The Trading Post | 04.23.25

April 23, 2025

Good morning,

Trump won’t fire Powell (for now), China tariffs may actually fall, Tesla missed earnings but surged anyway, mortgage rates keep climbing, and oil’s on a heater after a stockpile plunge.

Unlock the secrets of chart patterns with Trading Blueprints, where "The Pattern Whisperer" Tony Benson reveals his proven framework for spotting profitable trading opportunities. 

Let’s jump in.

Pre-Market Performance

As of 04.22.25 market close.

Market News

  • Powell Gets a Stay of Execution: Trump reversed course on axing Fed Chair Powell, calling him a "major loser" one day and a "keeper" the next. Markets promptly celebrated with a 600+ point futures rally. Reuters

  • US-China Cold War, Thawed?: Treasury Sec. Bessent hinted tariffs on China could come "way down" from 145%. Global markets responded like a kid on Red Bull. CNN

  • Tesla Earnings Miss... Who Cares?: EPS missed (27c vs 39c), but Musk promised less Trump-ing and more CEO-ing. Market liked that. CNBC

  • Mortgage Rates Back in Pain Zone: Now at 6.9%, the highest since mid-Feb. Homebuyers tapped out again. CNBC

  • Oil Up After Crude Dive: US crude inventories dropped 4.57M barrels. Traders lit a match under oil futures. CNBC

A Message From Wealth Builders HQ

Are you tired of getting faked out by misleading chart patterns? Want to gain confidence in your technical analysis skills? 

Join trading veteran Tony Benson—nicknamed "The Pattern Whisperer"—for a free training that will transform how you spot profitable opportunities in the market. 

In this exclusive webinar, you'll discover: 

  • The Pattern-Finding Secret: Learn to identify high-probability chart patterns that signal potential profit opportunities 

  • The Most Powerful Patterns: Recognize the specific formations that consistently lead to profitable trades 

  • The Right Strategy Selection: Match the perfect trading strategy to each pattern for maximum effectiveness 

With over 20 years of trading experience and thousands of successful students, Tony has developed a framework that takes the guesswork out of technical analysis. 

Whether you're overwhelmed by the complexity of chart patterns or simply want to refine your existing skills, this training provides the blueprint you need to trade with confidence. 

SAVE YOUR SEAT NOW for the free Trading Blueprints webinar and stop leaving money on the table! 

Earnings We’re Watching

  • Amphenol Corp. (APH) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • AT&T Corp. (T) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Avery Dennison Corp. (AVY) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Boeing Co. (BA) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • CME Group Inc (CME) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • GE Vernova Inc. (GEV) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • General Dynamics Corp. (GD) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Lennox International, Inc. (LII) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Lithia & Driveway (LAD) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • MVI Homes (MHO) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Masco Corp. (MAS) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc. (EDU) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • NextEra Energy Inc (NEE) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. (ODFL) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Otis Worldwide Corporation (OTIS) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Philip Morris International Inc (PM) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Rogers Communications Inc (RCI) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Ryder System Inc. (R) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (TMHC) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • TE Connectivity Ltd. (TEL) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Teledyne Technologies Inc. (TDY) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Vertiv Holdings Co (VRT) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Wabtec Corporation (WAB) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Watsco, Inc. (WSO) - Wednesday (BMO) 

  • Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • CACI International, Inc. (CACI) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Carlisle Companies, Inc. (CSL) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Discover Financial Services (DFS) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • First American Corp (FAF) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (KNX) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Lam Research Corp. (LRCX) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Meritage Homes Corporation (MTH) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Molina Healthcare Inc. (MOH) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (ORLY) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Reliance, Inc. (RS) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • RenaissanceRe Holdings, Ltd. (RNR) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • ResMed Inc. (RMD) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Selective Insurance Group Inc. (SIGI) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • ServiceNow,Inc. (NOW) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • TFI International Inc. (TFII) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • United Rentals, Inc. (URI) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Waste Connections Inc. (WCN) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Western Union Company (WU) - Wednesday (AMC) 

  • Whirlpool Corp. (WHR) - Wednesday (AMC) 

Trade Ideas

  • Amgen Inc (AMGN)

  • Apollo Global Management Ord Shs (APO)

  • ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB)

  • ASML Holding NV (ASML)

  • Broadcom Inc (AVGO)

  • Builders FirstSource, Inc. (BLDR)

  • Docusign Inc (DOCU)

  • Lantheus Holdings Inc (LNTH)

  • McDonald's Corp (MCD)

  • Marvell Technology Inc (MRVL)

  • Insulet Corp (PODD)

  • Phillips 66 (PSX)

  • Steel Dynamics Inc (STLD)

  • Stanley Black & Decker Inc (SWK)

  • Targa Resources Corp (TRGP)

  • Verisk Analytics, Inc. (VRSK)

  • SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB)

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Daily Moment of Zen

❝

Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.

John Maynard Keynes

Why It Matters:

Ah yes, the eternal warning shot across the bow of every overconfident trader. You might be right… eventually. But if you're too early, too leveraged, or too stubborn to cut, the market will happily steamroll you while being utterly wrong.

This gem reminds us that logic has a curfew, but margin calls don't. Fundamentals may scream "SELL," but if price says "MOON," guess who wins the argument? Spoiler: not you, and certainly not your brokerage balance.

In short—trade the tape, not your ego. Or as we like to say around here: don't fight the madness, just rent it for a while… then politely excuse yourself with profits intact.