The Trading Post | 05.13.26

May 13, 2026

Good morning,

Traders are bracing for this morning’s PPI report, AI chip names are still dragging indexes toward fresh highs, materials and energy are catching bids on the data-center boom, market breadth is looking a little less enthusiastic than the headlines, and Cisco earnings could give tech traders one more volatility toy to break.

Let’s jump in.

Yesterday’s Post-Market Performance

As of 05.12.26 market close.

Market News

  • PPI takes center stage: Futures are chopping ahead of the 8:30 a.m. ET inflation print, with traders recalibrating rate-cut expectations in real time. A hotter number could pressure high-beta tech; a cooler print could hand bulls another excuse to hit “buy.” CNBC

  • AI semis keep doing AI semi things: Intel, AMD, and Nvidia remain focal points as the chip trade extends its run. Momentum is strong, but chasing vertical candles right before macro data is how traders donate to the market. Reuters

  • Data-center demand spills into old-economy winners: Energy, metals, and infrastructure-linked names are benefiting from the AI buildout, with copper, power, and grid exposure increasingly back in focus. CNBC

  • Indexes look strong. Breadth looks less impressed: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are hovering near highs, but leadership remains concentrated. If fewer stocks are doing more of the lifting, that rally deserves respect — and a side-eye. CNBC

  • Cisco earnings add a tech volatility catalyst: CSCO reports with traders watching not just the reaction in the stock, but any read-through for networking, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise hardware names. CNBC

Earnings We’re Watching

  • Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) - Wednesday (AMC) 

Trade Ideas

AMTEK, Inc (AME), Broadcom Inc (AVGO), Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA),
Credicorp Ltd (BAP)

CBRE Group, Inc (CBRE), C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc (CHRW), Expedia Inc (EXPE),
First Solar, Inc (FSLR)

Generac Holdings Inc (GNRC), Alphabet Inc Class A (GOOGL), iShares Russell 2000 Index Fun (IWM), MongoDB, Inc (MDB)

3M Company (MMM), Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc (ODFL), Reddit, Inc (RDDT),
Synopsys, Inc (SNPS)

Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO), AMTEK, Inc (AME), Broadcom Inc (AVGO),
Alibaba Group Holdings Limited (BABA)

Want to learn how we trade these? Learn the setup we call the “High Volatility Switchback” trade.

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Daily Moment of Zen

❝

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.

Warren Buffett

Why It Matters:

Easy to admire. Harder to practice when the crowd is sprinting in one direction and your nervous system would really prefer not to be the adult in the room. Markets reward independent thinking, but only when it’s paired with discipline — not reflexive contrarianism for sport. Greed near euphoric highs can turn into sloppy entries, oversized bets, and the timeless belief that “this time is different.” Fear during sharp selloffs can create real opportunity, but only for traders with a plan, defined risk, and enough emotional oxygen left to act when everyone else is busy discovering religion. The edge is not in being opposite. It’s in being objective when the crowd is emotional.