The Trading Post | 05.13.25

May 13, 2025

Good morning,

US-China tariff truce gives way to pullback, inflation data could make or break Fed hopes, UnitedHealth takes a premarket nosedive, Goldman gets bullish while sector rotation shakes things up.

Master a proven SPX trading strategy that requires just 5-6 hours per week with Brandon Wendell's free masterclass designed for traders seeking both consistency and freedom. 

Let’s jump in.

Pre-Market Performance

As of 05.12.25 market close.

Market News

  • US-China Tariff Cool-Down: After cutting tariffs on Chinese imports from 120% to 54%, markets surged Monday... then promptly reconsidered this morning as reality set in. Reuters

  • CPI Incoming: The first inflation read since the tariff shift drops today. Traders bracing for impact. Treasury yields dipped, options volume surged. CNBC

  • UnitedHealth Implodes: Down 10% premarket after pulling 2025 guidance. Healthcare sector gets clobbered. Moneycontrol

  • Goldman Sees Sunshine: Recession odds now at 35% and S&P 500 target hiked to 6,500. Glass half full? More like glass full of hopium. Reuters

A Message From Wealth Builders HQ

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Looking to create consistent cash flow without sacrificing your precious time? Options trading veteran Brandon Wendell is revealing his proprietary SPX strategy that thousands of successful traders are already using – but most of the market still doesn't know about. 

As a Chartered Market Technician with 25 years of experience in both personal and corporate trading, Brandon has distilled his expertise into a system that requires just 5-6 hours of your attention per week. Imagine consolidating all your trading activities into less than one hour per day while maintaining (or even improving) your results! 

This free training reveals how to analytically identify the highest-probability SPX candidates before they make their move, implement a strategy that needs minimal supervision while active, and join the small percentage of traders who've discovered this efficient approach to the markets. 

Perfect for traders who crave simplicity, consistency, and a dramatically shorter learning curve. Save your seat now and reclaim your time while potentially enhancing your trading performance! 

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Earnings We’re Watching

  • Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (HMC) - Tuesday (BMO) 

  • JD.com, Inc. (JD) - Tuesday (BMO) 

  • Landstar System, Inc. (LSTR) - Tuesday (BMO) 

  • Sea Limited (SE) - Tuesday (BMO) 

  • Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) - Tuesday (BMO) 

  • Under Armour, Inc. (UAA) - Tuesday (BMO) 

  • Venture Global, Inc. (VG) - Tuesday (BMO) 

  • Nu Holdings Ltd. (NU) - Tuesday (AMC) 

Trade Ideas

VST, XYL, XOM, ARM

SPXL, SWK, TEAM, VLO

LITE, MAR, MMM, PDD

IBM, INTU, JNJ, LEN

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Daily Moment of Zen

❝

Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria.

Sir John Templeton

Why It Matters:

This isn’t just a poetic cycle — it’s a trader’s cheat code with a side of existential dread. Markets thrive on doubt and die when everyone thinks they're a genius. When nobody wants to touch stocks with a 10-foot pole? That’s the birth. When they grudgingly buy the dip? Growth. When your Uber driver’s giving you stock picks? Maturity. And when your aunt opens a Robinhood account and YOLOs into NFTs? That’s your cue to quietly exit stage left.

For today’s market? Let’s just say we’re somewhere between "mature optimism" and a “light euphoria appetizer.” Trade accordingly — and don’t get caught buying the confetti.