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Stepping Up to the Plate: A 50-Year-Old Dad's Journey to Baseball with My 10-Year-Old Son
As I stood on the field, glove in hand, I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. Here I was, Vlad, a 50-year-old dad, trying to learn baseball for the first time... well, almost 30 years after my last (and only) attempts in high school gym class. Back then, it was a struggle. I never grasped the basics, and the game left me feeling frustrated and uninterested.
Fast-forward to today, and everything has changed. My 10-year-old son, David, has become an avid baseball enthusiast, and I've found myself swept up in his enthusiasm. Watching him play with his friends at the park, attending his practices, and cheering him on during games has become a highlight of my week. The crack of the bat, the thrill of an overhand throw, and the pure joy on his face when he hits a home run – it's infectious.
A few weeks ago, I decided to take the plunge and buy my very first baseball glove and ball. David's eyes lit up when I told him we were going to practice together a few days a week. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. Would I be able to keep up with him? Would I embarrass myself in front of my kid?
The first few practice sessions were... interesting. Let's just say I had to relearn how to throw and catch. My throws were wild, and my catches were more like lucky grabs. David, however, was patient and encouraging, teaching me the proper techniques and offering words of praise when I managed to catch a ball without dropping it.
What's striking is how different this experience is from my high school days. Back then, I felt like I was being forced to participate in something I didn't understand or enjoy. Now, I'm motivated by a desire to bond with my son and share in his passion. The pressure's off, and the focus is on having fun together.
As we practice, I'm struck by the joy of discovery. I'm learning new skills, and David's getting to see his dad try something new. We're creating memories, laughing together, and building a connection that goes beyond just parent and child.
Baseball, it turns out, is more than just a game – it's a way to connect with others, to challenge ourselves, and to experience the thrill of improvement. I'm grateful for this opportunity to relive my childhood, albeit in a different way, and to share it with David.
Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be the one hitting home runs, or at the very least, not embarrassing myself on the field. For now, I'm just happy to be here, glove in hand, cheering on my son and rediscovering the joy of baseball.
In many ways, this week’s market action mirrors that same process of stepping back onto the field—tentative at first, but gradually finding rhythm. After facing a wave of tariff-driven volatility, the major indices have started to find their footing, lifted by strong earnings from tech giants and clearer signals from the Fed. Like my return to baseball, the market isn’t without its stumbles, but there’s progress in motion. What began with uncertainty is now giving way to cautious optimism—proof that, whether you’re learning to catch a fly ball or navigating a volatile trading environment, consistency, patience, and a willingness to show up make all the difference.
RECENT TRADE REVIEW
This past week, I executed a long trade in JPMorgan Chase & Co. ($JPM), identified as a bullish opportunity by our Dynamic Power Trader (DPT) model. The trade was featured and discussed during last Wednesday’s Live Trading Room session—if you missed it, you can watch the full recording here:
👉 Live Trading Room Recordings
The opportunity in JPMorgan Chase ($JPM) stood out thanks to a powerful mix of bullish technical patterns and a shift in sentiment toward financials. With the market starting to find its footing after recent turbulence, JPM offered a clean, high-probability setup—boosted further by strong earnings momentum. It was the kind of trade where the risk-reward balance tipped clearly in our favor.
What gave us the edge? Precision timing. Our Dynamic Power Trader (DPT) model flagged the entry point in real time, and paid subscribers received instant SMS alerts with both the buy signal and exit strategy. No delays. No second-guessing. Just actionable intelligence when it mattered most.
This is where the DPT service shines—cutting through noise and volatility to spotlight real trades with real potential. In markets like these, that kind of clarity isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
CURRENT TRADING LANDSCAPE
The U.S. stock market ended the week on a cautiously optimistic note, even as signs of economic stress mounted. The Dow and S&P 500 posted their ninth straight day of gains on Friday, while the Nasdaq recovered from earlier losses, though it lagged behind its blue-chip peers. Beneath the surface, however, volatility and macroeconomic risks continued to ripple across markets. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) remains technically range-bound, with resistance near the 565–580 zone and key short-term support between 500–530. With conflicting signals from earnings, economic reports, and global trade dynamics, the market appears to be searching for direction, trading sideways in the short term while the long-term trend remains under pressure. For reference, the SPY Seasonal Chart is shown below:
The week opened with a mixed performance. While the S&P 500 and Dow closed in positive territory Monday, the Nasdaq fell over 1% as tech stocks struggled. Tariff concerns continued to loom large, with investors growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in U.S.–China trade talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that the ball is now in China’s court, warning that U.S. tariffs could slash Chinese exports by as much as two-thirds in 2025—a contraction that could threaten millions of jobs and deepen supply chain stress.
President Trump’s prior remarks expressing support for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and a willingness to strike a deal with China helped spark a 4% rally in the S&P 500 last week. However, with the 90-day clock ticking before the next round of tariffs, the optimism has waned. This week’s early market gains reflected more hope than resolution.
Investors turned to earnings and economic data to gauge whether the recent rally had staying power. Roughly a third of S&P 500 companies reported quarterly results this week, including heavyweights Apple, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Amazon. But while corporate earnings helped buoy the indices at times, not all reports delivered positive surprises.
Microsoft stood out with a 13% increase in revenue, driven by a 21% surge in Azure cloud growth. Meta also delivered strong results, with ad revenue rising 16% and average pricing beating estimates. These two names helped push the market higher midweek, as their strong performances reassured investors concerned about tech’s exposure to global headwinds.
Apple’s earnings, while above expectations on a headline basis, disappointed investors with weakness in Greater China revenue and underwhelming services growth. Shares fell nearly 4% despite better-than-expected iPhone sales. CEO Tim Cook noted that a majority of Apple’s iPhones shipped to the U.S. next quarter would come from India—a clear attempt to insulate the company from escalating China tariffs, which are expected to cost Apple $900 million this quarter alone.
Amazon, meanwhile, delivered a strong earnings beat, though AWS cloud revenue growth of 17% came in slightly below estimates. Compared to the faster expansion seen at Microsoft and Alphabet, the result cast some doubt on Amazon’s cloud dominance. The stock held slightly positive, but investor enthusiasm was tempered.
Outside of Big Tech, the results were more mixed. Nvidia led early-week laggards with a 3.6% drop. Tesla, AMD, and Micron also struggled amid broader tech-sector weakness. Qualcomm fell nearly 6% on disappointing guidance for the next quarter, while McDonald’s slid after missing on comparable-store sales. Starbucks reported its first quarterly drop in same-store sales in several years, and Chipotle also posted its first such decline since early in the pandemic.
In contrast, CVS Health surged 9.5% after a strong beat and upward earnings revision. Seagate Technology jumped 9% on positive guidance, and Sherwin-Williams gained nearly 5% after exceeding earnings expectations. Energy names wrapped the week with a split picture: Exxon Mobil beat on earnings but saw shares dip on lower production and revenue pressures. Chevron climbed after an earnings beat despite a revenue miss.
Beyond earnings, the week’s economic data added both clarity and complexity. On Tuesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis shocked investors with a -0.3% contraction in Q1 GDP—well below expectations for 0.2% growth and a dramatic reversal from Q4’s 2.4% expansion. The miss was attributed to weaker consumer spending and a surge in imports, with businesses stockpiling ahead of new tariffs. While stocks dipped initially, the narrative shifted as strong tech earnings provided a temporary anchor.
Later that day, the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell to 86, its lowest since late 2023. The Expectations Index plummeted to 54.4, a level not seen since 2011, as inflationary pressure and fears of job and income deterioration weighed heavily on households. Tariff-driven cost increases and policy uncertainty are contributing to the decline in consumer outlook—an important bellwether for the broader economy.
Labor market data released at the end of the week helped stabilize sentiment. The U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April, beating the forecast of 135,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%. Although March and February payrolls were revised lower, the report was taken as a sign of resilience. However, initial jobless claims rose to 241,000—the highest since February—suggesting the labor market may be softening beneath the surface.
Most economists believe that April could mark a high point for job growth this year. Roughly 90% of employment gains over the past two years have come from government, education, health care, and leisure and hospitality—sectors that may soon feel the impact of higher borrowing costs and trade-related disruptions.
The bond market echoed those concerns, with the 10-year Treasury yield fluctuating between 3.6% and 4.8% throughout the week. Yields dipped slightly following soft inflation data, but overall trends continue to reflect caution. Rate cut expectations for the June 18 FOMC meeting fell from 58% to just over 50%, and the probability of five or more cuts in 2025 dropped sharply—from 20.6% to 13.3%—after the strong jobs report.
Volatility, as measured by the VIX, eased to 25.56 early in the week, a marked decline from the 60-handle panic levels seen in April. However, the index remains elevated, suggesting that traders are far from confident about market stability. Even with nine straight days of gains for the Dow and S&P 500, caution remains the prevailing mood.
Looking ahead, the market sits at a crossroads. Earnings have generally exceeded expectations, but the breadth of strength is narrowing. Tariff uncertainty continues to hang over global companies, while consumer sentiment and GDP growth are flashing warning signs. While the April jobs report temporarily relieved some pressure, cracks in the labor market are forming.
With SPY facing resistance near 565–580 and support between 500–530, we are maintaining a market-neutral outlook. The rally could extend higher if earnings continue to surprise and trade negotiations progress, but downside risks persist. The likelihood of recession is increasing, and inflation remains sticky enough to keep interest rates elevated well into the second half of the year.
As we move into May’s Federal Reserve meeting and watch for fresh trade headlines, investors must remain vigilant. Whether this latest rally has true staying power—or is simply the calm before another storm—will likely depend on how the market digests the next wave of data.
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SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
In a market full of contradictions—where soft GDP meets strong hiring and trade talks fizzle just as stocks rally—one corner of the market is quietly asserting its strength. It's not the usual defensive playbook investors reach for when recession fears rise, nor is it entirely immune to the macro headwinds circulating through Washington and Beijing. But despite the volatility, this sector has maintained leadership, offered earnings clarity, and provided a rare source of momentum in an otherwise range-bound environment.
That sector is technology—and more specifically, the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK). While tariff tensions and slowing global growth have cast a long shadow across much of the equity landscape, XLK has emerged as a key stabilizing force. Driven by the relative strength of mega-cap names like Microsoft and Meta, the sector delivered crucial upside last week just as broader economic data disappointed. Even as GDP contracted by 0.3% and consumer confidence tumbled to its lowest level since 2011, tech held its ground.
Earnings from Microsoft and Meta, both core XLK components, didn’t just exceed expectations—they reaffirmed that demand for cloud infrastructure, digital services, and enterprise productivity remains intact. Microsoft’s Azure division grew revenue by 21%, while Meta saw a 16% jump in ad revenue despite broad concerns around consumer spending. These results helped offset headline disappointments from other corners of the index, including Apple and Amazon, whose earnings came in mixed but still contributed to the sector’s resilience.
In the face of rising unemployment claims and falling consumer optimism, XLK offers what few other sectors currently can: margin stability, earnings momentum, and scalable growth. While other industries brace for the delayed impact of tariffs or cut forecasts in response to trade disruptions, tech is still attracting institutional capital. It remains the one area where pricing power and productivity gains are still achievable, even in a high-rate, low-growth environment.
Technically, XLK continues to outperform broader indices like the SPY and QQQ. As the market tests support near 500–530 and resistance builds between 565–580, capital is rotating into dependable leaders, and tech is at the top of that list. The market may be stuck in a sideways churn, but the road to leadership is clear, and it runs through XLK.
TRADE OF THE WEEK: Microsoft ($MSFT)
In a week defined by economic contradictions and macro crosscurrents, Microsoft ($MSFT) stood tall as a beacon of strength—and it’s our Trade of the Week as we look ahead.
Microsoft not only delivered the best earnings among the big four tech titans this past week, it also effectively carried the sector. The company reported a 13% year-over-year increase in revenue, with its Azure cloud business accelerating 21%. While rivals like Amazon saw their cloud units underwhelm, and Apple stumbled on China and services revenue, Microsoft reminded the market why it's considered one of the most reliable growth engines in large-cap tech.
More importantly, Microsoft’s strong results came at a time when the market was reeling from a string of concerning macro data points. A negative GDP print, falling consumer confidence, and rising jobless claims all signaled growing recession risk. Yet, in the middle of this, MSFT rallied more than 8% post-earnings, helping stabilize broader sentiment and giving XLK the earnings leadership it needed.
What makes Microsoft particularly compelling right now is its positioning. As tariffs and supply chain shifts force multinationals to re-evaluate their geographic exposure, Microsoft’s software and cloud services remain immune to physical disruptions. The company's offerings are deeply embedded across global enterprise environments—from cloud infrastructure and productivity software to cybersecurity and generative A.I. platforms. Even in a slower economy, demand for these services tends to remain sticky.
This is why our proprietary A.I. model has flagged MSFT as a high-conviction long setup for the coming week. The model highlights strong institutional accumulation, technical breakout potential following the post-earnings gap, and favorable relative strength metrics versus both XLK and SPY. In short, the data confirms what the market just showed us: Microsoft is not just holding up—it’s leading.
As capital rotates into quality amid economic uncertainty, Microsoft provides a rare blend of growth, scale, and resilience. It is the kind of stock institutions lean into when the macro picture gets noisy. With the Fed unlikely to cut rates this month and tariff talks back on the table, having exposure to names like MSFT—those that transcend cyclical risk—is a prudent strategy.
For investors navigating a sideways market with widening risks, Microsoft offers clarity. The numbers are strong. The leadership is clear. And our AI is aligned.
This week, I’ll be adding Microsoft ($MSFT) to my portfolio!
And one more thing! Our track record speaks for itself from the standpoint of a Winning Trades Percentage, Average Return Per Trade, and Net Gain. Just take a look:
The consistent performance of our services is just incredible. My historical stellar performance is made possible by being right on 82.96% of all trades that I made, with an average profit of 37.84% per trade on our collective trade recommendations. To my knowledge, this trading performance is one-of-a-kind and stands alone in the marketplace for superior trading advice where our numbers and results speak for themselves.