31. Weekly Market Recap: Key Movements & Insights

🔮 Powell's Pivotal Moment: Markets Retreat as Fed Meeting Nears

Stocks stumbled through a dismal week, with the S&P 500 plunging into correction territory amid persistent tariff fears. Monday delivered a devastating blow as the index fell nearly 3%, setting a grim tone for the days ahead. A brief Wednesday reprieve emerged when cooler-than-expected CPI data sparked a temporary rally, but the optimism quickly evaporated on Thursday as fresh tariff concerns resurfaced. Tech stocks bore the brunt of the selling pressure, with Apple shedding over 8% for the week. Friday's rally on news that a government shutdown would be averted provided some consolation but wasn't enough to prevent the S&P 500 from closing down more than 2% for the week.

Sector performance was dominated by defensive positioning, with energy minerals, utilities, and communications weathering the storm best. Meanwhile, consumer services, retail trade, and consumer durables suffered significant declines. Safe-haven assets attracted substantial inflows, with gold surging 2.5% on the week. Bitcoin showed resilience, gaining 4.3% despite the broader market turmoil. Oil prices edged up slightly despite global growth concerns tied to the tariff situation, while bond yields fell as investors sought shelter from market volatility.

Friday's session showed what the market can achieve without tariff anxieties weighing it down. The NASDAQ surged 2.6% (approximately 450 points) to 17,754.09, as tech stocks staged an impressive comeback. All Magnificent Seven names posted gains, led by NVIDIA (+5.3%), Tesla (+3.9%), and Meta Platforms (+3%). While insufficient to salvage the week, this rally sent investors into the weekend with renewed optimism.

Focus on the Fed

The Federal Reserve takes center stage next week with its highly anticipated meeting beginning Tuesday and concluding Wednesday with Chair Powell's press conference. While the CME FedWatch Ability indicates a 99% probability that rates will remain unchanged, Powell's commentary will be scrutinized for clues about future policy direction, especially in light of recent inflation data and ongoing tariff discussions. The Fed's response to these competing economic pressures could significantly influence market sentiment in the coming weeks.

Upcoming Key Events:

Monday, March 17:

• Earnings: Qifu Technology (QFIN)

• Economic Data: Retail sales

Tuesday, March 18:

• Earnings: XPeng (XPEV)

• Economic Data: Housing starts and permits

Wednesday, March 19:

• Earnings: PDD Holdings (PDD), General Mills (GIS), Micron Technology (MU)

• Economic Data: EIA petroleum report, FOMC announcement

Thursday, March 20:

• Earnings: Accenture (ACN), Nike (NKE), FedEx Corp (FDX), Lululemon Athletica (LULU)

• Economic Data: Jobless claims

Friday, March 21:

• Earnings: None

• Economic Data: Existing home sales

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Index Insights: How Major Benchmarks Performed Last Week

Price>MA10: 🔴

Price>MA20: 🔴

MA10>MA20: 🔴

Market Trend: 🔴 (When Price and Moving Averages are all green, also the Market Trend will be green and positive)

Trend Signal: 🔴

Price>MA10:🔴

Price>MA20: 🔴

MA10>MA20: 🔴

Market Trend: 🔴

Trend Signal: 🔴

Price>MA10: 🔴

Price>MA20: 🔴

MA10>MA20: 🔴

Market Trend: 🔴

Trend Signal: 🔴

Financial Sector Performance: Winners and Losers from Last Week

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📊 Weekly Market Sector Snapshot: Leaders & Laggards

Winners

🔋 Energy (+2.67%)
Leading the pack with strong gains, bucking the broader market trend as energy prices stabilized.

⚡ Utilities (+2.28%)
Second-best performer, attracting investors seeking defensive positions with steady dividends.

🏭 Basic Materials (-0.2%)
Showing remarkable resilience with minimal losses despite market turbulence.

Middle Ground

💰 Financial (-1.04%)
Moderate losses as banking concerns were partially offset by potential benefits from higher rates.

🏗️ Industrials (-2.1%)
Faced headwinds from economic uncertainty but held up better than many sectors.

💻 Technology (-2.2%)
Tech stocks struggled but avoided the worst of the selloff despite growth concerns.

Laggards

🏢 Real Estate (-2.56%)
Pressure from interest rate fears weighed heavily on property valuations.

🏥 Healthcare (-3.04%)
Surprising weakness in a traditionally defensive sector amid broader market rotation.

🛍️ Consumer Cyclical (-3.15%)
Sharp losses reflecting growing fears about consumer spending and economic slowdown.

📱 Communication Services (-3.16%)
Media and telecom stocks faced significant selling pressure as growth outlook dimmed.

🛒 Consumer Defensive (-3.89%)
The worst performer of the week, an unusual position for this typically defensive sector.

🌟 Weekly Industry Leaders: Energy and Metals Surge

🥈 Silver (+11.61%)

Leading the pack with exceptional gains, silver continues its strong performance as both an industrial metal and safe-haven asset.

⚡ Utilities - Independent Power Producers (+9%)

Independent power producers showed impressive strength, benefiting from increased energy demand and favorable market conditions.

⛏️ Other Precious Metals & Mining (+7.12%)

Mining companies focused on precious metals posted substantial gains, reflecting strong commodity prices and investor interest.

🔥 Thermal Coal (+7.04%)

Thermal coal producers rallied significantly, demonstrating resilience in traditional energy markets despite ongoing energy transition.

🧡 Copper (+5.59%)

Copper prices climbed steadily, supported by industrial demand and its critical role in electrification and renewable energy infrastructure.

🌱 Utilities - Renewable (+4.85%)

Renewable energy utilities showed solid performance, continuing to attract investment as the clean energy transition progresses.

🥇 Gold (+4.39%)

Gold maintained its appeal as a safe-haven asset, posting respectable gains amid market uncertainty.

🛢️ Oil & Gas E&P (+3.82%)

Exploration and production companies in the oil and gas sector delivered positive returns, reflecting stable energy prices.

🔒 Insurance - Diversified (+3.5%)

Diversified insurance companies showed strength, offering investors stability and consistent returns.

⚫ Coking Coal (+3.37%)

Coking coal producers rounded out the top performers, supported by steady demand from steel production.

🚀 Top Market Gainers: Biotech Breakthroughs and Maritime Expansion Lead

RGC Regencell Bioscience (+215.57%)
📈 Market Movement: Significant price surge without accompanying news, suggesting possible market speculation or undisclosed developments driving investor interest.

CRVO CervoMed Inc (+202.66%)
🧠 Clinical Success: Announces positive results from Phase 2b extension study of Neflamapimod in Dementia with Lewy Bodies patients, potentially advancing treatment options for this neurological condition.

HMR Heidmar Maritime Holdings Corp (+121.16%)
🚢 Service Expansion: Secures five-year contract to provide platform supply vessel and crew services in the North Sea offshore sector, with additional three one-year extension options, demonstrating strategic diversification.

RDUS Radius Recycling Inc (+106.20%)
🔄 Acquisition Target: Set to be acquired by TOYOTA TSUSHO CORPORATION's U.S. subsidiary, promising accelerated investment and future growth opportunities in the recycling sector.

PEV Phoenix Motor Inc (+104.58%)
💹 Growth Forecast: Projects record revenue exceeding $30M with positive net income for 2024, and targets $40M-$50M revenue in 2025, signaling strong business momentum and profitability trajectory.

🔻 Biggest Decliners: Stock Splits and Financing Concerns Impact Markets

HIT Health In Tech (-88.50%)
📉 Unexplained Decline: Significant price drop without accompanying news, raising questions about potential undisclosed issues affecting investor confidence.

SPHL Springview Holdings Ltd (-85.66%)
⚠️ Market Concerns: Dramatic decline amid allegations of being a speculative Chinese stock with pump-and-dump characteristics, highlighting market skepticism.

WCT WellChange Holdings (-80.36%)
🔻 Similar Pattern: Follows comparable trading pattern to SPHL, with market commentary suggesting similar concerns about stock legitimacy and trading practices.

APDN Applied DNA Sciences (-69.25%)
🔀 Stock Restructuring: Announces 1-for-50 reverse stock split, typically implemented to maintain listing requirements but often triggering significant share price adjustments.

PSTV Plus Therapeutics (-60.03%)
💰 Dilution Concerns: Despite positive framing of $15.0M private placement to advance CNS cancer therapies, market reacts negatively, likely due to potential share dilution impacting existing stockholders.

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