Stock-market bulls must defend this 'line in the sand' to avert deeper slide: analyst
The S&P 500's ability to maintain support at the 4,450 level will be crucial for the stock market's near-term performance, according to a technical analyst.
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Posted 9/6/2023, 3:21:00 PM
marketwatch.com
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After a strong surge in June and July, the S&P 500 index has experienced a significant decline in August, with tech stocks being hit particularly hard, as fears of rising interest rates and a slowdown in China weigh on the market.
The S&P 500 Index reached a high in July but has since experienced a pullback of -4.8% in the first three weeks of August, with further downside possible, although the market may be near a turning point.
The S&P 500 has fallen nearly 5% in August, and opinions on whether stocks will rebound are divided among Wall Street firms and market commentators, with some, like Goldman Sachs and Fundstrat, remaining optimistic while others, including Michael Burry and David Rosenberg, are bearish.
Volatility and rising interest rates have caused a pullback in U.S. equity markets, particularly impacting the technology sector, but investors should not panic as pullbacks are normal in a bull market and present buying opportunities. China's deteriorating economic conditions and weak seasonal trends have also contributed to the selling pressure. However, support is expected to be found in the 4,200 to 4,300 range in the S&P 500, and the Federal Reserve's likely end to the rate-hiking cycle and improved earnings should provide fundamental support for investors to buy the dip.
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 is showing signs of a new bull market, but some experts are cautious and want to wait until the index reaches its previous high, meanwhile, there are two stocks, Sea Limited and Upstart Holdings, that have the potential to more than double in value over the next 12 to 18 months based on analysts' price targets.
The S&P 500 is close to reaching a record high, signaling the upcoming arrival of a new U.S. bull market, and investors should consider buying stocks like Roku and Datadog that have strong growth potential.
The S&P 500 has rallied in 2023 due to factors such as cooling inflation, a strong economy, and a positive outlook for earnings, but concerns over credit market volatility, monetary policy uncertainty, and steep valuations pose risks to the bull market rally.
Investors are unsure if the correction in the US stock market is over, as the possibility of a head-and-shoulders top on the S&P 500 is being discussed, although it is still uncertain if the consolidation will continue higher or lead to a downward trend.
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.
The S&P500 rose on Wednesday, supported by signs of weakness in the labor market and slower economic growth, reinforcing expectations of a Federal Reserve pause next month.
Despite economic challenges, the S&P 500 is expected to continue its strong growth, potentially increasing by as much as 11% as the summer season ends, driven by companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Nvidia, Tesla, and Meta, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Andrew Slimmon.
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 S&P 500 rally is expected to fade as economic data supports a higher for longer monetary policy, with weaker job opening data and ADP job report sending rates down and a strong job report and ISM data pushing rates higher, creating challenges for the stock market as financial conditions tighten and leading to lower levels.
Bank of America's technical strategist believes that despite historically poor September performance, the S&P 500's year-to-date rally positions it for further gains, with the potential for an 8% climb by the end of the year.
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.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has outperformed the S&P 500 even if its stock price crashed by 99%, with a gain of nearly 3,800,000% between 1965 and 2022 and stock currently at record highs.
The S&P 500 index is unlikely to reach a record high by the end of 2023 due to factors such as earnings per share and financial conditions, according to Stifel's chief equity strategist.
The S&P 500 Index rallied off support but may not be starting a new bull market as resistance at 4500 has caused a decline.
John Hussman warns that stocks are overvalued and investors buying into the S&P 500 now are likely to experience abysmal returns for the next decade. He cites high valuations and poor investor sentiment as indications of a forthcoming steep sell-off, and predicts an annualized return of -4% over the next 12 years.
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.
Despite its high valuation, a strategist predicts that the S&P 500 can still continue to rise.
Economist Gary Shilling predicts that the S&P 500 will decline by around 40% during this market cycle, citing recession indicators such as the yield curve and The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index. He believes that a US recession may already be underway due to the Federal Reserve's focus on reducing inflation, and high valuations in the stock market increase the likelihood of a significant drop.
Bank of America predicts that the S&P 500 could surge over 25% within the next year based on a bullish indicator, with low long-term profit growth expectations among analysts signaling potential gains.