SPDR® S&P 500 ETF

According to data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, US retail sales increased by 7.5% in June compared to an 18.2% rise in May.

Tesla and NIO stocks have risen sharply this year. Tesla reported a net profit in the second quarter, which makes it eligible for inclusion in the S&P 500.

Warren Buffett missed out on the US stock market crash in the first quarter. Berkshire Hathaway shares are still down 15.1% in 2020.

Tesla will likely release its second-quarter results today after the market close. The company’s results could offer insights into NIO’s outlook.

Tesla is set to report its second-quarter earnings tomorrow. The stock has almost quadrupled this year as electric vehicle stocks rally.

NIO stock has closed with losses for two days now and is down 21.2% from its high of $16.44 on Monday. Can NIO get out of bear market territory?

Yesterday, the BofA (Bank of America) released its July fund manager survey. The monthly survey is based on responses from over 200 global fund managers.

Jeffrey Gundlach, an activist hedge fund manager, said in an interview with Yahoo Finance that the tech rally could be a real risk to investors.

EV maker stocks, including NIO (NYSE:NIO), Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), and Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA), have seen a meteoric rise this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit global markets in March, and we’ve entered a deep recession since then. Both gold and the equity market are strengthening.

Investors are concerned that US stock markets might crash. Notably, markets have staged a remarkable comeback from their March lows.

Fastly stock fell 3.6% in pre-market trading at 8:30 AM ET today. The stock fell after Bank of America analyst Tal Liani double-downgraded the stock.

Crude oil prices saw a best-ever quarter in the second quarter. Brent crude and WTI crude fell to multiyear lows in April 2020.

Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE:BRK.B) chairman, Warren Buffett, has been experiencing a rough patch based on his performance compared to the S&P 500.

Amid the global pandemic and somber mood elsewhere, 2020 has been incredible for EV stocks. Their gains have beat the benchmark indices.

Tesla stock could see another leg up if it gets included in the S&P 500 Index. So far, Tesla stock has risen by 141% YTD.

In the first six months of 2020, the S&P 500 Index (NYSEARCA:SPY) has fallen approximately 6.6%. What can investors expect in the rest of 2020?

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) remained in Stanley Druckenmiller’s top five holdings in the first quarter.

Art Hogan, the chief marketing strategist at National Securities, hinted about higher S&P 500 volatility. Any burst in market volatility could impact investors.

Several analysts have said that US stock markets are ripe for a crash. They called out the disconnect between financial markets and the economy.

JPMorgan Chase predicts that oil will reach $190 per barrel in 2025. Just a few months ago, Brent crude touched a multiyear low.

Bill Ackman made the correct bets when US stock markets crashed in the first quarter. He has been outperforming SPY by a wide margin this year.

George Soros has made some changes to his firm’s portfolio in the first quarter. Soros Fund Management LLC bought some new securities.

Several observers have criticized Warren Buffett, arguably the best value investor of all time, for Berkshire Hathaway’s recent underperformance.

Legendary investor Jeremy Grantham said that US stock markets are in a bubble. As a result, he expects the markets to crash.

The EV stocks, including TSLA, NIO, and Nikola, have seen tremendous gains this year. Still, there’s record short interest in these stocks.

Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman, Warren Buffett, has underperformed the S&P 500 since 2009. Several analysts have criticized the legendary value investor.

Fed officials are concerned about a second wave of the coronavirus. Chinese authorities have been struggling to contain the second wave of COVID-19.

David Kostin of Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is bullish on the tech sector. The sector has outperformed the broader markets this year.

US stock markets might crash today based on the price action in futures. Fears of a second wave of COVID-19 infections spooked investors.

Stanley Druckenmiller called US stock markets “overvalued” last month. He said that the rise in the markets has “humbled” him.

Based on Monday’s closing prices, NIO (NYSE:NIO) stock has risen 115% in the second quarter, while Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) has risen 81%.

Last week, President Trump called out Warren Buffett due to his decision to sell airline stocks in April. Airline stocks have rallied sharply over the last few days.

Today, China released its May trade data. The country’s exports fell 3.3% YoY (year-over-year). In April, China’s exports rose 3.5%.

The WGC released a report on gold ETF flows on June 4. The gold-backed ETFs added 154 tons of across all of the regions in May.

Today at 6:08 AM ET, Smartsheet stock fell 18% to $48.50 in the pre-market session. The stock fell after the company’s results for the first quarter of fiscal 2021.

While Bill Ackman has managed to beat markets, Warren Buffett has underperformed. Pershing Square dumped all of its holdings in Berkshire Hathaway.

According to a CNBC survey of global CFOs, most of them expect the Dow Jones Index to crash below 19,000 or its March lows.

Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman, is trailing SPY this year. However, a few months of underperformance shouldn’t bother long-term investors.

The lockdown amid the COVID-19 global pandemic dragged down the global economy and largely contributed to the surge in the unemployment rate.

Increasing US-China tension could threaten the financial market. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the economic and healthcare crisis across the globe.

US stock markets have been resilient in 2020 despite weak economic indicators. As a result, there have been questions about the S&P 500’s valuation.

Several leading fund managers have been forecasting a US stock market crash. However, the prophecy has turned out to be an illusion.

Last year, Warren Buffett had his worst underperformance compared to the S&P 500 in a decade. So far, 2020 doesn’t look any different.

The US Senate has passed legislation that could eventually lead many Chinese companies to delist. There are a lot of steps for the bill to become a law.

Due to Warren Buffett’s reluctance to part with Berkshire Hathaway’s cash, the stock has been underperforming the S&P 500.

In 2019, the S&P 500 witnessed the worst decline in the last decade. Many investors compare the current bearish sentiments to the subprime crisis in 2008.

Warren Buffett’s stock market actions speak louder than words. Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE:BRK.B) chairman has been on a selling spree.

Tesla raised over $2 billion through equity issuance in February. On February 13, Tesla stock closed with gains after it announced the capital raise.

The driving force behind the recovery in US stock markets, despite ongoing lockdowns amid COVID-19, has been the Federal Reserve’s stimulus package.

Allogene Therapeutics stock fell 4.8% on Wednesday and ended the day at $30.98. At this closing price, the company’s market cap is $3.9 billion.

In March, the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (NYSEARCA:DIA) fell by as much as 33.5% on a YTD basis. On May 12, the figure recovered to 17.7%.

Goldman Sachs expects the S&P 500 to crash to 2,400. However, the firm expects the S&P 500 to end the year at 3,000 level.

Since March, gold prices are on a tear due to uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. The SPDR Gold Shares has seen gains of 16.2% since March 18.

In 2020, gold prices have been shining due to turmoil in the equity market. The S&P 500 Index (NYSEARCA:SPY) has fallen by 12.4% on a YTD basis.

US stock markets had a splendid April. The Dow Jones Index (NYSEARCA:DIA) gained 11.1% in April, while the S&P 500 (NYSEARCA:SPY) gained 12.7%.

Right now, the US stock market is disconnected from economic reality. The unemployment rate is rising but the markets don’t seem to care.

Energy stocks have fallen this year amid the bloodbath in crude oil prices. Last week, WTI crude contract turned negative for the first time in history.

A large number of market participants have been speculating whether Warren Buffett brought stocks amid the US stock market crash last month.

The volatility in Henry Hub gas prices might concern investors. You could look for natural gas-weighted stocks like EQT and Cabot Oil & Gas.

For the first time, WTI crude prices fell into the negative zone during trade on Monday. Warren Buffett invested in Occidental Petroleum last year.

Chinese stock markets were subdued today. Notably, the Shanghai Index gained 0.66% and underperformed other Asian markets.

Stocks of major retailers fell on April 15 following news that US retail sales fell at a historical rate in March amid COVID-19.

Tesla stock has risen sharply from its March lows. On Monday, the stock moved above the 50-day moving average, which is a bullish sign.

Warren Buffett lagged the stock market returns last year by a wide margin. Meanwhile, he tends to outperform the S&P 500 during falling markets.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) stock fell 6.9% on a YTD basis as of Monday. The company will likely report its Q4 earnings after the financial markets close on Thursday.

Target (NYSE:TGT) stock declined 2.9% on Tuesday. The company reported mixed results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019.

TJX Companies stock touched a new 52-week high of $64.95 on Wednesday. The company declared strong fourth-quarter results and a dividend hike.

While TSLA stock bulls see the rise as fundamental, bears and many observers are calling it a “speculative bubble.” So, where do we draw the line?

The US and China are expected to sign the phase of the US-China trade deal next week. The two sides agreed to the agreement in December.

Tech stocks have been on a roll since the start of 2019. The S&P 500 ETF (INDEXSP: INX) has gained 31.4% since January 2019.

Investors’ preference for top dividend stocks could increase in 2020. Among sector-specific ETFs, the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF reigns supreme.

Founded by Bill Ackman, Pershing Square made a 58.1% profit last year. Between 2015 and 2018, Pershing Square posted negative returns.

Rumors of Warren Buffett buying into Boeing (NYSE:BA) have filled the air this week. The legendary investor’s interest in airline stocks is well known.

American Water Works stock returned more than 160% in the last five years, including dividends. The return is more than double utilities’ average.

Facebook stock has started 2020 on a positive note. Now some options traders appear to be betting on the stock’s rise in the coming weeks and months.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index and the S&P 500 futures are in the red today amid an escalation in US and Iran tensions.

Gold continued to rally amid rising geopolitical tensions recently. The spot gold prices crossed the $1,600 per ounce level on Wednesday.

Global equity markets are weak today after Iran hit US military bases in Iraq. The Shanghai Composite and the Hang Seng fell 1.2% and 0.83%, respectively.

The S&P 500 (SPY) started 2020 at a record high. However, the geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East has increased the US equity market’s volatility.

The US trade deficit fell to a three-year low in November. President Trump has vowed to address the country’s massive trade deficit, especially with China.

Currently, utility stocks on average offer a yield of 3%. Dominion Energy offers a dividend yield of 4.5%, while NextEra Energy offers a yield of 2.1%.

The US and Iran tensions have risen since the China trade war. Defensive investments might come into focus again due to increasing geopolitical tensions.

Tesla stock’s rise has brought joy to some and pain to others. Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn has been punished for his short position in Tesla.

Cisco (CSCO) stock was under pressure in 2019 due to the US-China trade war. Options traders are betting on CSCO’s rise by the middle of March.

Oil companies have come into focus due to geopolitical tension. The tension got worse after a US drone strike killed Iran’s top general in Iraq.

Recently, gold continued to rise. US gold futures rose for the eighth time in the last nine trading sessions and reached $1,582 levels per ounce today.

Warren Buffett underperformed the stock markets last year. Berkshire Hathaway’s returns versus the S&P 500 were the worst since 2009.

Yesterday was a historic day for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). The stock rallied over 7% to $49.25. There were many elements behind yesterday’s rally.

The S&P 500 finished last year with an increase of 28.9%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq-100 Index (QQQ) rose 22.3% and 38%, respectively.

Oil stocks like ExxonMobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A), and BP (BP) saw mixed performance in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Mega oil companies Chevron (CVX) and ExxonMobil (XOM) saw a weak 2019. Their earnings slid in the first nine months of the year.

Last year, the Shanghai Composite Index underperformed the S&P 500. Could Chinese stocks outperform US stocks in 2020?

Yesterday, President Trump tweeted that he would sign phase one of the US-China trade deal on January 15. The trade deal lifted markets at the end of 2019.

Energy stocks have risen marginally in 2019. Though these stocks have underperformed the market, their dividend yields have outperformed it.

It’s a good time to take a closer look at Microsoft stock after a price target revision, major institutional transactions, and recent options trades.

In 2019, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 22.3%, while the Hang Seng Index gained 9.1%. Meanwhile, India’s Nifty 50 rose 12%.

Today, China released its official December manufacturing PMI. The PMI was 50.2 for December. The analysts polled by Reuters expected the PMI to be 50.1.

Overall, 2019 has been eventful. The Dow Jones Index (DIA) and the S&P 500 (SPY) had one of their best years with gains of 24% and 29%, respectively.

Let’s look at Amazon’s recent options trades, analyst commentary, and technicals. We’ll determine if it’s worth buying at the current levels.