Daily Briefing
MARKET OVERVIEW
The Defense of Key Levels
Markets ended the week on a note of stabilization, as buyers stepped in to defend key technical levels across several asset classes. After days of selling pressure, Friday’s session brought a relief rally to equities, while crypto and commodities found a floor after their own sharp pullbacks. The mood shifted from directional selling to a more cautious, range-bound feel heading into the weekend.
The SPX provided the clearest example of this shift, closing with a solid +1.00% gain. After drifting lower all week, the index found firm support around the 650 level, turning a potential breakdown into a strong bounce. While the move stopped the immediate slide, the index remains in a short-term pullback structure, with the 665 area acting as the next point of interest. Elsewhere in risk assets, BTC also quieted down, consolidating around $84,300. The crypto market is still digesting a recent leverage flush that sent prices from $93,000 down to a low of $80,500, a level that has so far held as critical support.
In commodities and FX, the U.S. dollar's recent momentum appeared to pause. Gold recovered from a mid-week scare, bouncing aggressively off the $4,020 support zone to stabilize around $4,079. The precious metal is now caught between that floor and resistance near $4,100. Meanwhile, USD/JPY cooled off significantly, pulling back from its highs near 157.80 to trade around 156.30. The move suggests profit-taking after a strong run, with traders showing caution at elevated levels.
Looking ahead, the primary question is whether these bounces have conviction. While sellers have been temporarily exhausted, buyers have yet to reclaim the key resistance levels needed to signal a full trend reversal. The market will be watching for follow-through next week to see if this was just a temporary reprieve or the start of a more sustained recovery.
Asset Analysis
Where SPY Stands
SPY closed the week trading around 659, posting a solid +1.00% gain for the session. After a week characterized by selling pressure and a drift lower from the 680s, Friday’s action felt like a relief rally. The index managed to find its footing, bouncing off recent lows rather than breaking down further, though it remains in a short-term corrective pullback relative to the highs seen earlier this month.
What’s Driving the Move
• Nvidia Earnings Aftermath: The market is still digesting the recent mega-cap tech earnings. The reaction has been "weird" and choppy—likely characterized by an initial confusing move (e.g., a sell-off despite a beat or vice versa) that eventually resolved into buying interest on Friday.
• Technical Support: Buyers stepped in aggressively near the 650 level (roughly 6550 on the SPX), turning a potential breakdown into a support bounce.
• Volatility Reset: After a few days of jagged price action and lower highs, the +1% move suggests a temporary exhaustion of sellers, allowing the index to stabilize heading into the weekend.
Under the Surface
• Flush and Reclaim: The 15-minute chart shows a notable "flush" recently—a sharp drop that was quickly bought up. This kind of "V-shape" recovery often indicates that liquidity was grabbed at lower levels and buyers are defending the zone.
• Price Action: While the immediate session was green, the broader intraday trend over the last week has been making lower highs. The bulls have defended the floor, but they haven't yet broken the sequence of lower peaks.
• Sticky Levels: The 650–652 area is acting as well-defended support, while rallies earlier in the week struggled to hold above 670.
Bigger Picture
Despite Friday’s bounce, SPY is currently in a short-term consolidation or pullback phase. We are trading below the recent highs of ~680, suggesting the broader uptrend is taking a breather. The ability to hold the 650 region is critical; if this level holds, the current action looks like a healthy digestion of gains. If it breaks, the narrative could shift from "pullback" to "deeper correction."
What I’m Watching Next (Not Advice)
• The 665 Pivot: Can SPY reclaim the 665 level? Re-establishing price above this zone would help neutralize the recent downtrend on the hourly charts.
• Nvidia/Tech Follow-Through: Watching if the "weird" volatility in tech settles down. Stability in the semiconductor sector is often needed for SPY to make a sustained push higher.
• Support Retest: If Friday’s low (around 650.85) is tested again next week, the quality of the bounce (or lack thereof) will be a key signal for market direction.
Quick Takeaway
Friday was a "defense" day where bulls successfully protected the 650 level, resulting in a +1% bounce. While the immediate bleeding has stopped, the market is still working through the volatility caused by recent tech earnings and remains in a short-term pullback structure.
Based on the chart and market data provided, here is the analysis of the current state of the S&P 500 (SPY).
Executive Summary: A Relief Bounce in a Correction
The market is currently in a short-term corrective downtrend, having pulled back roughly 4-5% from the highs (~6850 on SPX) seen earlier in the month. However, the last 24 hours show a strong defensive rotation, with buyers stepping in at the ~6525 level (SPX) / ~650 level (SPY) to defend the trend.
The +1.00% move suggests the immediate selling pressure has exhausted, but the market has not yet repaired the technical damage from the last two weeks.
1. Technical Context: The Structure
- Trend: The 15-minute chart shows a clear sequence of lower highs and lower lows starting from around Nov 12-13. This defines the current regime as a pullback or correction.
- Recent Price Action:
- Capitulation & Reversal: The sharp drop to ~6525 (SPX) on Nov 21st looks like a capitulation flush. The subsequent V-shaped recovery is a bullish signal, indicating that value buyers aggressively stepped in.
- Resistance Overhead: The price is currently fighting to reclaim the moving averages (likely 50/100 periods). The cluster around 6630–6650 (SPX) (approx. SPY 663–665) is the immediate battleground.
- Volume: The volume spikes near the lows suggest a "cleanup" of weak hands, which often precedes a temporary bottom.
2. Market Drivers (Inferred)
- Oversold Bounce: After a straight drop from 6850 to 6525, the market was statistically overextended to the downside. A "snap-back" rally like this is typical mechanics, not necessarily a return to a full bull run yet.
- Support Defense: The 6500 area on SPX (approx. 650 on SPY) is likely a major psychological and structural support level. Defending this preserves the longer-term bullish thesis.
3. Key Scenarios & Levels to Watch
Bullish Path (Stabilize & Recover)
- Trigger: Price needs to hold above SPY 658 / SPX 6580 and break cleanly above the recent intraday high of SPX 6630.
- Target: If cleared, the next logical test is the breakdown zone around SPX 6700 (SPY ~670).
Bearish Path (Dead Cat Bounce)
- Trigger: Rejection at the current level (SPX ~6600-6630) followed by a loss of SPX 6580.
- Result: If the price rolls over here, it implies the +1% move was just short-covering. Expect a retest of the lows at SPX 6525 (SPY ~651).
4. What to Expect Next
- Choppiness: Monday open will be critical. Following a Friday reversal, markets often test the conviction of the buyers early in the week.
- Watch the 6630 Level (SPX): This is the "line in the sand." If we stay below it, the bears are still in control of the short-term trend. If we reclaim it, the correction may be over.
Bottom Line: The bleeding has stopped for now, but the patient isn't out of the hospital. Treat this as a trading range until SPY reclaims $665 or breaks below $650.