The S&P 500 is nearing a new bull market, potentially leading to stock market growth, and investors should consider stocks like Amazon and Mastercard based on the holdings of Wall Street billionaires and their solid growth prospects.
The S&P 500 could experience significant gains in the coming months following the end of the current rate hike cycle by the Federal Reserve, with historical data showing positive returns after previous cycles and strong economic indicators supporting this trend. Investors are advised to consider investing in an S&P 500 index fund or industry-leading stocks like Amazon.
The S&P 500 index has seen impressive gains this year, up over 17%, and could potentially reach 5,000 points by the end of 2023, according to expert Andrew Slimmon of Morgan Stanley. Despite a slight pullback in August, strong third-quarter earnings and investor interest in mega-cap tech stocks are expected to drive the market forward.
Investing in the stock market can be simplified by buying high-quality businesses at reasonable valuations and holding them for the long term, and index investing in low-cost funds that track the S&P 500 can outperform professional fund managers while eliminating the need for complex decision-making.
The top 25 stocks in the S&P 500 outperformed the index in the 35th week of 2023, with tech stocks leading the way, suggesting a return of bull markets and a decrease in recessionary fears; however, market health, the balance between developed and emerging markets, and investor behavior still need to be addressed. Additionally, market correlations have dropped since COVID, and on "down-market" days, correlations are 5% higher than on "up-market" days. Market correlations also decrease during upward economic cycles. Retail investors are showing a preference for dividend-driven investing and investing in AI stocks. The global subsidies race is impacting valuations in tech and leading to supply chain inefficiencies. As a result, there are opportunities for diversification and investment in a wide variety of equities and bonds.
The S&P 500 Index experienced its best week since June, while Bitcoin faced a marginal loss due to the delay of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund applications by the Securities and Exchange Commission, although analysts remain optimistic about future ETF approvals.
Investors would have been better off buying the S&P 500 instead of adjusting their portfolios in response to Michael Burry's stock-market warning tweets, as the index had an average 6-month annualized gain of 34% following a selection of Burry's tweets from 2019 to 2023, according to Charlie Bilello, chief market strategist at Creative Planning.
S&P Dow Jones Indices and Cboe Global Markets are launching the Cboe S&P 500 Dispersion Index (DSPX), the first index to measure the expected dispersion in the S&P 500 Index, providing market participants with a tool to better understand diversification opportunities and risks in the equity benchmark.
About 18% of S&P 500 index members and 17% of Nasdaq Composite index members are currently trading below their respective moving averages and have a 14-day RSI below 30, which suggests oversold conditions and the potential for a minor rebound ahead of the US earnings season.
The S&P 500's potential for a long-term bull market relies on it surpassing a key level.
Investors are concerned about a potential showdown for the S&P 500 as stock market commentator, Heisenberg, shares a chart indicating bearish patterns and a major trend line off the October lows, suggesting a sharp drop in the index. Rising bond yields, climbing oil prices, and fears of slowing consumer spending are also factors contributing to investor unease.
The recent losses in the S&P 500 could be beneficial for the overall index, as market breadth and gains across companies are considered signs of a healthy stock market, according to Wall Street strategists. The outperformance of a select group of large-cap stocks known as the 'Magnificent Seven' is expected to give way to a cyclical trade led by the other 493 companies in the index.
The dominance of the seven largest stocks in the S&P 500, including Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, may indicate a brittle bull run and weak market breadth, causing concerns among financial experts. However, there is no need for drastic actions, and investors should stick to a disciplined investment plan and ensure diversification.
Despite challenges such as surging Treasury yields and Federal Reserve hawkishness, the equity-investing landscape has shown resilience, with the S&P 500 posting modest gains and the Nasdaq 100 up for the week. Investors remain optimistic about the economy's ability to withstand higher borrowing costs and anticipate positive revenue and earnings growth. Credit markets have remained stable, while volatility has remained muted and profit strength in Corporate America is expected to drive stocks.
