SPX On The Brink: March 27 Stock Market Preview
March 27 Stock Market Preview: The VIX is still refusing to drop, giving the appearance that another big spike might be just around the corner. Can indices bounce before we see that happen? Will it even happen? We hit some levels noted early in the week, so let’s take a closer look as we head into Friday.
Bullish IWM, Bullish VIX? March 26 Stock Market Preview
March 25 Stock Market Preview: Indices continue failing at rally attempts, yet we don’t see lower lows, yet. The VIX closed higher today, and we also see GEX growing at lower strikes. Do we see any clues that might tip the odds in favor of upside or downside in the immediate future?
QQQ: Destined For 575? March 24 Stock Market Preview
March 25 Stock Market Preview: Indices continue failing at rally attempts, yet we don’t see lower lows, yet. The VIX closed higher today, and we also see GEX growing at lower strikes. Do we see any clues that might tip the odds in favor of upside or downside in the immediate future?
The VIX: Not Dead Yet? March 24 Stock Market Preview
March 24 Stock Market Preview: Indices saw an active post-OpEx Monday today, impressively gapping up while the VIX was totally crushed. The cash session saw a more challenging effort to maintain progress, with the VIX rallying to retake key support levels on the daily chart while stock indices left long candle wicks overhead, closing below key resistance. Can we get a sustained bounce here?
Short-Term Inflection Near? March 23 Stock Market Preview
March 23 Stock Market Preview: With a key test of the weekly 50 EMA on SPX, QQQ, and IWM behind us, yet the VIX still looking bullish for volatility, what might we be looking at going forward?
Q1 OpEx Friday: March 20 Stock Market Preview
March 20 Stock Market Preview: Indices made new 2026 lows today, with SPX reaching 6557 before rebounding to test resistance just shy of the daily HMA at 6644. The VIX failed to close above the daily HMA at 26.06, despite breaching it intraday, so we are left with a divergence. With seemingly contradictory signals and GEX moving more negative for QQQ, what are some possibilities looking ahead?
New Lows For SPX: March 19 Stock Market Preview
March 19 Stock Market Preview: Markets reinforced the downtrend today, with SPX heading to new recent lows while QQQ and IWM made higher lows (so far). The VIX is well off of highs from last week, but holding key support that may imply high VIX levels ahead. Let’s take a look at where GEX indicates dealers could become buyers as well as possible areas of confirmation for the VIX.
VIX Expiration & FOMC: March 18 Stock Market Preview
March 18 Stock Market Preview: The VIX is approaching the last chance for bears to make a stand, yet indices failed to overcome overhead resistance. With indices at least maintaining gap up gains and the VIX being crushed into FOMC, are we headed for a bullish shift, or more of the same: The market dropping following FOMC? We may need to wait until Thursday, but let’s look at the picture as we enter Wednesday.
VIX Testing Weekly Support: March 17 Stock Market Preview
March 17 Stock Market Preview: Indices saw an initially bullish move out of the gate, gapping up and running right into key daily resistance levels. The VIX was pushed to the edge of the proverbial grave before rebounding. By the end of the day, the VIX was still held down right at key weekly support, though indices showed negative divergence with a failure to retake intraday highs. What else are we looking at as we approach VIX expiration, FOMC, and OpEx this Friday?
SPX 6000 Enters The Scene? March 16 Stock Market Preview
March 16 Stock Market Preview: Indices closed the week looking particularly weak in terms of price action, the inability to regain key moving averages (which are in downtrends), and a negative move in net GEX. The VIX is still in a positive GEX environment for volatility, with a close above key resistance. On the contrarian side, IWM shows an extreme negative GEX reading, and indices are edging closer to potential bounce levels. Will we see a quick washout before a bounce, or does the painfully slow downward march continue?
SPX Holding Below Resistance: March 13 Stock Market Preview
March 13 Stock Market Preview: The VIX continues to hold key support for the current trend higher, and indices are slowly making their way toward lower targets. While a snapback rally could happen at any time, tonight we take a closer look to see if we can improve our probabilities by considering the GEX picture for SPX and more.
SPX Holding Below Resistance: March 12 Stock Market Preview
March 12 Stock Market Preview: Major indices have so far been unable to regain overhead resistance to turn those moving averages into support, yet bears also have failed to drive a deeper breakdown. Meanwhile, the VIX hasn’t changed much, hovering around the 25 area. Let’s look at whether or not volume and GEX can give us further clues pertaining to the next likely move.
Decision Time For The VIX: March 11 Stock Market Preview
March 11 Stock Market Preview: Indices rallied again Tuesday, testing key overhead resistance, failing to close above these levels (so far). While the VIX closed below Monday’s close, the VIX tested and held key support, while VVIX (which measures the future expected volatility of the VIX) was actually positive. This divergence can increase the odds of another VIX spike, if we see several instances over the period of 1-2 weeks. For now, we focus on levels the VIX is holding and shifts in GEX for major indices.
Dead Cat Bounce Or Bottom? March 10 Stock Market Preview
March 10 Stock Market Preview: Monday’s gap down was bought, turning a red day into a rally day with a close above Friday’s gap down open and close. With SPX rallying into resistance, and the VIX approaching support, we’re left once again asking if bulls are almost out of the woods? Let’s review partial evidence for a possible low, or lack thereof.
Accelerating Downside: Opportunity? March 9 Stock Market Preview
March 9 Stock Market Preview: VIX futures are in backwardation as we see the front month contract reaching 30, while ES is down 125. Oil futures have skyrocketed some 25%. Friday’s GEX close reflected negative expectations, as well as closes below key technical levels for major indices. What comes next, and what levels are we watching on the contrarian long side?
The VIX: Not Done Yet? March 6 Stock Market Preview
March 6 Stock Market Preview: A fairly quiet morning took a nasty turn as the day progressed, with SPX dropping below 6800 again before recovering in the afternoon. The VIX reached 25, a lower high (so far), but we still see possibilities in both directions. The Keltner channels look negative, as do several moving averages, so bulls really need to overcome overhead resistance to prove a change is afoot (or afeet, for multiple changes, according to Dweebster’s Dictionary).
SPX Rallies To Resistance (Again), VIX Holds Its Uptrend: Make Or Break? March 5 Stock Market Preview
March 5 Stock Market Preview: Wednesday was “gap and go” for the big US indices, with SPX, QQQ, and IWM retesting daily resistance from below. While resistance is holding, indices maintained their gains for the most part, at least until the apparently cranky futures traders took over in the night session. The question remains- have we flipped to a “sell the rip” environment, or was yesterday’s low a classic “buy the dip” bottom?
Dip Buyers Abound: Is SPX Out Of The Woods? March 4 Stock Market Preview
March 4 Stock Market Preview: Yesterday’s VIX and IWM warnings signs saw an immediate confirmation today, with the VIX spiking above 28 and IWM exceeding the large 257 GEX cluster to the downside. Indices did stage a cash session bounce (one that we traded as well), but are we out of the woods yet?
SPX Rallies Into Resistance: March 3 Stock Market Preview
March 3 Stock Market Preview: The gap down in indices Monday was met with a buying spree as dip buyers stepped in. With SPX and other major indices rallying right into potential resistance, and the VIX approaching support near 20, what might be around the corner?
War With Iran: Buy The Dip Or Sell The Dip? March 2 Stock Market Preview
March 3 Stock Market Preview: We’ve noted conflicting signals, with the VIX perhaps being the most consistent warning that more volatility for indices may lay ahead. The news over the weekend of US strikes on Iran and the ensuing drop in futures Sunday evening vindicate the signs flashed by the market to the point, though we acknowledge anything can happen overnight. If the gap down holds, where might markets be headed?