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Momentum Monday: FOMC, Big-Tech Earnings, and QRA

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Want to start the week ahead of the pack? Check out Momentum Mondays, where I cover the leading breakout stocks in the market, summarize the major events of the week ahead, and prepare investors for profitable trading.

Today, we will be taking a look at the broad stock market indexes to summarize the action of the last few weeks, then we will look at the economic calendar and earnings releases to address any market moving data coming our way. And finally, I will share four compelling technical trade setups in stocks with top Zacks Ranks.

Busy Week Ahead

There is a lot of important data coming out this week, from Federal Reserve and Treasury policy to the majority of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ reporting earnings.

On Tuesday morning, we get economic data in the form of Job Openings and Consumer Confidence. Then after the market close earnings reports from Microsoft, Alphabet, and AMD.

Wednesday, in the morning ADP employment will give us another view of the labor market, and then in the afternoon the FOMC interest rate policy meeting. Although there is almost no chance of a change in policy, investors will be listening closely to the comments from members of the Fed and Jerome Powell for insight into future rate cuts.

Also on Wednesday, the Treasury Department will be releasing its Quarterly Funding Announcement. This report tells us what mix of Treasury bond/note durations will be issued to fund government spending. This has become a much more followed topic in the last few months.

Then on Thursday morning, more employment data in the form of Initial Jobless claims, followed by earnings calls from Apple, Amazon, and Meta Platforms.

Market Action

After three very strong weeks of action in the market, with indexes pushing to new all-time highs, there are signs that the market is overbought. In the chart below I note that the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ - Free Report)  is bumping against its upper Bollinger Band, potentially limiting near-term upside.

TradingView
Image Source: TradingView

Technical Setups

Because I have a more cautious outlook on the market this week, with some overbought readings and a litany of important data to be released, I am sharing two growth-oriented stocks and two more defensive ones. All these stocks have Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) ratings.

First, we have Duolingo (DUOL - Free Report) , which has formed a descending wedge.

TradingView
Image Source: TradingView

The next technical setup is looking at Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) . These first two are the more aggressive longs, which should benefit if the broader market continues to rally.

TradingView
Image Source: TradingView

Next, we have Honda Motor Co. (HMC - Free Report) , which is breaking out from a clear bull flag.

TradingView
Image Source: TradingView

And finally, Davita (DVA - Free Report) , a healthcare company which leads the industry in dialysis treatment has been forming a two-month consolidation. The second two stocks should outperform in the case of a sell-off.

TradingView
Image Source: TradingView

Bottom Line

Even the best trading setups fail, so it is always important for traders to prioritize making a trading plan, following the plan, and utilizing strict risk management protocols.

Good luck this week traders!

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