Big Winner

SPY, Lithium Americas, and the Week Ahead

The S&P 500 closed up 0.5% today with SPY finishing at 661.82. For the week, we ended just below last Friday’s close of 663.70—pretty much flat after a couple of mid-week down days. Still, volume showed plenty of uncertainty out there.

One standout this week was Lithium Americas Corp., which caught a major tailwind when Trump announced plans to partner with them on a Nevada mine. When a company teams up with the U.S. government—essentially the biggest balance sheet in the world—it tends to move markets. It’s a theme worth researching: smaller companies gaining traction when they’re backed, invested in or partnered with government initiatives.

Looking to next week, the spotlight shifts from inflation to jobs data:

• JOLTS report (Tuesday)

• ADP employment change (Wednesday)

• Non-farm payrolls (Friday—the big one)

But here’s the catch: If the government shuts down, those reports may not even get released, which could create even more uncertainty.

Weekend homework: Take a look at government-linked stocks, and be ready to hit Monday running.

#MarketUpdate #TradingStrategy #Volatility #InvestorMindset

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