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The euphoria that dominated the stock market during the presidential elections in November has now been replaced by pessimism.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

GBP/USD Overview – June 23: Geopolitics vs. Economy

The GBP/USD currency pair traded sluggishly throughout Friday, but one technical factor is worth noting: the price failed to consolidate above the moving average. Thus, technical analysis currently suggests

Paolo Greco 03:50 2025-06-23 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – June 23: The U.S. Has Officially Entered the War Against Iran

The EUR/USD currency pair traded with minimal volatility and no clear direction throughout Friday. The upward trend remains intact without any doubt. However, a significant strengthening of the U.S. dollar

Paolo Greco 03:50 2025-06-23 UTC+2

US-EU Negotiations on the Verge of Collapse

As anticipated, this phrase can describe nearly every action taken by Donald Trump. I have consistently argued that the core of any negotiations involving Trump comes down to this

Chin Zhao 00:13 2025-06-23 UTC+2

Iran Preparing a "Long-Term Response" to the US

Only a few hours have passed since the overnight airstrike by American bombers on Iranian nuclear facilities—and already, missiles are flying in the opposite direction. However, they are not targeting

Chin Zhao 00:13 2025-06-23 UTC+2

EUR/USD: Prepare for Price Turbulence

The economic calendar for the upcoming week is packed with important releases and events. However, all of them will be overshadowed by geopolitical developments—or rather, one specific event that took

Irina Manzenko 00:13 2025-06-23 UTC+2

U.S. Dollar: Weekly Preview

The United States brings many important economic events. Additionally, as I have mentioned several times, the ongoing war in the Middle East could greatly influence market sentiment. As a result

Chin Zhao 00:12 2025-06-23 UTC+2

British Pound: Weekly Preview

The dynamics of the British pound will also not be driven by the pound itself or domestic UK news. The reasons are the same: the U.S. involvement in the Middle

Chin Zhao 00:12 2025-06-23 UTC+2

Euro: Preview of the Week

Few genuinely believe that economic news will overshadow other developments in the coming week. These "other developments" are of global significance. Over the weekend, the United States launched a strike

Chin Zhao 00:12 2025-06-23 UTC+2

AUD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

The AUD/JPY pair is regaining positive momentum after a modest pullback the previous day. However, spot prices remain confined within a multi-day range due to mixed fundamental signals, trading near

Irina Yanina 14:39 2025-06-20 UTC+2

USD/CHF: The Pair Struggles to Gain Momentum Amid Conflicting Forces

At present, USD/CHF shows no clear intraday direction and fluctuates within a narrow range just above the 0.8155 level, reflecting market uncertainty during the European session. The Swiss franc

Irina Yanina 14:36 2025-06-20 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.