Despite rising geopolitical tensions with Iran targeting U.S. ships, markets remain steady due to strong Q1 earnings growth of 27.1%, improved profit margins, and higher EPS forecasts for 2026. The tech sector is a key driver of this optimism, supporting expectations for ongoing margin expansion despite external pressures like tariffs and high oil prices. The author remains invested but cautious, noting that a direct U.S. strike on Iranian energy infrastructure could trigger market panic, though this is seen as unlikely.
The S&P 500 closed June down 1.06%, maintaining a bullish quarterly pattern but showing signs of consolidation and potential reversal risk. Analyst Andrew McElroy remains skeptical about a sustained breakout above 7620 in Q3, expecting the index to e...
IKIGAI Trading Academy, led by Qamar Zaman, has released Flight Path, a market-structure projection tool for SPX and SPY day traders. The tool helps traders plan trades by mapping bullish and bearish paths based on market structure before the open, e...
Wall Street ended the holiday-shortened week higher, driven by optimism over a potential Federal Reserve interest rate cut by year-end despite weaker-than-expected June jobs data. Technology stocks rebounded early in the week amid easing U.S.-Iran te...
In the first half of 2026, U.S.-listed ETFs attracted a record $560 billion in inflows during Q2 alone, setting a new high for any three-month period. This surge was led by low-cost core index ETFs like the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, alongside strong ...
The projected 27% earnings growth for the S&P 500 is largely illusory, as it stems from internal money transfers, inflation, and debt-financed investments rather than genuine profit expansion. Inflation alone may contribute 4%–5% of this growth, with...
