Matt Weller, CFA, CMT
Faraday Research
Remember the so-called "Trump Trade"? Both in terms of political developments and price action, it seems like November 8th was about a half-decade ago, not just five months ago. When it comes to the stock market, traders rushed out to buy industrial, material and financial stocks, while selling health care and technology stocks.
The bearish health care thesis was fairly straightforward, given the Republicans' promises to "repeal and replace" the current health care law, but the explanations for the drop in tech stocks was always a bit more tenuous. Some traders argued that Trump's tough-on-immigration stance could deprive technology companies of the highly-skilled foreign workers on H1-B visas, while others (ourselves included) believed the post-election pullback in tech stocks was simply caused by investors taking profits the strongest names in their portfolios to chase "The Next Shiny Thing," namely financial and industrial stocks.
Regardless of the explanation for the initial drop, the tech sector has come roaring back of late. Though still far from the lofty "Tech Bubble" peak at the start of the millennium, technology stocks recently hit their highest levels relative to the broader stock market in 15 years.
Technology stocks have hardly been slacking on an absolute basis either. As the chart below shows, the technology sector ETF (XLK) made a run at its Tech Bubble peak near 54.00 earlier this month, and after a pullback, XLK is showing signs of bouncing off its 50-day MA so far this week:
Given the strong relative and absolute bullish trends in the tech sector, we'll continue to look for buying opportunities in the days and weeks to come. Top holdings in the sector include AAPL, MSFT, FB, GOOGL, T, INTC, VZ, CSCO, V, IBM, and ORCL, all of which are in our US equity universe.
This research is for informational purposes and should not be construed as personal advice. Trading any financial market involves risk. Trading on leverage involves risk of losses greater than deposits.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD holds above 1.1750 due to cautious trade before FOMC Minutes
EUR/USD holds ground after four days of little losses, trading around 1.1770 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The pair remains steady as US Dollar moves little amid market caution ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee December Meeting Minutes due later in the day, which could offer insights into the Federal Reserve’s 2026 outlook.
GBP/USD finds key support near 1.35 despite year-end grind
GBP/USD remains bolstered on the high end as markets grind through the last trading week of the year. Cable caught a bullish tilt to keep price action on the high side of the 1.3500 handle, though year-end holiday volumes are unlikely to see significant progress in either direction as 2025 draws to a close.
USD/JPY rises back above 156.00, shrugs off Yentervention risks
USD/JPY is back in the green above the 156.00 region in Tuesday's Asian trading. The pair shrugs off impending risks of a forex market intervention by the Japanese officials. Volatility is expected to widen during the last trading week of 2025, and follow into early 2026 as holiday-thinned market volumes wreak havoc on general market trends.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD holds above 1.1750 due to cautious trade before FOMC Minutes
EUR/USD holds ground after four days of little losses, trading around 1.1770 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The pair remains steady as US Dollar moves little amid market caution ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee December Meeting Minutes due later in the day, which could offer insights into the Federal Reserve’s 2026 outlook.
GBP/USD finds key support near 1.35 despite year-end grind
GBP/USD remains bolstered on the high end as markets grind through the last trading week of the year. Cable caught a bullish tilt to keep price action on the high side of the 1.3500 handle, though year-end holiday volumes are unlikely to see significant progress in either direction as 2025 draws to a close.
Gold gains on Fed rate cut bets, safe-haven demand
Gold price edges higher above $4,350 during the Asian trading hours on Tuesday. The precious metal recovers some lost ground after falling 4.5% in the previous session, which was gold's largest single-day loss since October. Increased margin requirements on gold and silver futures by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, one of the world’s largest trading floors for commodities, prompted widespread profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing.
Solana risks correction within descending wedge as bearish bets rise
Solana hovers above $120 at press time on Tuesday after a nearly 2% decline on Monday. The SOL-focused Exchange Traded Funds see renewed interest after recording their lowest weekly inflow last week.
Bitcoin Price Annual Forecast: BTC holds long-term bullish structure heading into 2026
Bitcoin (BTC) is wrapping up 2025 as one of its most eventful years, defined by unprecedented institutional participation, major regulatory developments, and extreme price volatility.
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