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Black Friday Investing: Unveiling U.S. Stock Market Hours and Insights

Traders who are actively engaged in the market might have to postpone their Black Friday shopping plans until after the markets close. While employees in many non-retail sectors enjoy a four-day weekend by taking off on Black Friday, financial markets will be open for a shortened trading day following Thanksgiving. Major U.S. stock exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, are slated to conclude equity trading at 1 p.m. Eastern on Friday, while bond traders will wrap up even earlier at 2 p.m., as per the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Sifma). Thanksgiving week typically experiences light trading volume, potentially leading to more volatile market conditions. Historical data from as far back as 1950 indicates that, despite the shortened trading hours, the S&P 500 has, on average, moved by plus or minus 1.5% during Thanksgiving week—similar to the average of 1.6% for all five-day trading periods, according to E-Trade from Morgan Stanley. U.S. stocks have demonstrated a robust rally in November, with the S&P 500 index exiting correction territory on Monday, finishing just under 1% away from its 2023 closing high set on July 31. Month-to-date performance shows the S&P 500 up 8.7% through Wednesday’s close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallying 6.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite experiencing an approximately 11% jump. John PaulJohn Paul is the founder of DayTradeToWin, a trading education and software company established in 2008, supporting traders worldwide. His expertise focuses on price action-based futures trading strategies and structured market analysis. DayTradeToWin delivers trading education, indicators, and software tools designed to help traders apply disciplined, rule-based decision-making across global futures markets. He is the creator of multiple trading methodologies, including the Sonic System, Atlas Line, and Trade Scalper, which help traders identify structured opportunities in markets such as the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), crude oil (CL), and gold (GC). Official website: https://daytradetowin.com daytradetowin.com

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Thanksgiving Pause: U.S. Stock Trading Takes a Break, Global Markets Rise

Global stock markets experienced a positive trend on Thursday, fueled by investor confidence in the belief that the Federal Reserve has completed its series of interest rate hikes to counter inflation. This sentiment, supportive of equities, prevailed as U.S. markets remained closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, slated to resume on Friday for a shortened session, and with limited significant market catalysts. While London’s FTSE 100 saw a rare decline of 0.1%, the Paris CAC 40 advanced by 0.2%, and Frankfurt’s DAX registered a 0.1% uptick. The pan-European Stoxx 600 remained relatively unchanged. In Asian markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose by 1%, and the Shanghai Composite closed 0.6% higher, with Tokyo markets closed for a Japanese holiday. Susannah Streeter, an analyst at broker Hargreaves Lansdown, highlighted the positive atmosphere stemming from the U.S. as Wall Street approached the Thanksgiving weekend. She noted the diminishing concerns about additional Fed rate hikes and the economy’s resilience, expressing hope for a smooth landing despite the elevated interest rates. With Thanksgiving festivities taking precedence, trading activity was expected to be subdued on the day. John PaulJohn Paul is the founder of DayTradeToWin, a trading education and software company established in 2008, supporting traders worldwide. His expertise focuses on price action-based futures trading strategies and structured market analysis. DayTradeToWin delivers trading education, indicators, and software tools designed to help traders apply disciplined, rule-based decision-making across global futures markets. He is the creator of multiple trading methodologies, including the Sonic System, Atlas Line, and Trade Scalper, which help traders identify structured opportunities in markets such as the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), crude oil (CL), and gold (GC). Official website: https://daytradetowin.com daytradetowin.com

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When Skunks Gather: Bank of America’s Forecast for S&P 500’s Trajectory

Analysts, such as Savita Subramanian from Bank of America, are working hard on their forecasts just like Santa’s helpers. Subramanian, an expert in equities and quantitative strategy, predicts that the S&P 500 will reach a record-breaking level of 5,000 by the year 2024. This prediction sets the stage for favorable conditions in choosing stocks selectively. Subramanian and her team give several justifications for what seems to be the most positive forecast for the upcoming year so far. On Wednesday, Lori Calvasina from RBC Capital likewise presented a year-end target price of 5,000 for the S&P 500. Bank of America has stated that investors have reached a stage where there is no more uncertainty about the economy and significant geopolitical events. Furthermore, the bank highlights that the positive aspect is that they are currently addressing negative news. The Bank of America team clarifies that their optimistic view does not rely on the Federal Reserve reducing interest rates, but instead on the Federal Reserve’s accomplishments. They are convinced that companies have adapted to the higher interest rates and inflation, which they normally do. Subramanian and Co. seem to have a more positive outlook than their colleague, strategist Michael Hartnett. Hartnett has warned against investors rushing into stocks based on the belief that the Federal Reserve will ease monetary policy and the economic transition will be seamless. What makes Subramanian deserving of your attention? Her forecast for the S&P 500 in 2023, at 4,600, appears to be reliable, unlike the more cautious predictions made by her colleagues on Wall Street. Although the round number of 5,000 is attractive, even if there is a 10% rise from its current level next year, it may not be as significant as the index’s impressive gain of over 18% in 2024, thus far. Are there additional factors that could lead to a substantial rise in stock prices going forward? The presence of many individuals with negative intentions is one such factor, as mentioned. Despite the overall positive market sentiment, the data indicates that many investors lack trust in stocks, except for those who are bullish on artificial intelligence. She claims that pension equity weights in the English language are currently at their lowest level in 25 years. The sell-side market targets set by banks and brokerages are mostly failing to achieve their goals. The consensus on long-term earnings growth for the S&P 500 is also at a low point, excluding the impact of COVID. Additionally, active funds are closely tracking their benchmarks. She further mentions that bull markets typically end with high confidence and excitement, which is not the case currently. BlackRock recently voiced worry regarding clients retaining $4 trillion in cash, partially attributed to apprehension surrounding interest rates. The strategist provides more explanations. She cites a survey done by analysts from Bank of America, who have optimistic projections for 2024. These projections encompass enhanced profit margins, lowered expenses, gradual price decreases without a substantial drop, and more. The strategist also considers historical data, noting that profits usually rise even when economic growth decelerates. This was evident in the 1950s when earnings per share declined for six consecutive quarters before the recession, but then increased during that economic downturn. One of the reasons is that 2024 is an election year, and historically, elections have had a positive effect on the stock market. Moreover, there might be a bipartisan agreement to maintain defense spending and boost domestic manufacturing, which generally leads to economic advantages. Nevertheless, the potential implementation of fiscal austerity measures could have an adverse impact on healthcare stocks. Another point to consider is that the United States has been actively working towards reducing its reliance on global markets since 2018, a situation that has benefited companies. Moreover, the rise in oil prices has had a positive effect on the earnings per share (EPS), and the United States is in a favorable position as it generates a significant portion of its own energy. Subramanian emphasizes the significance of expressing appreciation to individuals born between 1946 and 1964 as they are inclined to share their wealth. She notes that baby boomers, who possess a combined net worth of around $80 trillion, are currently benefiting from favorable economic conditions and have begun the process of passing down their fortunes to the millennial generation. She claims that this particular group of people holds approximately half of the total value of homes in the United States, and they have managed to obtain extremely favorable mortgage rates. Consequently, their current mortgage rates are even lower than the rates prior to the COVID outbreak. Hence, the main concern is how to make the most of this positive attitude. To address this, she recommends that customers stick with cyclical stocks as they help boost the value of telecommunications companies. Nevertheless, Bank of America maintains a positive outlook on U.S. technology and the technology, media, and telecommunications sector in the future. John PaulJohn Paul is the founder of DayTradeToWin, a trading education and software company established in 2008, supporting traders worldwide. His expertise focuses on price action-based futures trading strategies and structured market analysis. DayTradeToWin delivers trading education, indicators, and software tools designed to help traders apply disciplined, rule-based decision-making across global futures markets. He is the creator of multiple trading methodologies, including the Sonic System, Atlas Line, and Trade Scalper, which help traders identify structured opportunities in markets such as the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), crude oil (CL), and gold (GC). Official website: https://daytradetowin.com daytradetowin.com

Market News

2024 Market Projections: Wall Street Bank Anticipates Dip-Buying Bonanza for Investors

In the near future, we can expect to witness how Nvidia’s financial performance affects the market, as historical evidence suggests that these numbers have influenced bond yields and the S&P 500. Many investors and even Wall Street strategists may have inaccurately anticipated an economic decline this year, only to be proven wrong when it did not happen. This is particularly relevant regarding the end-of-year predictions made for the S&P 500. Société Générale is unique compared to other banks because the S&P is currently 4% lower than their target of 4,750, which they aim to reach by 2024. Forecasters from Swiss banks predict a promising year ahead and suggest getting ready to exploit a decline in the market as the S&P 500 is anticipated to hit its lowest level in this current cycle. They expect the Federal Reserve to implement approximately 150 basis points of interest rate reductions, a decrease in GDP growth, and improved comprehension of the political cycle by the conclusion of 2024. This insight is provided by analysts Manish Kabra and Charles de Boissezon. In order to prepare for the year 2024, they outline their plan by dividing it into four separate quarters. A2) The value of the S&P 500 has risen as bond yields have declined. Moreover, the global economy is getting better, and the index is experiencing more positive earnings than in the previous year. The period that poses the greatest difficulty is marked by a clear decrease in consumer engagement and the mounting uncertainty in politics. The third quarter has presented difficulties because earnings have decreased and there is a growing sense of uncertainty in the political sphere, despite substantial cuts made by the Federal Reserve. In order to improve the S&P 500 index, it will be necessary to see gains across various sectors, as comparing earnings for the Nasdaq-100 has become more challenging. However, these gains are not anticipated to happen right away. After the U.S. elections conclude, reshoring stocks have a benefit, and the market breadth starts displaying indications of enhancement as focus moves towards strong economic expansion. What is the investor’s plan for this particular scenario? They offer four forecasts for the performance of U.S. stocks in the upcoming year. Buy the dip in the S&P 500. The emergence of improved indicators for profit potential will present opportunities for purchasing, even though there will be difficulties in the upcoming year. A mild economic downturn is predicted for the middle of 2024, followed by a sell-off in the credit market in the second quarter, and a continued decrease in quantitative easing measures. Investors looking to diversify their portfolio and seek exposure to big-cap growth and earnings momentum may consider the long equal-weighted version of the Nasdaq-100 compared to the Russell 2000. SocGen remains cautious despite the recent surge in small-cap stocks due to the high number of companies refinancing and facing losses. The First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund tracks this particular index. The reestablishment of U.S. stocks has seen a notable rise. Since the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the market has experienced an influx of over $500 billion in new investments. Stocks related to reshoring have particularly thrived in the industrial sector, unaffected by the changing administrations of both Trump and Biden. Two notable options for investors in this category are the Transform Supply Chain and ProShares Supply Chain Logistics. Furthermore, there are various other American Revival stocks that center around this concept and could be worth considering for investment purposes. Societe Generale anticipates a substantial increase in the worldwide generative AI market, projecting a compound annual growth rate of 31.4% between 2023 and 2032. Nvidia’s remarkable success this year, seeing a rise of around 244%, has highlighted the importance of AI among investors. For those looking to invest in this field, possible choices are Cathie Wood’s ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF and the iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Multisector ETF. John PaulJohn Paul is the founder of DayTradeToWin, a trading education and software company established in 2008, supporting traders worldwide. His expertise focuses on price action-based futures trading strategies and structured market analysis. DayTradeToWin delivers trading education, indicators, and software tools designed to help traders apply disciplined, rule-based decision-making across global futures markets. He is the creator of multiple trading methodologies, including the Sonic System, Atlas Line, and Trade Scalper, which help traders identify structured opportunities in markets such as the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), crude oil (CL), and gold (GC). Official website: https://daytradetowin.com daytradetowin.com

Market News

2023 Highs on the Horizon: Can Holiday Shopping Push the Stock Market Even Higher?

Goldman Sachs predicts that the consumption rate is likely to see a decline, yet it will persistently expand at a satisfactory pace. American stocks have seen a considerable increase and are now nearing the highest levels reached in the summer. This remarkable rebound coincides with investors preparing for the holiday season, with the eagerly awaited Black Friday just around the corner. The expected surge in shopping on the day after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a season of higher spending for the holidays. This has the possibility of boosting the stock market after its recent growth. Yardeni Research analysts have stated that the beginning of the holiday sales season seems optimistic, as consumers are currently employed and have a positive view of their finances. Although there is a concern that high interest rates might impact purchases of expensive items that require financing, the strong sales numbers in October indicate a promising start to the holiday shopping season. However, investors are worried that the rise in U.S. stocks in November might have been too much. The S&P 500 index is set to record its largest monthly increase this year due to the strong performance of both bonds and equities. However, it is important to note that the S&P 500 is still 1.6% lower than its highest closing point in July 2023. In just this month, the index has surged by 7.6% following three weeks of positive outcomes according to Dow Jones Market Data. In a telephone interview, Bob Elliott, the co-founder and CEO of investment company Unlimited Funds, shared his view that the situation is being overstated and that there has been a noticeable enhancement in financial circumstances. Elliott states that the enhancement in financial circumstances can be attributed to the U.S. Treasury Department’s recent decision to issue a smaller amount of long-term Treasury bonds than what was anticipated by the market. This action has relieved concerns among investors regarding the demand for long-duration U.S. government debt, which was worried due to the substantial quantity of Treasurys entering the market. Stock prices have risen as a result of the decrease in yields caused by the increase in prices of long-term Treasury bonds. Elliott stated that the Treasury’s decision to enact a policy that lessens constraints is advantageous for the economy as a whole, effectively postponing the implementation of more stringent measures. The Federal Reserve has taken steps to lower inflation, which is currently higher than its desired level of 2%, by increasing interest rates to slow down economic growth. In October, inflation, as measured by the consumer-price index, remained stable at 3.2% compared to the previous year. This is a decline from 3.7% in September and a significant decrease from the peak of 9.1% in June 2022. Investors were hopeful after the consumer-price-index report was made public on November 14th, as it resulted in a sharp decrease in treasury yields. This decline in yields continued throughout the month, while there was an upward trend in stocks. In November, the prices of stocks and long-term Treasury bonds have been rising at the same time. Data from FactSet shows that both the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF VTI and the Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF VGLT have seen a notable rise of more than 7% this month until the end of last week. Based on Dow Jones Market Data, the interest rate for the 10-year Treasury note (BX:TMUBMUSD10Y) stayed relatively consistent at 4.441% on Friday. However, it has fallen by about 43 basis points this month, considering the levels at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. In an interview with MarketWatch, Don McCree, the vice chairman of Citizens Financial Group, mentioned that with the decline in Treasury yields, it would be beneficial for the bank’s corporate clients to take advantage of the opportunity to tap into the debt markets if they expect to refinance in the next three years. This is because borrowing expenses have become cheaper. McCree, who holds the position of commercial banking leader at Citizens, further disclosed that corporations he serves are carefully keeping track of consumer expenditure, particularly throughout the period of holiday shopping. Yardeni Research’s report states that Home Depot and Target have both experienced a decline in their revenue recently. Despite this, their actual performance surpassed the expectations set by analysts. In contrast, TJX, the most successful retailer among the three, saw a notable increase in their quarterly results and expressed optimism for the upcoming holiday season. Consumer savings Jan Hatzius, the chief economist at Goldman Sachs Group, stated during a virtual media briefing on November 16th that the surplus savings of consumers were instrumental in the events of 2022. This can be partially explained by a notable drop in real disposable personal income, which can be attributed to the increase in inflation. Hatzius made these remarks while discussing the future prospects of the bank’s global investment research group in 2024. According to Hatzius, the decline in excess savings has been accompanied by a significant rise in real disposable income, with an estimated growth rate of 4% in 2023. He further added that they expect a similar rate of growth, around 3%, in 2024, which should be sufficient to maintain a decent pace of consumption at approximately 2%. In October, there was a 0.1% decrease in retail sales in the United States – the first decline in seven months, as per Yardeni analysts. However, they mentioned that not every sector saw a decrease. They pointed out that the most recent data indicates that consumers are still spending more on eating out at restaurants compared to last year. Currently, the United States is experiencing a low unemployment rate of 3.9% as of October. During the press conference, Hatzius stated that our goal is to prevent a notable increase in the unemployment rate in the coming year. Moreover, he mentioned that there is a mere 15% possibility of a recession taking place within the following year. Elliott holds the belief that employment is the paramount concern for consumers. He argues that

Market News

Resilient Rise: Wall Street Wraps Up Third Winning Week with Modesty

Wall Street quietly concluded another week of growth, marking its third consecutive week of positive performance. Stocks maintained a steady upward trajectory, further adding to their already significant gains achieved during November. The S&P 500 went up by 5.78 points, equivalent to a 0.1% increase, reaching a level near its highest point within the past three months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had a small increase of 1.81 points, less than 0.1%, reaching 34,947.28, while the Nasdaq composite had a gain of 11.81 points, or 0.1%, reaching 14,125.48. Several retail businesses saw substantial growth after surpassing analysts’ predictions in their quarterly earnings. Gap’s stock price skyrocketed by 30.6% when it disclosed a profit that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations, resulting in a year-to-date increase that is more than twice its previous gains. In a similar fashion, Ross Stores witnessed a 7.2% surge in its stock price after revealing stronger-than-anticipated profit and revenue figures. Despite exceeding expectations, BJ’s Wholesale Club faced a decline of 4.8%, which analysts believe was due to the exclusion of new store openings in the underlying sales figure. Regrettably, the company did not meet expectations. Retailers are wrapping up a summer season of revealing their earnings, which have surpassed expectations. According to FactSet, the companies in the S&P 500 are expected to announce their first overall growth in a year. Nevertheless, the primary factor behind the substantial increase in stock prices this week is the perception that inflation has declined sufficiently for the Federal Reserve to halt its ongoing interest rate hikes, which have been adversely impacting the market. In order to control inflation while avoiding a major economic decline, the Federal Reserve has recently raised its main interest rate to its highest level since 2001. This action is intended to stabilize the economy and lessen the effects on financial markets. On Tuesday, a new report showed that consumer inflation was not as high as originally expected in the previous month. This information led to hope that the Federal Reserve would be able to maintain a stable situation effectively. Additional readings supported this positive outlook by suggesting that both inflation and the overall economy might be experiencing a decrease in growth. At present, traders are trying to predict when the Federal Reserve will begin lowering interest rates. This move could potentially increase investment prices and offer support to the financial system. Although the Federal Reserve plans to keep interest rates high for a prolonged period to ensure they effectively combat inflation, traders are considering the chance of rate cuts starting in the summer of 2024. Over the past weeks, there has been a decline in worries over inflation as the price of oil has experienced a substantial decrease. This drop can be attributed to concerns about an imbalance between an excessive supply of crude oil and a lack of demand for it. The price of American crude oil for December delivery rose by $2.99 on Friday, resulting in a settlement price of $75.89. This increase helped to partially regain some of the significant losses experienced earlier in the week. However, it is worth mentioning that the current price is still significantly lower compared to its previous peak of $93 in late September. The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose by $3.19 on Friday, reaching $80.61 per barrel. On Thursday, there was a small drop in the yield of the 10-year Treasury in the bond market, going from 4.44% to 4.43%. Just a few weeks prior to this, it had been even higher, reaching 5%, which was the highest it had been since 2007. This increase had a negative impact on stock and other investment prices. If Treasury bond yields go down a lot and stocks go up a lot, it could have a bad effect on Wall Street. After the Federal Reserve’s recent meeting about interest rates, Jerome Powell, the Chair, said they might not keep raising rates if Treasury yields keep going up and stocks keep going down like they did over the summer. This is because these pressures could serve as substitutes for more rate increases. Since that time, there has been a significant decline in profits, and it appears that November will be the most successful month for the S&P 500 in the past year. Economists from Deutsche Bank suggest that this indicates a relaxation of financial conditions by approximately fifty percent compared to the restrictions seen in October. Nevertheless, Justin Weidner, along with other economists, opines that the Federal Reserve can alleviate its concerns about this relaxation as a result of recent encouraging updates regarding inflation and the economy. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong saw a noteworthy decrease of 2.1% in global stock markets. Similarly, Alibaba, a major Chinese e-commerce company, faced a significant decline in its stock prices when it decided to cancel its cloud computing unit’s spin-off plan. The company attributed this cancellation to the uncertainties caused by the United States’ chip restrictions. In different regions of Asia, the stock indexes had different performances, while in Europe, they saw a more notable rise. John PaulJohn Paul is the founder of DayTradeToWin, a trading education and software company established in 2008, supporting traders worldwide. His expertise focuses on price action-based futures trading strategies and structured market analysis. DayTradeToWin delivers trading education, indicators, and software tools designed to help traders apply disciplined, rule-based decision-making across global futures markets. He is the creator of multiple trading methodologies, including the Sonic System, Atlas Line, and Trade Scalper, which help traders identify structured opportunities in markets such as the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), crude oil (CL), and gold (GC). Official website: https://daytradetowin.com daytradetowin.com

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