empty
09.04.2025 10:36 AM
The Market Invites a "Fools' Rally"

104%! Who's next? The stakes in the U.S.–China trade war are skyrocketing, causing the S&P 500 to slide deeper and deeper. And this came right after a strong opening and a 4% intraday rally on rumors that the White House was ready to negotiate with other countries—except China. Donald Trump has named his main adversary, and Beijing's readiness to go all the way unnerves U.S. stock fans.

When the White House introduced a 10% tariff on imports from China and later added another 10%, China remained silent. But an additional 34% crossed the line. Beijing responded symmetrically, which provoked Trump's wrath and threats to raise tariffs by another 50%. The announcement that the U.S. administration was moving in that direction sent the S&P 500 plunging.

U.S. Tariff Revenues

This image is no longer relevant

According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the U.S. intends to raise around 600 billion dollars in its first year of tariff implementation. However, Bloomberg analysis suggests that the figure will likely be half at best and decline as U.S. imports shrink by a third due to the tariffs.

The benefits of protectionism appear negligible compared to the disruption of supply chains, slowdown in global trade, declining global GDP, weaker U.S. economy, and rising inflation. The stock market is sending a clear signal that the downside outweighs the upside. The S&P 500's drop is the result of a dramatic shift in sentiment—from denial of recession to sudden belief in it.

The latest AAII (American Association of Individual Investors) survey recorded the highest number of bears since March 2009—even before America's "Liberation Day." So, the market may soon post a new anti-record. Still, any attempt to buy the S&P 500 purely because of extreme bearish sentiment could turn into a "fools' rally." We saw a similar case in 2008 during the VIX spike, when the broad market index jumped by 20% between October and November, only to lose 25% over the next four months.

U.S. Bond Yield Dynamics

This image is no longer relevant

This image is no longer relevant

There's still room for the S&P 500 to fall, and a rise in Treasury yields could be the next trigger for a sell-off. Yields have been swinging back and forth as investors struggle to determine what the Federal Reserve will do amid stagflation. Meanwhile, China's willingness to escalate the trade war raises the risk that it could dump U.S. debt holdings. Higher yields on Treasuries would be another nail in the coffin for the broad stock index.

Technically, the S&P 500 continues its downtrend on the daily chart. A break below the pivot support at 4910 would justify building on short positions initiated from the 5200 rebound. Conversely, a bounce would allow the continuation of the existing buy-the-dip strategy on the broad index.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

What to Pay Attention to on June 26? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic reports are scheduled for Thursday, and the market this week has shown a clear intention to continue the upward trend that has lasted for five months. Yesterday

Paolo Greco 07:16 2025-06-26 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – June 26: July 9 Is Approaching

The GBP/USD currency pair remained stagnant for most of Wednesday. Let's recall an old technical signal: if the price updates a significant extreme and immediately pulls back, there

Paolo Greco 03:39 2025-06-26 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – June 26: Jerome Powell Said Nothing New

The EUR/USD currency pair remained completely calm throughout Wednesday. Let's recall that this week began with a storm, provoked—of course—by Donald Trump, who first announced a ceasefire between Iran

Paolo Greco 03:39 2025-06-26 UTC+2

The Euro Regains the Initiative

The euro is attempting to resume its upward movement, although not many economic reasons support this scenario. Inflation in May rose in line with the ECB's expectations, which only strengthened

Kuvat Raharjo 00:43 2025-06-26 UTC+2

The Dollar Walks a Razor's Edge

Markets were prepared for a ceasefire in the Middle East. But are they ready for the return of trade wars? Investors have come to believe in maintaining a universal import

Marek Petkovich 00:42 2025-06-26 UTC+2

Yen Is Back in the Game

The yen failed the test as a safe-haven currency. The Israel–Iran conflict triggered a correction in USD/JPY toward a downtrend. For most of the year, investors had the impression that

Marek Petkovich 00:41 2025-06-26 UTC+2

EUR/USD. Pushing the Limits: Buyers Target the 1.1630 Resistance Level

For the second day in a row, the EUR/USD pair is testing the 1.16 level, pressing against the 1.1630 resistance level (the upper line of the Bollinger Bands indicator

Irina Manzenko 19:03 2025-06-25 UTC+2

USD/JPY: Japanese Yen Weakens Amid Declining Demand for Safe-Haven Assets

At the moment, the yen remains overshadowed by the U.S. dollar.From the perspective of the Bank of Japan's domestic policy, the summary of the June meeting reveals that some policymakers

Irina Yanina 18:46 2025-06-25 UTC+2

Iran–Israel Ceasefire: What's Next for the Markets? (A corrective decline in EUR/USD and GBP/USD is possible)

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to play a significant role in influencing financial markets. A key point of concern is the stability of the ceasefire between Tehran

Pati Gani 09:43 2025-06-25 UTC+2

The Market Has Overcome the Barrier

Neither the story of China's DeepSeek, the White House tariffs, nor the Israel-Iran conflict could halt the victorious advance of U.S. stock indices. The Nasdaq 100 has already updated

Marek Petkovich 08:44 2025-06-25 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.