empty
17.03.2025 10:32 AM
Are stock investors poised to buy shares during nosedive?

Anything can happen sooner or later. The S&P 500 entered correction territory in just 16 trading sessions. In the previous 24 instances where stocks dropped 10% from recent record highs but avoided a bear market, it took around eight months to recover to all-time highs. This suggests that the broad stock index is unlikely to regain its uptrend before mid-October.

S&P 500 correction trends

This image is no longer relevant

The euphoria that dominated the stock market during the presidential elections in November has now been replaced by pessimism. Investors have realized that events are unfolding differently than they had anticipated. They had envisioned Trump 2.0 as a continuation of Trump 1.0—just like eight years ago, they expected the White House leader to start with tax cuts and deregulation, giving the US economy a boost before pushing it over the edge with tariffs.

In reality, things turned out differently. Import tariffs are not just a negotiation tactic for the Republican leader—he is genuinely committed to bringing factories and production back to the US. This overhaul of a decades-old system is spooking investors, causing them to flee like rats from a sinking ship. As a result, the S&P 500 is not just declining—it is also losing ground to its European and global counterparts.

Economic policy uncertainty is at extreme levels, and markets are questioning whether they can withstand the April 2nd shock when mutual tariffs and import duties on specific industries are set to be announced.

Catching a falling knife?

Should investors buy in a bear market under these conditions? According to surveys by the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII), the proportion of stock market bears has surpassed the number of bulls for the first time in a long while. Financial advisors are unanimously recommending selling equities. Pessimism is extreme, and historically, such moments create perfect buying opportunities. However, now might not be the ideal time, as big players don't seem as scared as the retail investors.

US stock market bull vs. bear sentiment trends

This image is no longer relevant

The S&P 500 downtrend poses a risk to the US economy. A Harvard University study suggests that a 20% drop in the broad stock index in 2025 could reduce GDP growth by 1 percentage point. The reason? The top 10% of wealthy American households account for half of all consumer spending. When market capitalization falls, their wealth declines, leading to sluggish spending.

This image is no longer relevant

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent derines the stock market correction as "normal" and insists that stock indices will thrive due to strong tax policies and deregulation in the long run, but for now, they remain stuck in a downward spiral.

Technical outlook for the S&P 500

On the daily chart, a cluster has formed near the point 5 of the Expanding Wedge pattern. A break above 5,645 would serve as a buy signal for the S&P 500, but short-term gains are likely to be met with selling pressure at resistance levels of 5,670, 5,750, and 5,815.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to show strong demand, trading near its all-time high, just below the key psychological level of $3400. The hardline international trade policy pursued by U.S. President Donald Trump

Irina Yanina 19:15 2025-04-21 UTC+2

EUR/GBP. Analysis and Forecast

The strengthening of the pair is linked to the euro's rise amid U.S. dollar weakness, driven by concerns over a potential recession in the U.S. and questions about the Federal

Irina Yanina 12:17 2025-04-21 UTC+2

Markets in limbo: awaiting next shock or revival

After the rollercoaster ride of early April, the US stock market seems to have come to a standstill. The S&P 500 is neither alive nor dead — it's starting

Marek Petkovich 11:46 2025-04-21 UTC+2

The Dollar and Stock Market Crash Continues (AUD/USD May Keep Rising While USD/JPY Declines Further)

While Europe and parts of Asia continue celebrating Easter and political life has temporarily paused, in the U.S., the "Make America Great Again" trend set by Donald Trump continues

Pati Gani 09:04 2025-04-21 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on April 21? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

No macroeconomic events are scheduled for Monday—not in the U.S., the Eurozone, Germany, or the U.K. Therefore, even if the market was paying attention to the macroeconomic backdrop, today, there

Paolo Greco 06:30 2025-04-21 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – April 21: The Inertial Growth Continues

The GBP/USD currency pair continued its upward movement on Friday. If we had seen such price action away from peak levels, there would have been no questions. In essence

Paolo Greco 04:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – April 21: The Market Sleeps, Only Trump Can Wake It Up

On Friday, the EUR/USD currency pair made no notable movements whatsoever. This was unsurprising, as Friday marked Good Friday, and Sunday was Easter. Many banks and trading venues were closed

Paolo Greco 04:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

US Dollar: Weekly Preview

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? The US dollar will again try to answer that question in the new week. To briefly recap: over the past

Chin Zhao 01:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

British Pound: Weekly Preview

Several fairly interesting reports were released in the UK, but they almost did not impact market participants' actions. Demand for the British pound increased on all five days except

Chin Zhao 01:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

Euro: Weekly Preview

There were very few changes regarding the euro last week. We observed horizontal movement for most of the week, which naturally did not affect the current wave markup. I want

Chin Zhao 01:00 2025-04-21 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.