’s take a look at the hourly chart of the S&P 500 futures contract. This morning, it’s trading slightly above the 5,300 level again, following yesterday’s rebound. The resistance level is at 5,320, marked by the record high, and the support level remains at 5,260, marked by the previous highs.

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Conclusion

Today, the S&P 500 index is likely to open virtually flat. The market is basically still going sideways following last week’s advances. More pronounced profit-taking action may be in cards at some point. However, as of now, there have been no confirmed negative signals.

In my Stock Price Forecast for March, I noted “So far, stock prices have been trending upwards in the medium to long term, reaching new record highs. The prudent advice one could give right now is to remain bullish or stay on the sidelines if one believes stocks are becoming overvalued and may need a correction. It's likely that the S&P 500 will continue its bull run this month. However, we may encounter a correction or increased volatility at some point as investors start to take profits off the table.”

For now, my short-term outlook remains neutral.

Here’s the breakdown:

• The S&P 500 is likely to extend a short-term consolidation following last week’s rally, with markets anticipating a long holiday weekend.
• In the medium term, stock prices are overbought, suggesting the potential for a correction.
• In my opinion, the short-term outlook is neutral.

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