Monday Blues, Vol. 3: Tariff Truce, Tech Tumbles, and the Market’s Mood Swings
Markets rally on trade optimism, but inflation data looms—will the good vibes last?
Welcome to Staten News—your weekly dose of market musings, where we sift through the noise so you don’t have to.
📈 Market Snapshot
As of midday Monday, May 12, 2025:
S&P 500 ETF (SPY): $564.59 (▼ 0.08%)
Dow Jones ETF (DIA): $412.42 (▲ 0.06%)
Nasdaq ETF (QQQ): $487.97 (▲ 0.28%)
Markets are showing cautious optimism following a 90-day tariff truce between the U.S. and China. However, investors remain wary ahead of key inflation data releases this week.
📊 Sector Highlights
Industrials: Up 1.24%—benefiting from trade deal optimism.
Consumer Cyclical: Up 0.95%—boosted by potential tariff relief.
Technology: Mixed performance as investors await earnings reports.
🏆 Best Market Movers – Last Week
Polestar (PSNY): +21.5% — Posted record Q1 revenue and positive gross margins. EV optimism just got a Swedish accent.
Infosys (INFY): +9.3% — Earnings beat and forward guidance helped it surge. Outsourcing just got profitable.
Shopify (SHOP): +7.8% — AI-backed e-commerce upgrades impressed Wall Street. This isn’t your cousin’s Etsy store anymore.
🛑 Worst Market Movers – Last Week
Peloton (PTON): -15.1% — Another rough earnings report, with subscriptions declining and losses piling. Spin class is spinning out.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD): -11.4% — Weak ad revenue, streaming fatigue, and still no direction. Max? Minimally impressive.
Intel (INTC): -8.2% — Lagging in the AI chip arms race. At this point, it might need a reboot.
🔭 Looking Ahead: This Week’s Stock Picks
Best Bets:
Super Micro Computer (SMCI): Reports earnings this week and continues to ride the AI hardware wave. Expect volatility—with upside.
Nvidia (NVDA): Still the belle of the AI ball. Any dip here is being treated as a Black Friday special by institutions.
UPS (UPS): With retail spending stabilizing, shipping stocks may surprise this quarter.
Stocks to Watch (for the Wrong Reasons):
Beyond Meat (BYND): Forecasts are grim, margins are tighter than a sausage casing, and plant-based hype is cooling.
Boeing (BA): More turbulence ahead with unresolved safety concerns and production delays still looming.
Coinbase (COIN): Crypto market volatility is spiking, and trading volumes aren’t keeping up. Caution flags are out.
📊 Sector Watch
Industrials: +1.24% — Riding high on global trade optimism.
Consumer Cyclical: +0.95% — Rebounding on tariff relief.
Technology: Mixed — On earnings edge, but long-term story still strong.
📅 What to Watch This Week
Consumer Price Index (CPI): Drops Tuesday. Wall Street wants that sweet, slow inflation.
Retail Sales Data: Hits Thursday. A measure of how strong (or fragile) the consumer really is.
Fed Commentary: Every syllable from Powell this week could shift sentiment. Listen closely.
Final Thought:
While the market breathes a sigh of relief over the temporary tariff pause, the path forward remains uncertain. Inflation data and Fed signals will be critical in determining whether this rally has legs or is just a momentary reprieve.
— The Bandicoots 📉📈