Latest / The SPY Trader / QuarterEnd Relief: Tech Bounces and Diplomacy Wins

Transcript

QuarterEnd Relief: Tech Bounces and Diplomacy Wins · The SPY Trader

• 0:00
  Hello everyone and welcome back to Spy Trader, your goto source for making sense of the markets.
• 0:06
  I am your host, Barnaby Bullish, and I am so glad you could join me for our midmorning update.
• 0:12
  It is currently 9:43 am on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026, in the Pacific time zone.
• 0:18
  We are closing out the first quarter with quite a bit of excitement, and today is all about the relief rally.
• 0:25
  After a few weeks of high volatility where it felt like we were constantly checking our screens with a bit of a grimace, the markets are finally finding some green.
• 0:36
  The big story driving the optimism today is news from the administration regarding potential diplomatic deescalation in the Middle East, specifically seeking an end to active military hostilities with Iran.
• 0:46
  As a result, the S&P 500, tracked by the SPY ETF, is up one point one four percent, trading near six thousand four hundred and fifteen.
• 0:56
  The Nasdaq, or QQQ, is leading the pack today with a one point three five percent jump, which is a welcome sight after it dipped into a ten percent correction earlier this month.
• 1:07
  The Dow Jones Industrial Average is also holding its own, up about five hundred and fifty points.
• 1:13
  Even the Volatility Index, or VIX, has retreated slightly to thirty point six, though it is still a bit elevated.
• 1:21
  In terms of the broader economy, we are still dealing with some sticky inflation thanks to high energy costs.
• 1:27
  Brent Crude oil is hovering around one hundred and seven dollars per barrel, and that has pushed gas prices over four dollars for the first time in four years.
• 1:38
  This energy shock led to a Core PCE reading of three percent, which is why the Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady at three point five to three point seven five percent.
• 1:50
  However, the labor market remains resilient according to today's JOLTS report, and consumer confidence actually improved this month, showing that the underlying U.S.
• 1:58
  economy is still quite robust.
• 2:00
  Looking at the sectors, Technology and Biotech are the stars of the show today.
• 2:05
  Nvidia is up over three percent after announcing a massive two billion dollar investment in Marvell Technology, which sent Marvell shares soaring eight and a half percent.
• 2:14
  We are also seeing strong moves from Meta and Broadcom, both up over three percent.
• 2:20
  In the world of healthcare, Biogen made waves by announcing a five point six billion dollar acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals.
• 2:27
  On the other hand, McCormick is down three and a half percent after they announced a giant fortyfour point eight billion dollar deal to buy Unilever’s food business, as investors are a little worried about the debt involved in buying the makers of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
• 2:43
  For our trading recommendations today, I have three main thoughts.
• 2:46
  First, consider a tactical reentry into growth and tech using the Invesco QQQ Trust or the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund.
• 2:54
  With these highquality names coming off a ten percent correction and the NvidiaMarvell partnership showing that AI infrastructure is still a powerhouse, the valuations look much more attractive than they did last year.
• 3:05
  Second, it is a good time to hedge with real estate and commodities.
• 3:10
  Gold is currently near alltime highs of four thousand five hundred sixtysix dollars an ounce, acting as a safe haven.
• 3:17
  You might look at SPDR Gold Shares, known as GLD, or the Vanguard Real Estate ETF, ticker VNQ, which serves as a great hedge against that three percent inflation we are seeing.
• 3:29
  Finally, look at fixed income to lock in some yields.
• 3:32
  The iShares twenty plus Year Treasury Bond ETF, or TLT, is looking interesting as longterm yields have started to fall.
• 3:39
  If the economy slows down because of those high energy costs, the Fed may eventually have to cut rates, which would make the current yields in TLT very valuable for capital appreciation.
• 3:51
  That is all for this update on Spy Trader.
• 3:54
  Stay disciplined, keep an eye on those charts, and I will check back in with you in a few hours.
• 4:01
  Happy trading!