September has historically been the worst month of the year for stocks but the S&P 500 is up 5.4% for the third quarter, and more than 20% for the year.
When the Fed cut rates by 50 basis points earlier in the month, it surprised the market as most investors expected a 25 basis point cut and stocks rallied.
This bolsters the view that the stock market and the tech trade are a Fed-led market.
Anything the Fed can do, stocks can do better.
This Friday’s non-farm payrolls report should grab your attention since the Fed’s 50 basis point cut could allude to a weaker employment position than previously thought.
Also of note are the job openings and labor turnover surveys from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics which are due out today.
If we get positive numbers from these reports, expect stocks to continue climbing over the short-term.
As for the real-world business of tech trade returns have been extremely positive.
Year to date the NTC Global Technology Growth Index (PILTECHX) is up 51.67%.
Its benchmarks are also in positive territory YTD : First Trust NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index Fund (QTEC) 12.96%, and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY): 22.05% respectively.
The tech trade is still on.