Day 152: Rate Cuts + Trump 2.0 Day 💯

Wall Street Inches Up as Traders Brace for Earnings and Washington Noise. Markets opened Tuesday April 29, in a cautiously optimistic tone - Magnificent 7 appeared split between buyers digesting earnings momentum and sellers locking in profits.

S&P 500 $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$ gained +0.28%, led by Microsoft $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$ (+0.55%) and Meta $Meta Platforms (META.US)$ (+0.42%), while Tesla $Tesla (TSLA.US)$ (-1.12%) $Alphabet-A (GOOGL.US)$ and Amazon $Amazon (AMZN.US)$ (-0.40%) lagged behind after an early bounce faded. Nvidia $NVIDIA (NVDA.US)$ (+0.09%) and Apple $Apple (AAPL.US)$ (+0.17%) held their ground as the VIX $CBOE Volatility S&P 500 Index (.VIX.US)$ dropped another -2.27%, suggesting volatility fatigue - even as traders eye macro catalysts brewing in D.C.

💯Days In: Trump’s Second-Term Inauguration Hits a Milestone

Today also marks President Trump’s 100th day since his second inauguration - a symbolic checkpoint that often signals shifts in policy tone. So far, tariffs have returned to center stage, regulatory rollbacks are ramping up, and AI and defense sectors are gaining Washington’s favor.

Markets may start pricing in more fiscal push than monetary policy pull as election narratives grow louder.

Takeaway:
Tech is stabilizing but rotation into value and defensives could surface. Watch closely: earnings from Apple, Amazon, and Meta are around the corner - and volatility is coiling 🐍beneath the surface.