June Swoon?

So far, the S&P 500 bottomed this year on March 30 in response to the latest Gulf War. Since then, Fabulous Earnings Momentum (FEMO) during the Q1 earnings reporting season fueled a remarkable 19.1% rally in the index, led by an amazing 44.5% increase in the S&P 500 Information Technology sector (chart).

Yesterday, we raised the caution flag, suggesting a possible pullback over the next few weeks. We are concerned about warnings from Exxon and Chevron executives that global crude oil inventories are so low that the crude oil price could spike to $150 a barrel unless the war ends very soon. We also expect the FOMC to pivot from an easing bias to a tightening bias at the committee's next meeting later this month. We then expect the FOMC to raise the federal funds rate by 25bps in July. The financial markets are also expecting a rate hike, but late this year. The SpaceX IPO should be a big hit because everyone knows Wall Street has bent the rules to ensure the stock price soars initially. However, that could cause lots of volatility if a price spike triggers a wave of profit-taking.