updated 5:20 AM PT
- Futures flat-to-slightly negative: S&P –0.02% (7,417.75), Nasdaq +0.08% (29,354.50), Dow –0.06% (49,662). All within ±0.25% neutral band. Last week’s record rally is taking a measured breath. Score: 0 pts.
- VIX 18.09 (+5.24%): Fear index bid but remains in the 15–20 “aware but not fearful” band. Iran rejection driving options hedges. Score: 0 pts (neutral band).
- Oil geopolitical premium: WTI $97.72 (+2.41%), Brent ~$103.98 (+2.70%). Trump rejected Iran peace proposal; Strait of Hormuz risk active. Inflationary headwind ahead of Tuesday’s CPI. Score: –3 pts.
- AI / semi melt-up narrative: MarketWatch: “new top S&P 500 target as melt-up intensifies.” Bloomberg: Alphabet closing in on Nvidia as world’s most valuable co. SOX up 65% YTD. Score: +3 pts.
- Preferred sector strength: RKLB +34% earnings blow-out, INTC Apple foundry validation, MRNA triple catalyst — high-beta growth names leading. Stock-picker’s session. Score: +3 pts vs. –3 pts oil = net neutral.
Monday opens on a split tape. Last week’s record-setting S&P 500 rally is trying to hold its gains as two powerful forces collide: an AI-driven earnings supercycle that continues to deliver jaw-dropping results (RKLB +63.5% revenue growth, Intel’s Apple foundry deal, Qualcomm’s record auto revenues) versus a fresh geopolitical shock from the Middle East. Trump called Iran’s latest peace proposal “totally unacceptable” over the weekend, immediately sending WTI crude surging past $97 and Brent above $104. The oil spike feeds directly into Tuesday’s April CPI print — a release that now carries elevated risk given that gasoline was already up 18.9% in March and the Iran war has pushed the national average within striking distance of all-time highs.
The dominant equity narrative this morning is semiconductor and AI infrastructure validation. Intel’s government-backed foundry partnership with Apple — announced last week — confirmed Intel Foundry Services as a credible domestic TSMC alternative, driving INTC up 190% in 2026 and producing a $30 billion gain on the US government’s 10% stake. Qualcomm’s Q2 beat and record automotive revenues extend the diversification story beyond smartphones into connected vehicles. Bloomberg’s John Authers writes that chip stocks are the “real AI winners” — markets misjudged them — with SOX up 65% YTD. The AI infrastructure buildout is creating AI compute, optical fiber (GLW), satellite (RKLB, ASTS), and stablecoin infrastructure (CRCL) winners simultaneously.
The macro calendar turns serious tomorrow: April CPI at 8:30 AM ET is the week’s most critical print, followed by the Trump–Xi summit in Beijing (May 14–15) — the first US presidential visit to China in nearly a decade. The summit agenda spans a new bilateral “Board of Trade” framework, potential 500-aircraft Boeing purchase commitments, rare earth supply expansion, and agricultural import targets. Whether Trump’s Iran focus displaces progress on the China agenda is a real risk, per CNBC reporting. Traders should right-size positions ahead of Wednesday–Thursday’s summit, which will produce market-moving headlines in real time.
Regime call: NEUTRAL. S&P 500 futures at –0.02% (7,417.75), Nasdaq +0.08% (29,354.50), Dow –0.06% (49,662) — all within the ±0.25% neutral band. This is a true stock-picker’s open: no index-level conviction means the tape rewards names with hard catalysts and punishes those without. Per your direction this session: filtering primarily long setups with at least one short in the Top 5 and one short in Secondary Movers. Long-biased by profile default; high-beta growth and AI/semi names take priority over all other sectors.
| Time (ET) | Event | Consensus | Prior | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Day | No Major US Data Releases Today Light Monday — earnings and geopolitics drive the tape. CPI looms tomorrow. |
— | — | LOW |
| Tue 8:30 AM | April CPI (Plan ahead — Tomorrow) Biggest macro event of the week. March came in at +3.3% YoY (gasoline +18.9%). April likely hotter with Iran war oil spike bleeding into energy components. Hot print = bond selloff, tech pressure. Repo positions before release. |
~3.7% YoY / +0.6% MoM Core: +2.7% YoY / +0.3% MoM |
3.3% YoY | HIGH |
| May 14–15 | Trump–Xi Summit — Beijing First US presidential visit to China in nearly a decade. “Board of Trade” framework, 500 Boeing aircraft deal, rare earths, tariff reductions. Real-time headline risk all week for semi names. |
— | — | HIGH |
| Thu est. | April PPI Producer price inflation follow-through from CPI. Oil pipeline into producer costs. |
~est. | — | MED |
| Fri est. | April Retail Sales + U of Michigan Sentiment Consumer health check. Gasoline prices pressuring discretionary. UMich inflation expectations watched by Fed. |
~est. | — | MED |
| Ticker | Company | Price | Gap % | Pre-mkt Vol | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RKLB LONG | Rocket Lab USA | ~est. | +34.0% | ~500K+ | A+ setup per TRDX prototype: Q1 earnings blow-out after prior-day red. Revenue beat, record launch cadence, Neutron update boosting multi-year bull thesis. ≥5% gap, multi-catalyst (earnings + defense/space sector rotation + Neutron optionality), Beta ~1.5+. Watch VWAP as anchor — continuation above = add. Preferred sector: space/disruptors. ATR elevated. |
| MNDY LONG | monday.com Ltd. | $72.07 | +24.97% | 366K (8.58×) | Q1 earnings catalyst — massive gap on strong revenue growth and raised guidance. 8.58× 5-min RVOL is the highest conviction signal on the scanner. High-growth SaaS with AI workflow automation narrative; market rewarding execution in a sector where peers are getting punished for deceleration. Watch for open-drive continuation above prior close. ATR $4.45. |
| MRNA LONG | Moderna, Inc. | $54.35 | +6.27% | 702K (6.99×) | Triple catalyst day: Q1 earnings beat + flu vaccine Phase 3 data readout + hantavirus mRNA program update. 6.99× RVOL confirms broad institutional participation. Biotech with strong near-term newsflow — stock was deeply oversold from post-COVID selloff; catalyst stack gives structural bulls a re-entry. Watch $55 resistance; break = gap fill target $60+. ATR $3.36. |
| IREN SHORT | IREN Limited | $61.20 | –9.00% | 4,226K (3.10×) | Q3 revenue miss — NVIDIA-hype AI data center story colliding with weak fundamentals. –9% gap on highest absolute volume on the scanner (4.2M+ pre-market). 3.10× RVOL with sustained selling = no bounce buyers. Crypto-miner / AI infrastructure hybrid with high beta (3.15) = volatile downside on earnings disappointment. Fade dead-cat rallies below VWAP. Tactical session short. ATR $4.58. |
| GLW LONG | Corning Inc. | $186.94 | +3.12% | 288K (4.51×) | AI data center fiber optic cable demand — Corning is the picks-and-shovels play on hyperscaler interconnect buildout. 4.51× RVOL confirms institutional interest. Indirect AI infrastructure with lower volatility than direct semi plays. Q1 data center segment revenue accelerating — hyperscalers pulling forward fiber orders. Watch $190 as near-term resistance. ATR $11.33. |
| Date | Event / Description |
|---|---|
| Mon May 11 | CRCL Q1 · HIMS Q1 AMC · ASTS 5PM Call · Iran oil spike · CLARITY Act markup watch Multi-event Monday. Stock-picker’s session on neutral futures. Trump departs for Beijing. No major US economic data — all eyes on tonight’s earnings and CLARITY Act headlines. |
| Tue May 12 | 🔴 April CPI — 8:30 AM ET (MAJOR EVENT) Consensus: +3.7% YoY, +0.6% MoM; Core +2.7% / +0.3%. Iran war oil spike risks upside surprise. Hot print = bond selloff + tech rotation. Reduce position size into the release. Biggest risk event of the week. |
| Wed May 13 | April PPI · Trump Arrives Beijing · US-China Talks Begin PPI follows CPI — energy pipeline costs in focus. Summit opening session expected to cover Boeing aircraft deal and “Board of Trade” framework. Watch BA, rare earth miners, semi supply chain names for intraday headline volatility. |
| Thu May 14 | Trump-Xi Summit Day 1 · Initial Jobless Claims · POET Earnings AMC “Board of Trade” framework expected to be formally announced. POET Technologies (AI photonic chips) reports Q1 after close. Watch for joint statement headlines on tariffs and rare earths — real-time market movers for semi names. |
| Fri May 15 | Summit Concludes · Retail Sales · U of Michigan Sentiment Summit joint statement expected. Retail Sales reflects consumer health under oil inflation pressure. UMich inflation expectations closely watched by the Fed. Right-size into weekend with Iran/Hormuz geopolitical risk still active. |
| Week of May 18 | FOMC Minutes (Wed est.) · Alibaba Earnings · Cisco Earnings FOMC minutes parsed for rate path language. Alibaba and Cisco provide global cloud infrastructure demand read-throughs. MRNA FDA flu vaccine countdown continues (Aug 5 decision — 85+ days out, accelerating relevance each week). |