Trading Competitions: Week 5 Recap

It seems like Nvidia is hitting a new milestone every day, so why would today be any different? 🤷

This morning, we saw a massive squeeze in shares of Arm Holdings, which soared more than 40% before pulling back midday. That led to other semiconductor stocks rising alongside it as investors’ optimism around the sector continued. 📈

One of the key themes we discussed last year was the underperformance of Chinese stocks. While India and other emerging markets rallied sharply (along with the rest of the world), China’s stock market was stuck in the mud because of slowing growth, weak consumer spending, a property market crisis, and geopolitical tensions. ⚠️

Unfortunately for emerging market investors, none of those core issues have improved in 2024, leading its stock market to fall even further to start the year. 😬

While everyone is focused on technology stocks, another market sector has been performing quite well. That sector is industrials, which includes everything from aerospace & defense to machinery, ground transportation, and more. 🏭

The cyclical sector is also a widely-watched proxy for how investors feel about the economy. After all, if the economy is going to grow, these types of companies are needed to help produce, ship, and deliver the goods. And right now, investors are apparently bullish on their outlook because sector ETF $XLI broke out to new highs late last year and hasn’t looked back. 📈