Stocks extended their Tuesday’s move down yesterday, as the main U.S. stock market indexes lost 0.8-1.5% vs. their Tuesday’s closing prices. Investors’ sentiment worsened and the market got back to its last week’s trading range. The S&P 500 index fell closer to 2,700 mark again. It currently trades 5.5% below January 26 record high of 2,872.87. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.5% yesterday, as it was relatively weaker than the broad stock market gauge. On the other hand, the technology Nasdaq Composite lost 0.8% yesterday. Tech stocks were relatively stronger than the rest.
The nearest important level of resistance of the S&P 500 index is now at around 2,750-2,760 again, marked by local high. The next resistance level remains at 2,790-2,800, marked by short-term local highs. On the other hand, support level is at around 2,700, marked by last week’s local lows. If the market continues lower, potential level of support would be at 2,670, marked by previous local highs.
The S&P 500 index reached its record high more than a month ago on January 26. It broke below month-long upward trend line, as it confirmed uptrend’s reversal. Then the broad stock market gauge retraced all of its January rally and continued lower. The index extended its downtrend on February 9, as it was almost 12% below the late January record high. We can see that stocks reversed their medium-term upward course following whole retracement of January euphoria rally. Then the market bounced off its almost year-long medium-term upward trend line, and it retraced more than 61.8% of the sell-off within a few days of trading. Is this just an upward correction or uptrend leading to new all-time highs? The market seems to be in the middle of two possible future scenarios. The bearish case leads us to February low or lower after breaking below medium-term upward trend line, and the bullish one means potential double top pattern or breakout above the late January high. However, the most likely scenario may be that stocks go sideways for a while:
