Friday's Top Reads: Power Shifts Across Media, Finance, Politics
10 Friday AM Reads: -Netflix Calls Paramount's Bluff -401k Takeover: Private Equity Muscles In -Billionaires' Low Taxes' Problem for the Economy -Quiet Architect of Trump's Global Trade War -The End of the Office -The US Coup: One Year On -U2 Propaganda Days of Ash https://t.co/cSpLOtlpzu
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SPX Holds Channel—Stay Selective, Await Clean Setups
$SPX is still holding its channel, it’s an easy tape to overtrade, so stay selective and wait for clean setups. Key levels: support 6780–6790, yesterday’s low 6833, and pivot resistance 6909, with PCE and GDP on deck at 8:30. https://t.co/lvzBNkDdkK
Live Premarket Picks: NVDA, TSLA, IBIT, SPY
⏰Scott Redler’s #630club - LIVE Premarket Stock Update $NVDA $TSLA $IBIT $SPY 📷 Free VIP List Newsletter: https://t.co/EW4O2nbz8N https://t.co/LuYuPCBRLU
Shorting SPY at $686.72 in Premarket Trade
Premarket Trading (4:10 AM) @TheStreetPro * Win, lose or draw - I timestamp * I don't bullshit (by sweeping losers under the rug and regaling in my winners) .... I am back shorting the indices: * (SPY) $686.72 By Doug Kass Feb 20, 2026...
Bitcoin's Rally Hinges on Nasdaq Breaking Upward
One of the most important signals would be a breakout upwards of the Nasdaq. It's stuck in a range, and as long as that happens, there's likely no breakout for #Bitcoin to occur. https://t.co/8BfYJ230T7
Apple’s Support Break Rippled Into SPY Yesterday
Did you know $AAPL broke @Hedgeye TREND Signal Support in the past week? Do you know what its impact was in $SPY yesterday? @t1alpha We call this being Macro Aware https://t.co/vu1biIkQcQ
Gold Tops Sharpe Rankings; Bitcoin Shows Hopeful Higher Low
For the spectrum of asset classes that I track, equities remain in the middle with modest 52-week Sharpe Ratios, while gold remains on top and Bitcoin at the bottom. Gold continues to exhibit very resilient behavior, recovering quickly from corrections. This...
December PCE Inflation Hits Multi‑Year Highs
Forecasters expect PCE inflation (core and headline) was 0.37% in December (4.5% annualized rate). This would push up the core PCE index to 3.0% over 12 months, the highest since February 2025 Headline PCE is estimated at 2.9%, the highest since March...
Rising PMI Could Spark Market Melt‑Down, Delay Fed Cuts
Will the stock market melt down if the US economy heats up, banishing traders' hopes for Fed rate cuts? All eyes turn to PMI data to find out. #stockmarkets #USD #fed #pmi #economy #interestrates #macro #trading https://t.co/fgEbuQrjnq
Software’s Value Mispriced; Embedded Platforms Gain From AI
Software Is Not Dead. It’s Being Mispriced. AI disruption fears, multiple compression, and why embedded platforms may be the real beneficiaries of automation. Read here: https://www.leadlagreport.com/p/software-is-not-dead-its-being-mispriced
US Stock Market Hits Record Concentration: Top 10 Own 40%
🚨US market concentration BUBBLE in one chart: The top 10 US stocks make up a record 40% of the S&P 500 market value. At the same time, the weight of the largest stock in the S&P 500 relative to the 75th percentile...
SPX Flat While DE Soars, Oil Breaks Out, COIN Spikes
$SPX is still stuck between 6800 and 7000. But under the surface, $DE exploded higher on earnings, $CVX and $COP broke out with crude oil, and $COIN is showing amplified volatility vs #Bitcoin. Here’s what I’m watching next: https://t.co/bQnwyKMJeh https://t.co/v7DLLL1mYC
Energy and Materials Surge as Tech Falters in 2026
This is a pretty cool chart to show your investment committee. A classic stock price-to-corporate profits image that reveals extended conditions reminiscent of the turn of the century. If this chart has any prescience, we should remember that the leaders...
HG Delivers Strong Results and Special Dividend
$HG been a nice newer issue in Financials, just announced results and special divvy https://t.co/1as8xwX6bo
McGough’s CVNA Sell Call Beats CNBC’s Coverage
Great SELL call by McGough @HedgeyeRetail on $CVNA that CNBC failed, once again, to cover
Growth-to-Value Rotation Shifts Money to Cyclicals and Defensives
“Yes, THAT growth-to-value sector rotation I called in November to last through Feb before volatility Mar into May. THAT was my call and it’s still in play before a massive de-risking in MAG7 and SaaS unwind showed up along with...
Small‑cap Outlook Dim Amid Credit Crunch, AI Slowdown
Asking for a friend how small caps are going to perform after everyone piled in long behind the economic reacceleration trade while private credit implodes, the AI capex buffer declines and the Fed remains on hold...
Consumer Staples Lead 2026 with Record‑Breaking 13% Jump
The consumer staples sector is off to its best start to a calendar year BY FAR. $XLP is up 13.3% so far in 2026. Next best year is 2013 at 7.8%.
Trump’s Iran Deal Risks Mirror Obama, Favor Equity Shorts
Trump is going to have some explaining to do if he goes through all of this commotion and expensive military build up only to walk away with a deal not too dissimilar from Obama's. Oil is up over 6% since...
Soft CPI at 2.4% Signals Declining Inflation Trend
Last week’s CPI report came in soft at 2.4%, which was understandably well received by the bond market. The Truflation index, which has plummeted to a 0.7% year-over-year rate of change, hinted at a softer turn for the CPI. https://t.co/ZsIPypfaNW
NBIS Up 45% Near Range High—Breakout Possible
$NBIS +45% since its February lows. Now nearing the highs of its range...can it break out?
Calm S&P Masks Turbulence, 2026 Stock Picker’s Market
“The S&P looks calm… but underneath, it’s churning like crazy.” Great convo with @GinaMartinAdams on concentration risk, price-to-sales extremes, and why 2026 may be a stock picker’s market. 🎙️ Latest episode of the Market Misbehavior podcast: https://t.co/6P2xtsblvM https://t.co/tohQDT7fRk
Jobless Claims Stay Low, Equilibrium Unchanged
Jobless claims update: Another week of low initial claims and stable continuing claims, suggesting no change in the low-hire, low-fire equilibrium. https://t.co/umbJshwxL5
NYSE Advance-Decline Line Reaches All-Time High
If you were to track the daily net difference between advancing and declining stocks on the NYSE and build a cumulative Advance Decline line, you would see it just hit the highest level in history. https://t.co/Eg6hlzbbe6
Rising Car Prices Spur New‑Used Gap, Boosting Used Market
Interesting commentary from Sonic Automotive on their call and the affordability issues that are still here and possibly about to rise again: “And look, January was a hell of a month. Without the snowstorms, it would have been a magnificent month....
AI Productivity Gains Pave Way for Fed Rate Cut
The combination of decent economic data (see last week’s employment data) and the softer inflation report might be anecdotal evidence that the promise of an AI-driven productivity boom (which would lift the economy’s non-inflationary speed limit) is becoming a reality....
Earnings and Dividends Now Power Half of Market Gains
One positive aspect of the evolution of this market cycle has been how the market has become less reliant on multiple expansion. Earnings and dividends now comprise almost half of the cumulative gains since October 2022, with the P/E expansion...
Bears Outnumber Bulls as Jobless Claims Hit Year Low
More bears than bulls in the AAII poll, first time since the late November low. Also, initial jobless claims at the lowest level this year. Not the worst combo. https://t.co/eMyO6gjFm0
Nvidia's Strong Two-Day Bounce Signals Potential Support
$nvda two day bounce was stronger than most. So watch his this acts for clues. If it’s any good. It should hold yesterday’s low https://t.co/XJBWZ8I5A9
Trade Range‑bound Stocks with Red‑dog Reversals
📺 RED DOG REVERSALS & RED-TO-GREEN TRADES — CASH FLOW MODE Some short-term tactical trades inside choppy, range-bound markets: 1. $AMZN I had a profitable Red Dog Reversal trade from $197.28. The stock bounced and pushed toward the 8-day moving average. It wasn’t...
Global Markets Outperform S&P, Gap Widens in 2025
The ex-U.S. trade is finally working Every major country is outperforming the S&P 500 this year The gap since the start of 2025 is widening Germany & South Korea haveoutperformed over the past 5 yrs Will it last? https://t.co/WxrRxkwriN https://t.co/JKBVG5eT39
Monster Beverage Beats Apple, Nvidia, Amazon Over 25 Years
Value now of $1 invested 25 years ago: Monster Beverage: $8,025 Apple: $779 Nvidia: $761 Amazon: $301 Booking .com $217 Autozone $144 Sherwin-Williams:42 Caterpillar $35 Deere $29 Costco $23 Lowe’s $20 Starbucks $16 Adobe: $14 Microsoft: $14 McDonald’s $11 Nike: $10
Philadelphia Fed: Economic Activity Rises While Inflation Falls
Philly Fed survey just out. Activity UP, prices DOWN. Not too bad. See attached https://t.co/lodqOUkSnH
Trade the Range Now, Skip Breakout Expectations
📺 STOP WAITING FOR THE BREAKOUT, TRADE THE RANGE FOR NOW Get today's newsletter: https://t.co/Rqp84Wg39F My core message to everyone today: stop expecting big follow-through and start trading the range that’s actually in front of you. That’s the environment right now: quick pushes,...
Live: Team Picks Hershey Stock, Reviews Toilet Paper
We're LIVE with my accountable teammates - kicking things off with a BUY Hershey $HSY rundown by Biolsi @Hedgeye_Staples , also analyzing toilet paper
Berkshire's Apple Sale to NYT Sparks Sell Recommendation
How much confidence do you have in $BRK.B now that it sells its Apple stock to buy the New York Times? For me, it is time to sell Berkshire https://t.co/YR01TZTPdL
Record AD Line, Yet Bears Outnumber Bulls Since Thanksgiving
Despite the NYSE Advance-Decline line hitting new all-time highs again yesterday, the American Association of Individual Investors reported this morning that there are actually more bears the bulls for the first time since Thanksgiving. What do you think they're so...
Retail Private Credit Set to Reach Trillions, Threaten Industry
The volume of retail-focused private credit funds has ballooned over the last few years, and is expected to grow to trillions of dollars of assets in that next few years. This points to why this could challenge the broader industry:...
Stay Cautious on Retail, Long Amazon, Short Walmart, Costco
(In contrast to the bullish view expressed yesterday on the Fin TV show - see SLINK's confident consumer outlook on @cnbc), we remain cautious on the consumer. This week we put on a three way pairs trade - long $AMZN/Short $COST...
Retail Investors Dump $8.3B, Near‑Historic Outflows
BofA Clients Sold Stocks at Near-Historic Levels via Bbrg: “Clients dumped US equities last week, with outflows reaching near-historic levels.” “Outflows were the *third highest* since records began in 2008.” [$8.3 Billion] *Who will be right: Retail/HFs or Institutions?
China Cuts US Treasury Holdings to Crisis Low
🚨Chinese officials had urged banks to limit purchases of US government bonds, and instructed those with high exposure to SELL their positions. Data shows China’s holdings of US Treasuries fell to $682.6 billion, the lowest since the Financial Crisis.👇 https://globalmarketsinvestor.beehiiv.com/p/is-the-us-dollar-gradually-losing-its-safe-haven-status
Rising Capex May Curb Buybacks, Pressure Valuations
With credit spreads low and profit margins seemingly on the rise, valuations seem OK at current levels. These two variables are important drivers for the equity risk premium, which is currently at 4.0% according to my version of the DCF...
Fed Minutes Omit 2% Inflation Target Date, Signaling Uncertainty
One more note on the Fed minutes: Sometimes it's interesting what they don't say. Last year at every meeting until December, the staff forecast called for inflation to return to 2% by 2027. In December, the forecast pushed this back to...
Long‑duration Assets Like Bitcoin, Growth Stocks Lose Favor
Bitcoin's drop has coincided with a decline in the Russell 1000's Pure Growth P/E. What do they have in common? Both are long-duration, and are being shunned during the underlying rotation into shorter-duration (cyclical) securities (think value, dividend payers, Energy...
Robinhood’s Earnings Expose Risks for $HOOD Investors
If you’re a $HOOD investor, you’ve probably suffered a wild ride in recent months. The company just issued its latest earnings, which reminded the market of the dangers of Robinhood’s business model.
Confirm Bearish RSI Divergences with Price Levels Before Acting
Bearish RSI divergences can hint at a major top — but only if price & key levels confirm. Momentum can fade while price still grinds higher. Patience & confirmation are essential. My latest article on @StockCharts: https://t.co/sDlIJ3WADG
Defensives Hit Dot‑Com Lows, Poised for Rally
Chart of the Week - Defensives With tech in trouble (+a number of macro risks lurking on the horizon), defensives are starting to look interesting… Defensives (i.e. an equal-weighted basket of: Utilities, Healthcare, Consumer Staples) are turning up vs the S&P500 —after...
Big Tech Lagged S&P; Past Winners Not Guaranteed
S&P 500 is up 77% over the last 5 years. These tech stocks didn't beat it: Amazon: +27% Netflix: +46% And these stocks got destroyed: Nike: -55% Disney: -42% PayPal: -86% Shopify: -18% Past winners aren't always future winners.
US Large‑Cap Valuations Still Overpriced, Risks Loom
Recent rotation has helped resolve some of U.S. large cap stocks’ valuation excesses, but risks remain to the downside for U.S. multiples. Large cap growth’s sales multiple is still near its all-time high, at about 6X, and growth’s earnings multiple may...