S&P 500 Under Pressure: Investors Weigh Liquidation Amid Market Uncertainty

About to Liquidate Your Positions? Consider These Must-Know Facts First | Investing.com UK

Unlock AI-powered Stock Picks for Under $8/Month: Summer Sale Starts Now! Recent market volatility has underscored a familiar truth: fear sells. Negative news often captures more attention than positive, creating a sense of urgency to hit the panic button and sell everything. Even first-time investors have noticed this trend, with sensational headlines often seeking to amplify fears. Relying solely on news to guide investment decisions can be challenging. To illustrate, consider the historical performance of the S&P 500. The chart below reveals that the average intra-year decline since 1980 is 14.2%. Despite these dips, the S&P 500 has delivered positive annual returns 33 times out of 44 years. Volatility is an inherent part of investing, and understanding this can help investors stay the course. Keeping that in mind, let's consider three things investors should know as market correction deepens, and the urge to sell off takes hold. The current bullish market, which began from the October 2022 lows and recently rebounded after the 4Q23 pullback, has been marked by concentrated market leadership. While investors hoped for a broader market expansion beyond the Magnificent 7 and mega-cap technology stocks, this summer's rotation is under question. Notably, 78% of the S&P 500 Index components are currently in an uptrend -- a higher percentage than in recent weeks -- despite the overall index decline. This disparity arises because the performance of the larger companies has overshadowed the strength of the remaining S&P 490 components. July's market performance reflected a typical consolidation phase, with the S&P 500 achieving a 14.4% annualized gain. Over the past month, 9 out of 11 sectors posted gains, with only technology and communications lagging. Notably, 364 stocks ended the month with positive returns. An intriguing development is the 11.8% performance gap between the NASDAQ 100 and the Russell 2000 in July -- the largest such disparity on record. This indicates that while the NASDAQ lagged, it coincided with the strongest month of stock performance since the 1990s, with individual stocks outperforming the index by just over 70%. Currently, the market remains robust, with two-thirds of stocks in a long-term bullish trend, consistently trading above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. At present, 73.95% of stocks are above the 200-day average, and 64.21% are above the 50-day average -- levels that historically signal a strong uptrend. Percentages above 60% have often preceded positive returns, reflecting a health" market breadth and supporting the likelihood of the index maintaining its bullish trajectory. A significant shift would occur if the percentage of stocks above these moving averages dropped below the 55% to 50% range, which could raise investor concerns. However, the market currently does not exhibit signs of severe distress. Interestingly, when the S&P 500 shows a double divergence from the percentage of stocks above moving averages, as we see now, it often precedes notable declines, followed by strong recoveries. While some individual stocks are taking a breather, the overall market is not facing a crisis. The broad market remains in a strong position, with healthy breadth and favorable trends supporting the bullish view. *** Tired of watching the big players rake in profits while you're left on the sidelines? InvestingPro's revolutionary AI tool, ProPicks, puts the power of Wall Street's secret weapon - AI-powered stock selection - at YOUR fingertips! Don't miss this limited-time offer. Subscribe to InvestingPro today and take your investing game to the next level!

S&P 500: Critical Support May Be Under Threat as Bears Pile on the Pressure | Investing.com UK

Unlock AI-powered Stock Picks for Under $8/Month: Summer Sale Starts Now! The Federal Reserve's dovish tilt initially boosted market sentiment early on in the week. However, the subsequent release of weaker-than-expected US industrial data has dampened investor enthusiasm sparking concerns that the economy may be slowing faster than expected. The S&P 500 and other major indexes experienced a pullback as traders reassessed the likelihood of a September rate cut. The market's focus now shifts to upcoming economic data releases for further clarity on the Fed's policy trajectory. In Europe, the German index DAX is showing signs of weakness, with the potential for a deeper correction emerging. The index has been consolidating in a range, and a breakdown below key support levels could accelerate the downward move. The S&P 500 has experienced a small rollercoaster recently due to mixed signals and macroeconomic data. Currently, sellers dominate the market, with the index repeatedly testing support around 5,440 points. Given the strong downward impulse, the likely scenario is a break below this support, targeting the next barrier below 5,400 points. If the decline continues, the next target would be around 5,200 points. In the bullish scenario, A break above the newly formed resistance at 5,600 points would negate this bearish outlook and could lead to an attempt to reach recent highs. Since early May, the DAX has been trading sideways, with the upper limit at the historical high of 18,900 points. Despite one unsuccessful attempt by the bulls to break through, sellers are now aiming to capitalize on this failure. Investors should focus on the lower band of the consolidation at 18,000 points. A break below this support would signal a clear bearish trend, potentially driving the index down to 17,000 points. This scenario assumes sustained negative sentiment towards the global stock market, which could be exacerbated by events like escalating tensions in the Middle East. *** Tired of watching the big players rake in profits while you're left on the sidelines? InvestingPro's revolutionary AI tool, ProPicks, puts the power of Wall Street's secret weapon - AI-powered stock selection - at YOUR fingertips! Don't miss this limited-time offer. Subscribe to InvestingPro today and take your investing game to the next level!