Global markets rode a volatile week shaped by shifting monetary policy expectations and geopolitical surprises. In the US, Powell’s Jackson Hole remarks landed on the dovish side, signalling risks have tilted toward labour softness and nudging the door open for a September rate cut. At the same time, the Commerce Department revised Q2 GDP up to 3.3% annualised, a firmer base than first thought. Core PCE eased to 2.9% YoY, keeping the disinflation trend intact even as consumer confidence slipped and hiring cooled. Put together, traders leaned into nearly 90% odds of a cut next month.
Traders often mark neat horizontal lines on charts for support and resistance, but sometimes those levels seem to hold firm and other times they break with no warning. Why the difference? The answer usually lies in volume. A support line backed by high trading volume is a lot more likely to hold than one drawn in thin air. As Investopedia notes, “the more buying and selling that has occurred at a particular price level, the stronger the support or resistance level is likely to be”. In short, volume analysis is the missing piece that confirms whether your support or resistance line is meaningful.
For more than a decade, money was cheap — maybe too cheap?! Now that era is gone. Rates and bond yields have jumped back to levels we last saw before the financial crisis, and the adjustment is shaking things up.
Markets spent the week waiting for Jackson Hole, and Powell didn’t disappoint. His message was softer than many feared: the Fed now sees the balance of risks shifting, and he even opened the door to a September cut. That was enough to steady nerves after five straight down sessions for Wall Street. By Friday, the Dow was at record highs, the S&P 500 rose, and only the Nasdaq lagged as tech finally cooled.
The US stock market is sitting at all-time highs, but the rally has been unusually narrow. Almost all the gains have come from a few megacap tech names. Since April, the S&P 500 has jumped about 27%, with the “Magnificent Seven” now making up roughly one-third of the index. Nvidia alone accounts for around 8%, while Microsoft and Apple make up about 7% and 6%. Together, those three represent more than a fifth of the S&P. That raises a simple question: can a rally powered by so few stocks keep going, or is momentum starting to crack?
