The Trading Post | 05.15.25

Good morning,

Tech took a breather, futures are red, Walmart crushed earnings but waved the tariff red flag, Foot Locker went full meme on a buyout, UNH got slapped by the DOJ, and Alibaba's quarter flopped harder than a penny stock pump.

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 05.14.25 market close.

Market News

• Walmart’s Earnings Beat: Q1 EPS $0.61 vs $0.52 est., revenue up 2.5%. Tariff talk spooked some, but shares are up 2%. NASDAQ

• UnitedHealth Under DOJ Probe: UNH sinking after reports of a criminal Medicare fraud investigation. Yahoo Finance

• Foot Locker Jumps 80%: Dick's Sporting Goods announced it's buying FL. Apparently, someone found synergy in sneakers. CNBC

• Alibaba Misses: BABA fell 5% premarket after a revenue whiff. China risk premium back on the menu. WSJ

• CoreWeave Tanks: Down 8% after unveiling capex plans heavy enough to scare even Tesla fanboys. Yahoo Finance

• Retail Data Incoming: April retail sales + PPI due today. Expect vibes-based trading to spike around 8:30AM ET. Economic Times

• Powell on Deck: Fed Chair takes the mic later today. Traders will parse every syllable for signs of rate pain or pivot fairy tales. CNBC

• Gold and Oil Drift Lower: Commodities are slipping; energy and materials might catch a chill. Fortune

A Message From Wealth Builders HQ

Trade Smarter, Not Harder: The SPX Success Formula 

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

• Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) - Thursday (BMO) 

• Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ) - Thursday (BMO) 

• Deere & Company (DE) - Thursday (BMO) 

• KE Holdings Inc. (BEKE) - Thursday (BMO) 

• NetEase, Inc. (NTES) - Thursday (BMO) 

• Walmart Inc. (WMT) - Thursday (BMO) 

• ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (ZK) - Thursday (BMO) 

• Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) - Thursday (AMC) 

• Credicorp, Ltd (BAP) - Thursday (AMC) 

• National Grid plc (NGG) - Thursday (AMC) 

• Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (TTWO) - Thursday (AMC) 

Trade Ideas

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Daily Moment of Zen

Why It Matters:

The market doesn’t reward heroics; it punishes recklessness with ruthless efficiency. This quote isn’t just catchy—it’s a survival rule. Every seasoned trader knows risk management is the real alpha. You don’t last long by doubling down on every dip or chasing every breakout like a caffeinated squirrel. You last by knowing when not to play. Be boring, be consistent, and you might just live long enough to become the wise, gray-haired trader others quote in newsletters.