Two major Wall Street trading desks, including those at Citi and JPMorgan, are adopting a bullish stance on U.S. stocks, particularly targeting this year's biggest losers for short-term gains as trade tensions ease. They are focusing on sectors such as small caps, technology hardware, and homebuilders, which have lagged behind the broader S&P 500 Index during the recent market rally. The S&P 500 (SPX) is trading just below the 5900 resistance level, facing a key options expiration (OpEx) event this Friday, where approximately $1.2 trillion in notional S&P 500 options exposure will expire. This OpEx could introduce volatility and potentially disrupt the current rally. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) has declined to around 18-19, down from April highs near 25 and even 60, signaling market stabilization and a bullish outlook. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market is also preparing for a major options expiry, with over $3.1 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) options set to expire, contributing to expectations of increased volatility. BTC options show a balanced put/call ratio near 0.99 with max pain at $100,000, while ETH options have a put/call ratio of 1.24 and max pain around $2,200. Market participants are using cheap short-dated calls to gain U.S. upside exposure with limited risk amid low volatility. Several companies, including National Storage Affiliates Trust, Interface, Essex Property Trust, American Tower Corporation, Amkor Technology, and nVent, have declared or announced quarterly dividends during this period.
nVent Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend https://t.co/EhmeBbRAXz https://t.co/oDP3TU35Vr
$QQQ options smile flattens further — current IVs (green) remain elevated vs last week, with downside puts still priced rich. Traders continue to hedge left tail even as spot rallies. Call skew remains tame = limited chase. Vol bias: downside > upside. https://t.co/qXdme2BL73
Dónde invertir en bolsa hoy: valores para maximizar el actual rebote del mercado https://t.co/JhkiCx8NZw