Stocks Stage Big 1Q Bounce
The Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq are up double-digit percentage points in the first quarter
Stocks bounced back big in the first quarter, with the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all pacing for double-digit percentage gains in the first three months of 2019, following their worst quarterly performances in years at the end of last year. While the price action has been more mixed in March -- with tech shares turning in a strong performance -- all three indexes are tracking toward weekly wins, as upbeat U.S.-China trade headlines overshadow this week's uncertainty around sinking bond yields.
Apple Slumps After Streaming Event
Tech stocks lost some of their shine in the last week of the month, with Apple (AAPL) stock consolidating some of its recent gains. The shares are set for just their third weekly loss of the year, as traders sold the news on Monday's streaming event. Elsewhere in the FAANG sphere, Alphabet (GOOGL) is set to wrap up its worst week since late December -- and could be headed for even bigger losses next month.
Not all of the week's tech action was negative, with Nvidia (NVDA) set to extend its weekly winning streak to three thanks to a well-timed bull note. Plus, F5 Networks (FFIV) is headed toward its first weekly win of the month on a Piper Jaffray upgrade, and Qualcomm (QCOM) popped on a legal win -- though history says it's time to drop the stock.
Big Weeks for Bed Bath & Beyond, PVH
Retail stocks remained in the limelight, with Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) logging its best day in years on activist investor chatter -- sparking a rush in options activity. PVH Corp (PVH), meanwhile, was the best stock on the SPX Thursday after earnings, while earnings reactions for Lululemon (LULU) and Five Below (FIVE) rewarded options bulls. On the other end of the spectrum was Conn's (CONN), which sparked a short-sale restriction after earnings.
Best Stocks to Trade Right Now
With the month and quarter wrapping up, traders may be looking ahead for stocks to trade in seasonally strong April, as well as the second quarter. While this blue chip has been one of the best to own next month, this FAANG stock tends to turn in a strong second-quarter performance. Citigroup, meanwhile, could be ready to bounce from this bullish trendline, while this Chinese stock just sent up a buy signal.