Wall Street Today: Waiting for macro data paid off

102362254 : Despite February's historical sluggishness, the stock market soared to new record highs. Optimism is high as the S&P 500 continues to break records, and experts anticipate a positive trend for the rest of 2024. The Fed's efforts to control inflation raise hopes for interest rate cuts. Although uncertainties persist, the market's strong performance suggests a promising year ahead. I won't be chasing the highs. Instead, I'll stick to my strategy of diversification and patiently wait for opportunities to buy during pullbacks.

srimoen : positive trend to high and 5 years tradition index market

HuatEver : With all the time highs continuing for a usually slow month of February in the stock market, this suggests underlying strength and the potential for a moderately bullish outlook for the rest of the year. Personally, I prefer a passive approach, opting for Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) and investing in ETFs to mitigate the need for constant market monitoring, which can be exhausting. Based on the current climate, I am considering reallocating more assets to money market funds for added stability.

mr_cashcow : With Elon suing openai, maybe he will finally be back in the spotlight again? Closely monitoring $Tesla (TSLA.US)$ and the usual chip makers

HuatLady : Despite the stock market hitting all-time highs in the typically slow month of February, I maintain a steady approach by managing my expectations and avoiding market timing. Instead of speculating on future trends, I prioritize consistency by regularly investing in high-quality stocks for the long-term. This strategy aligns with the principle of disciplined investing, focusing  on the fundamental value assets rather than short-term fluctuations in market performance.

ZnWC : In the first 2 months of the year, there were AI-related stocks share price fell after Q4 earnings are released. 3 magnificent seven stocks didn't perform well after earnings (Tesla, Apple and Google). Even AI related Chinese stocks like Baidu share price fell despite earnings met expectations.

For the rest of the year, despite what was said above I'm still bullish about certain stocks because of 2 reasons:

1. If the company's fundamentals are healthy, the share price will eventually rise when the uncertainties disappear. Meta Platform is a good example. No retail investors would buy this stock a year ago after earnings when the share price plunged more than 24% to less than 99 USD.

2. Some media like to report that 'the share price fell was due to poor earnings' but such headline may be over-simplified. The stocks may be affected by macro uncertainties like Fed delay interest rate to Q3 or later and China economy slips into stagnation. Analysts may be wrong because their forecast are based on past data.

Bottom line
The important thing is DYODD and invest in the right stock. First read the earnings detail objectively; don't rely on media headline. Second look at positive and negative reports to have a balance view about a stock. I won't blindly follow how others trade because they may have different risk appetite and avoid those with confirmation bias no matter what charts or data he showed.

Hua Moo Lan : Stock market is always full of uncertainties and heavily driven by sentiments in the short run. While I can’t even predict how it’ll be on the next trading day, certainty I can’t project for the rest of the year ( Wish I could, but I can't ).

As such, dollar cost averaging on those companies with good fundamental remains my strategy for year 2024. However, in view that current market is generally seeing a bullish trend especially AI sector, I will continue to scout for the correct entry price and accumulate AI stocks since I’m a huge believer that AI is gonna be a game-changer to our daily lives.

小trader : I expect the rest of the year to be influenced by factors like the strength of the US economy, interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, the labor market, and the upcoming US election. Market volatility may persist, with investors potentially favoring small to mid-cap stocks and international markets like China. As a long-term investor, it's crucial to focus on quality companies with strong fundamentals, particularly in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and energy. Diversification remains important to manage risk effectively.