Stock Market Today With IBD Investor's Business Daily

With Friday’s jobs report reigniting rate-cut hopes, along with positive reactions to earnings from Apple and Amgen, the Nasdaq composite decidedly cleared the 16,000 level. Mike Webster and Alissa Coram walk through this week’s technical action and stocks to watch in the Friday extended version of Stock Market Today.

Winners beat losers on the Nasdaq by more than 2-to-1. The ratio was around 4-to-1 positive on the NYSE. The 10-year Treasury yield popped early but reversed slightly lower ahead of Friday’s jobs report, which is expected to show nonfarm payrolls up 243,000. Qualcomm soared after reporting earnings and giving bullish revenue guidance, while ResMed and TechnipFMC continue to show strength.

The market initially breathed a sigh of relief that it didn’t get a hawkish statement from Fed Chairman Powell. He acknowledged that inflation is still too high, but he also said the Fed would slow down its bond selling, which could cause downward pressure on rates. Pinterest soared on bullish Q1 results; Booz Allen Hamilton and Aerovironment are building new bases.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq pulled back from their 50-day lines to undercut their 21-day lines, awaiting the latest Fed meeting and other big news. Eli Lilly jumped on earnings, flirting with a buy signal.

While it’s nice to see indexes on the upswing, there’s more work to be done. Specifically, the 50-day line is looming for indexes and could be a place where bears wrestle control again. And don’t forget a heavy earnings week is on tap to add a potential catalyst for a trend change. Still, a number of individual stocks are looking promising. Carrier Global is working on cooling the artificial intelligence “heat wave.” United Rentals is shaping up a double bottom. Finally, Howmet Aerospace is still holding strong forming a flat base.

After last week’s bad break, Alphabet is trying to help the market get its mojo back. As stocks snapped back on Friday, Nvidia, Astera Labs and Cava flashed buy signals. In this extended edition of Stock Market Today, Alissa Coram and Mike Webster review the market’s changing character, levels to watch and how to adjust your portfolio – and your expectations – accordingly.