Category: Uncategorized

Oil Above $100, Gold Near $4,000: What’s Next for the Markets?

U.S. stock index futures are trading above fair value ahead of Monday’s open, but investors face a potentially volatile week. The Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada will announce interest rate decisions on Wednesday, while approximately 44% of S&P 500 companies are expected to report earnings this week. Month-end trading and seasonal market strength could also influence direction. Meanwhile, the VIX remains on a buy signal for the S&P 500, NASDAQ, and Russell 2000, indicating continued market uncertainty.

Market performance remains uneven, with defensive sectors such as healthcare, utilities, and consumer staples attracting attention while technology and communication services face pressure. The S&P 500 remains on a sell signal, with 7,653 an important level to reclaim and 750 identified as the next downside target if weakness continues. In Canada, the TSX remains on a buy signal, supported by financial and energy stocks. Crude oil remains above $100, while gold is struggling to hold $4,000. Investors should watch interest rate announcements, earnings results, sector rotation, and key technical levels for signs of changing market direction.

Stephen Whiteside
Monday, October 26, 2026

Stock Market Warning Signs: Will the NASDAQ 100 Hold 700?

Stock markets face continued pressure as the trading week draws to a close. The VIX remains on daily and weekly buy signals, while the Fear and Greed Index has returned to extreme fear. Semiconductor and memory chip stocks are leading the decline, with the NASDAQ 100 down 0.78% for the week and approaching a critical support level at 700. The S&P 500 and TSX Composite remain on weekly buy signals, but rising crude oil prices, falling precious metals, and weakening technology stocks warrant caution.

Investors should watch whether the NASDAQ 100 holds Thursday’s low and whether the VIX breaks above 21.88, which could signal a broader market sell-off beyond technology stocks. Bond prices are rising, while several Canadian telecommunications stocks are showing strength. Meanwhile, weakness persists in semiconductor stocks, gold, silver, and several energy-related investments. The market outlook remains cautious heading into Friday’s session, with technical signals and key support levels providing guidance for potential trend changes.

Stephen Whiteside
Friday, October 23, 2026

NASDAQ Leads the Selloff: Critical Stock Market Levels to Watch

The stock market faces renewed selling pressure on Thursday, October 22, as NASDAQ futures lead the decline toward the bottom of their Average True Range. U.S. jobless claims could influence the opening direction, while crude oil trades higher and gold lower. Although Wednesday produced several new buy signals, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 failed to close above Friday’s highs, leaving an important breakout unconfirmed. The TSX, meanwhile, reached a new high.

The key message is to remain patient and avoid chasing new buy signals until price action confirms a breakout. Several stocks, including SpaceX, Tesla, IBM and Nvidia, are pulling back in pre-market trading. Netflix remains weak, while Cloudflare is at a critical test of support. The video also highlights important technical price levels for Canadian and U.S. stocks, including Ivanhoe, Enbridge, TC Energy, Supermicro, CoreWeave and Bank of America.

Stephen Whiteside
Thursday, October 22, 2026

Stock Market Outlook for October 21

Stock index futures are pointing higher ahead of Wednesday’s open, led by the NASDAQ, as several technology stocks trade higher in the pre-market. SpaceX is approaching a potential buy signal, while Netflix remains under pressure following a sell signal. Crude oil experienced significant volatility on Tuesday, with energy markets and Canadian energy stocks showing mixed performance. In Canada and the United States, healthcare and real estate were among the strongest sectors, suggesting investors favored more defensive areas of the market.

The major indexes and technology stocks continue to show mixed technical signals. The NASDAQ 100 is attempting to break above recent resistance, while the Russell 2000 remains below a buy signal. The VIX indexes remain on buy signals for the S&P 500, NASDAQ, and Russell 2000, highlighting continued market uncertainty. Among the Magnificent 10 stocks, Apple and Shopify remain on buy signals but face resistance, while Alphabet, Meta, and Nvidia continue to show signs of weakness. With no major economic reports scheduled for the morning, attention turns to whether early buying strength can carry into the trading session.

Stephen Whiteside
Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Stocks Pause as Bonds Weaken and Oil Breaks Higher

Monday’s trading session was characterized by indecision, with the Dow, S&P 500, NASDAQ, Russell 2000, TSX 60, and total market ETF all recording inside days. Stock index futures were modestly lower heading into Tuesday, while crude oil surged higher and gold declined. Semiconductor stocks reversed from their early strength to close near the previous session’s low, leaving Friday’s trading range as an important reference point for the next market move.

The bond market weakened as yields rose, with TLT pulling back and XBB returning to a sell signal. Weakness in emerging-market and junk bonds continued to suggest a risk-off environment. The VIX remained an important indicator to watch, while Tuesday’s market direction could be heavily influenced by crude oil’s strength and its potential impact on Canadian energy stocks. Investors should monitor key support levels and signal changes across major indices, sectors, bonds, and commodities.

Stephen Whiteside
Tuesday, October 20, 2026

VIX Hits 21.88: Is Market Fear About to Break Higher?

The stock market enters Monday following Thursday’s bullish reversal and Friday’s sharp bearish reversal. Technology futures are rebounding in pre-market trading, but the Nasdaq futures have suffered a significant decline, and professional traders have given up control. Semiconductor stocks remain under pressure after two difficult weeks, although the current pullback has not yet broken the September lows. A close above Friday’s high would be the first sign that the market is establishing a new direction.

Meanwhile, investors appear to be rotating away from high-risk AI and semiconductor stocks toward defensive names such as Home Depot, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Walmart. The VIX surged on Friday but reversed near the 21.88 resistance level. In contrast, energy stocks were among last week’s strongest performers, with the TSX Energy Index gaining more than 6% and the US Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) rising nearly 5%. Investors should watch key price targets and Friday’s high for evidence of the market’s next move.

Stephen Whiteside
Monday, October 19, 2026

Stock Market Outlook: Can Thursday’s Rally Continue?

Thursday’s session delivered a strong bullish reversal after stocks recovered sharply from their pre-market lows. However, most major indexes failed to close above the previous day’s highs, leaving the significance of the rebound uncertain. The S&P 500 generated a sell signal on Wednesday and remains under pressure, while the NASDAQ is down more than 3% for the week and the Russell 2000 has made a new weekly low. Friday’s pre-market activity is quiet, making follow-through to Thursday’s rally the key development to watch.

International markets and individual sectors showed mixed signals. The TSX gained nearly 1.5% on Thursday, supported by materials, financials, banks and telecommunications, while energy and technology lagged in the U.S. market. Bonds rose sharply for the week as yields declined, crude oil remained more than 6% higher on the week, and Bitcoin continued to face resistance at $87,500. The central question for investors is whether Thursday’s bullish reversal marks the beginning of a sustained recovery or proves to be a one-day bounce.

Stephen Whiteside
Friday, October 16, 2026

Defensive Stocks Rise as Technology Shares Sell Off

Wednesday’s market action produced important changes in technical signals. The Vanguard Total Market ETF and S&P 500 ETF returned to sell signals, while the equal-weighted S&P 500 briefly maintained a buy signal that could reverse Thursday. The S&P 500 level of 781.25 was identified as an important resistance reference, with 750 as a potential downside target if the previous session’s low breaks. Tesla returned to a sell signal, Apple remained on a buy signal, and Shopify approached its daily, weekly, and monthly target of $250.

Sector trends continued to favor defensive positioning. Consumer staples and healthcare advanced, energy reached a new high for the current move, and transportation stocks made a new low. Canadian stocks pulled back, while the Venture Exchange broke below weekly support and its FlyPaper channel. Precious metals and mining shares remained weak, and higher-quality bonds attracted more interest than junk bonds. Thursday’s U.S. jobless claims and other economic releases could change the market’s direction, but the pre-market weakness in the NASDAQ suggested continued pressure on technology shares.

Stephen Whiteside
Thursday, October 15, 2026

NASDAQ Flashes a Sell Signal Ahead of Today’s CPI Report

U.S. stock markets showed mixed signals heading into Wednesday, October 14, as investors awaited CPI inflation data that could influence the day’s direction. The NASDAQ returned to a sell signal after Tuesday’s decline, despite a late recovery in semiconductors, while Canadian markets moved higher. Energy and communication services led sector gains, with Enerflex rising more than 14%. Materials and healthcare lagged, and gold stocks showed renewed weakness, with the Global Gold Index ETF returning to a sell signal.

The bond market continued to attract money, with TLT returning to a buy signal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and TD Bank also generating buy signals. However, weakness in junk bonds suggested investors continued to favor quality over risk. The VIX remained on sell signals across the S&P 500, NASDAQ, and Russell 2000, indicating limited immediate concern among options traders. Today’s CPI release is the key event to watch for potential changes in market direction.

Stephen Whiteside
Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Chip Stocks Come Under Pressure

Monday’s U.S. stock market session was marked by unusually low trading volume, with the S&P 500 ETF recording just over 18 million shares compared with nearly 45 million the previous Monday. Stephen Whiteside cautions investors against drawing firm conclusions from such thin trading and recommends waiting for confirmation. Tuesday’s futures are volatile, with technology and semiconductor stocks under pressure, while the major indexes face important technical levels. Canadian investors should also assess opening prices and bid-ask spreads before placing orders following Monday’s market closure.

The semiconductor sector is showing particular weakness, with the SMH ETF and five major chip stocks on sell signals. Gold and silver pulled back, the U.S. Dollar Index continued higher, and bond prices rose as yields declined without yet generating a sell signal. Energy stocks remained strong, while Adobe and Microsoft face potential competitive pressure from AI-generated software alternatives. The VIX remains on a sell signal, suggesting options traders have not become significantly more concerned. With no major pre-market economic releases, Tuesday’s direction will depend heavily on earnings reports and price action.

Stephen Whiteside
Tuesday, October 13, 2026