Dow rises more than 400 points to hit intra-day of 42000 then trims back before close

Stock rotation

Let the rotation begin

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged on Friday 12th July 2024 as investors began to diversify beyond the technology sector.

The Dow closed at 40,000.90, after hitting a new all-time high of 40,257.

The Dow closed at 40,000.90, after hitting a new all-time high of 40,257.

The S&P 500 added 0.55% to 5,615, and the Nasdaq Composite went up 0.63% to 18,398. However, on Thursday 11th July 2024 the S&P 500 experienced its worst day since late April due to a major market rotation, with Nvidia dropping 5.6%.

Investors rotated from tech to industrial stocks in the Dow on Friday, hoping that slowing inflation might lead to a Federal Reserve rate cut in September.

The Dow gained 1.6% for the week, spurred by a report showing a 0.1% decline in the consumer price index for June. Recent reports suggest that the Federal Reserve might indeed consider a rate cut in September if inflation continues to slow.

While the AI growth has been dominant, other market catalysts, such as potential rate cuts, can also drive different sectors, including utilities.

Good earnings, improving economic news and the promise of a rate cut are combining to become the perfect storm for U.S. stocks.

Which governments hold the most Bitcoin?

Bitcoin cartoon

U.S., UK and Germany hold more Bitcoin than you may think.

According to the Arkham website, the United States’ government holds some 212,847 BTC making it one of the biggest holders of Bitcoin, while the treasuries of the U.K. and Germany reportedly hold around 61,245 BTC and 49,858 BTC each. (These values alter daily).

In addition to Bitcoin, the U.S. government also holds around $200 million in other cryptocurrencies like Ether (ETH), as well as major stablecoins like USDC.

U.S. Bitcoin holding by current value according to Arkham

Data from Arkham (as of 12th July 2024)

Arkham, a crypto intelligence platform focused on deanonymizing entities on the blockchain network, has introduced a dashboard featuring the governments with the largest crypto holdings.

The U.K. government, reportedly ranked second, holds around $3.5 billion worth of Bitcoin at current valuations, according to Arkham’s data. The German government owns roughly $2.5 billion.

UK Bitcoin holding by current value according to Arkham

Data from Arkham (as of 12th July 2024)

Other world governments holding Bitcoin

China, Russia, Ukraine, El Salvador, Finland, Bhutan and many others.

In 2021, El Salvador became the first country to make Bitcoin legal tender and mandated all local businesses to accept payments in BTC. 

Big Tech and AI stocks push S&P 500 and Nasdaq to new all-time highs!

Record highs

On Wednesday, 10th July 2024, the S&P 500 reached a new record high, surpassing 5,600 for the first time, propelled by a significant surge in semiconductor stocks.

The S&P 500 index rose by 1.02%, ending the day at 5,633 and marking its seventh consecutive day of gains. The Nasdaq Composite increased, achieving a new all-time high closing at 18,647.

This year has seen the S&P 500 close at record highs some 37 times, with the Nasdaq following closely with 27 record high finishes.

S&P 500

S&P 500

Nasdaq Composite

Nasdaq Composite

The Dow Jones Industrial Average grew by 429 points, finishing at 39,721.

Note: figures rounded

Japan’s Nikkei blast through 42000 to reach all-time high

Nikkei Lift Off!

Japan’s Nikkei 225 surpassed the 42,000 threshold for the first time ever during a widespread increase in Asia-Pacific markets on Thursday 11th July 2024.

This surge followed a rally in U.S. Big Tech stocks, fueled by optimism over a potential Federal Reserve rate cut moving ever closer.

The Nikkei climbed almost 1% to close at 42,224 driven by gains in technology shares, while the comprehensive Topix index advanced to finish at 2,929.

Nikkei index

Japan, India and U.S. stock markets continue to hit new record highs!

Record highs

Asia-Pacific markets witnessed highs on Tuesday 8th July 2024, mirroring the gains on Wall Street where the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite ended at record highs. India’s Nifty 50 index also hit an all-time high of 24401.2

Investors are anticipating the forthcoming U.S. consumer price index release to discern the Federal Reserve’s direction on interest rates.

Pundits

Pundits have moved this year from four 0.25% rate reductions to one and now maybe to two with the first in September 2024. The Fed trickles decisions out from its fickle stance and each time the markets move in anticipation like a lap dog eagerly awaiting a pat. It almost doesn’t matter what the Fed does – markets want to go up. However, a rate reduction and good economic and earnings news will drive the markets even higher, for a while.

Fickle Fed

Markets are currently anticipating earnings reports. The Federal Reserve, having considered the latest economic reports, has influenced the markets with a mix of indifferent decisions. AI and technology have significantly shifted the stock market landscape, with the potential for further growth – provided that earnings sustain the pace of AI investments and expenses.

Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite achieved record highs again overnight, alongside Japan’s Nikkei and Topix reaching new highs too.

The Nikkei 225 climbed to settle at 41580.17 after hitting a new high of 41769.35. The Topix also gained, closing at 2895.55, having touched a peak of 2907.21.

Nikkei

Topix

S&P 500

Nasdaq Composite

Nifty 50

Tesla shares recover 2024 losses with a 27% rally in one week

EV

Following a dismal beginning to 2024, Tesla’s stock has experienced a sharp rally, erasing its losses for 2023.

Tesla’s shares ended on Friday at $251.55, marking a 27% increase for the week.

The automaker announced on Tuesday 2nd July 2024 that its second-quarter vehicle deliveries surpassed forecasts.

Tesla 5-day chart – share price closed at 251.55

Tesla 5-day chart – share price closed at 251.55

S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs again as job data raises chance of a Fed interest rate cut

U.S. market record highs

Markets respond positively to job data as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq break record highs, again!

S&P 500 record high

S&P 500 record high Friday 5th July 2024

Nasdaq Composite record high

Nasdaq Composite record high

Nasdaq 100 record high

Nasdaq 100 record high

U.S. non-farm payrolls increase

The U.S. economy added slightly more jobs than expected in June 2024 though the unemployment rate increased, the U.S. Labor Department reported Friday.

Non-farm payrolls increased by 206,000 for the month, better than the 200,000 Dow Jones forecast though less than the downwardly revised gain of 218,000 in May, which was cut sharply from the initial estimate of 272,000.

The unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.1%, matching the peak since October 2021, presenting a conundrum for Federal Reserve officials as they consider their next steps in monetary policy. Projections had indicated that the unemployment rate would remain stable at 4%.

Bitcoin in a spin as it drops below $55000

Bitcoin in a downward spiral

More than $170 billion has been erased from the cryptocurrency market due to concerns over the Mt. Gox bitcoin payout.

Bitcoin’s price plummeted over 6% in 24 hours, reaching $54,237, marking its lowest point since late February 2024.

The total cryptocurrency market lost over $170 billion in market capitalization within the same timeframe, according to CoinGecko.

The Mt. Gox bankruptcy estate’s trustee announced on Friday that repayments in Bitcoin have commenced for certain creditors via specified cryptocurrency exchanges.

What is, or was, Mt. Gox Bitcoin?

The Mt. Gox Bitcoin payout pertains to the reimbursement process for creditors of the defunct Mt. Gox cryptocurrency exchange. Previously the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox fell in 2014 due to a significant hack, leading to the loss of about 740,000 Bitcoins.

Following extensive legal battles and postponements, the exchange is poised to start disbursing roughly $9 billion in Bitcoin and Bitcoin cash to its creditors. This payout is noteworthy as it entails a substantial return of bitcoin to users, which may influence the cryptocurrency market dynamics.

An important rare Earth metal

Tungsten rare Earth metal

Tungsten is a critically important rare earth metal, renowned for its unique and valuable properties.

Tungsten has the highest melting point among all metals, which makes it exceptionally suitable for high-temperature applications.

Key aspects of its importance

Industrial and technological applications

Tungsten is used in many industries where hardness, high density, high wear resistance, and high-temperature resistance are required. This includes mining, construction, energy generation, electronics, aerospace, and defence sectors. It is used in weapons, autos, electric car batteries, semiconductors and industrial machinery.

Fact: approximately 2Kg of tungsten goes into every electric vehicle.

Alloys

Metals are frequently alloyed with Tungsten to enhance their strength without substantially adding to their weight. This property is vital for uses like arc-welding electrodes and heating elements in high-temperature furnaces.

Significance

Tungsten is acknowledged as a critical metal because of its economic significance and the scarcity of its sources. It is reported that China produces the majority of the world’s tungsten, controlling approximately 80% of the supply of this rare earth metal.

Durability and flexibility

Tungsten’s durability, flexibility, and resistance to corrosion contribute to its popularity across various industries and applications. It ranks among the hardest and most resilient materials found in nature.

These characteristics render tungsten not just crucial but also indispensable for numerous high-tech applications. The rarity of tungsten and the intricate nature of its extraction and refinement processes enhance its value even further.

World suppliers of tungsten

According to Statista.com the global tungsten market was valued at over $5 billion USD in 2022. It’s projected to grow significantly, with estimates suggesting it could reach over $9.5 billion USD by 2030

Nasdaq and S&P 500 both hit new highs as markets close early for U.S. Independence Day!

U.S. Independence Day

The S&P 500 reached new heights in a shortened trading session on Wednesday 3rd July 2024, with investors seemingly dismissing lacklustre economic data.

The S&P 500 closed at a new high of 5537, while the Nasdaq Composite finished the session at 18188, buoyed by rallies in technology and AI stocks like Tesla and Nvidia. Both indices reached new all-time highs during the session and closed at record levels.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost just closed down at 39308.

Trading volume was subdued as the New York Stock Exchange closed early at 1 p.m. ET. The exchange will remain closed on Thursday 4th July 2024 for Independence Day celebrations.

S&P 500: One-year chart – index closed at a new record high

S&P 500 One-year chart closed at new record high

Nasdaq Composite: One-year chart closed at new record high

Nasdaq Composite: One-year chart closed at new record high

Common investing mistakes to avoid

Wise stock selection

Avoiding common investing and trading pitfalls is crucial. Here are some typical investing errors you should try to avoid.

Warren Buffett wisely cautions against investing in businesses that are not well understood. It is crucial to have a deep understanding of the company, its market sector, the broader industry, and its financial stability before committing to an investment.

Understand your investment

Take time to research whether it be a company, fund, unit trust or savings account. Make sure you understand what you are doing. Not understanding the investment is a massive failing.

Love the company, but resist falling in love with it. An emotional attachment to a specific stock can obscure your judgement. Keep in mind that investing should be a process of making rational decisions based on data, not on personal emotions.

Patience

Successful investing demands patience. Don’t anticipate immediate results; give your investments the necessary time to mature. Resist the urge to frequently check the markets and make hasty uninformed decisions.

Investment turnover

Excessive trading, known as churning, can result in significant transaction fees and tax consequences. It is advisable to adopt a long-term investment strategy and minimize superfluous trades.

Attempting to time the market

Consistently timing the market is a difficult task. Instead, the emphasis should be on the duration of market involvement. Steady contributions and maintaining investments yield benefits in the long-term.

Getting even

Clinging to underperforming investments with the hope of just breaking even can be harmful. It’s crucial to assess each investment on its own merits and be prepared to take losses when needed. Run the winners!

Diversify

Investing all your funds in a single stock or asset class heightens the risk. Mitigate this by diversifying your investments across various asset types, industries, sectors and regions.

Cut emotions

Fear and greed often result in unwise decisions. It’s crucial to remain disciplined, adhere to your investment plan, and resist the urge to make hasty decisions driven by emotions.

You

Always maintain honesty with yourself when investing. Do not persuade yourself of anything other than the FACTS regarding your investment choices!

Keep in mind that investing is a journey where learning from mistakes is an integral part of the experience. By steering clear of these common pitfalls, you’ll set yourself up for greater long-term success.

Spread out your investments. Diversify. Aim for the long term. Remove emotion. Let the winners run. And doe your RESEARCH!

RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!

S&P 500 closes above 5500 for the first time

S&P Bull run record

On 2nd July 2024, the S&P 500 reached a significant milestone, closing above 5500 for the first time in its history.

This impressive achievement has prolonged the blistering rally of 2024, during which the index has reached 32 record highs. Since July 2023, the S&P 500 index has surged by more than 1000 points.

The rise in U.S. equities has been propelled by robust corporate earnings, the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, and the anticipation of interest rate reductions. Although some analysts warn that the market might be stretched too far, others are forecasting additional increases.

Many analysts have now raised their target for the S&P 500 to end the year at around 5700.

One year S&P 500 chart July 2023 to July 2024

One year S&P 500 chart July 2023 to July 2024

Amazon plans discount store to fend off the rise of Temu and Shein

Online shopper

Amazon is reportedly preparing to launch a new store section on its site dedicated to low-priced fashion and lifestyle items.

The move is aimed at competing with e-commerce upstarts Temu and Shein, both of which have ties to China.

The new storefront will offer unbranded products, with numerous items priced below $20. Amazon plans to ship these goods directly from China, targeting a delivery window of round 10 days. This initiative is a strategic move by Amazon to counter increasing competition and broaden its assortment while preserving competitive pricing.

While the precise launch date has not been announced, the storefront is anticipated to begin accepting products in the autumn of 2024.

Amazon achieves a $2 trillion market cap for the first time

2 trillion

During intraday trading on Wednesday 26th June 2024, Amazon’s market capitalisation surpassed $2 trillion.

The company now stands among other tech giants like Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft, which have also achieved a market cap of over $2 trillion ($3 trillion for in Nvidia Apple and Microsoft).

Amazon’s shares have experienced a significant increase in the past year.

Amazon one year chart from 27th June 2023 – 26th June 2024. Share price: 193.61

Amazon one year chart from 27th June 2023 – 26th June 2024. Share price: 193.61

Nvidia rebounds after half a trillion market cap slump

Hot AI

To put this figure into some perspective, the loss is comparable to the GDP output of a small country, such as Norway, Singapore, or the UAE, for example.

Global semiconductor stocks experienced volatility on Tuesday following a decline in Nvidia’s shares from the previous trading sessions.

Shares of chip firms in Europe and Asia fell in early trade as investors reacted to Nvidia losing more than $500 billion in market capitalization over three trading days. Some of the stocks recouped losses, however, as shares in the U.S. chipmaking giant recovered around 6 – 6.5% as of Tuesday 25th June 2024.

This follows a significant drop in Nvidia’s share value, which fell 13% over three consecutive sessions from the record highs achieved on Thursday 20th June 2024.

On Monday 24th June 2024, Nvidia’s stock closed down 6.7%, marking its second-largest decline of the year, yet the shares began to recover in early trading on Tuesday 25th June 2024.

Last week, the company surpassed Apple and Microsoft to become the most valuable U.S. company, achieving a market capitalization of over $3.4 trillion. However, by the end of Monday, Nvidia’s market value had declined by more than $540 billion from its intraday record on Thursday 20th June 2024.

Nvidia reported that the demand for its highly sought-after artificial intelligence graphics processing units (GPUs) continues to be strong.

Companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are investing billions of dollars in these chips to enhance their data centres and cloud services.

Nvidia slips by 13% in three days after momentarily becoming most valuable company

AI on fire

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained as investors rotated out of ‘hot’ chip stocks, including Nvidia.

Nvidia shares fell a little under 7% on Monday 24th June 2024, the chipmaker’s third down day in a row. The stock is down 13% from its peak last week.

Other stocks that also experienced drops on Monday were some of the biggest gainers of late due to their exposure to the artificial intelligence (AI) feeding frenzy.

Investors may be taking profits and locking in gains in Nvidia and similar momentum stocks after a number of extremely busy trading months.

Bitcoin tumbles back to $60,000

Bitcoin falling

The price of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin was down more than 6% at close to $60,000 on Monday 24th June 2024 – its lowest level in more than a month and about 17% from its March 2024 record.

In the past week, it’s fallen more than 10%.

Crypto investment products reportedly notched a second consecutive week of outflows, according to analysts. Last week, they saw their lowest trading volumes globally since the U.S. Bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024.

Bitcoin one day chart 24th June 2024 at around $60,000 (CoinMarketCap)

Bitcoin one day chart 24th June 2024 at around $60,000

Have you heard of the ‘Sahm Rule’ recession indicator?

Rules in a book

The ‘Sahm Rule’ serves as a heuristic indicator employed by the Federal Reserve to ascertain the onset of a recession in the economy.

The Sahm Rule is a real-time evaluation tool based on monthly unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Named after economist Claudia Sahm, it forecasts the onset of a recession when the three-month moving average of the national unemployment rate (U3) increases by 0.50% or more compared to its lowest point in the preceding 12 months.

This simple yet effective indicator helps policymakers monitor economic cycles and respond accordingly

Time to cut according to the ‘Sahm Rule’

Sahm has reportedly stated that the Fed is taking a significant risk by not implementing gradual rate cuts now. Last week, Federal Reserve officials significantly reduced their forecasts for rate cuts this year, shifting from three anticipated reductions noted in the March 2024 meeting to just one.

According to the creator of a well-established rule for predicting recessions, the Federal Reserve is risking an economic contraction by not lowering interest rates immediately.

Nvidia briefly surpassed the individual stock market values of Germany, France and the UK

Market Cap up

The little-known company, Nvidia, now stands alongside Apple and Microsoft in market cap valuation thanks to AI.

In just a little over a year it has all but tripled its market valuation and become a go to investment on Wall Street and around the world.

Nvidia’s market capitalization has recently individually surpassed the total value of the German, French, and U.K. stock markets.

With a market cap exceeding $3.4 trillion, Nvidia now stands above these significant European stock markets in valuation.

S&P 500 breaches 5500 but closes slightly lower as Nvidia pulls back from its meteoric rise

S&P 500

The S&P 500 retreated on Thursday 20th June 2024, having momentarily surpassed the 5500 for the first time ever, as Nvidia, a favourite stock with Wall Street investors, relinquished its earlier gains.

The S&P 500 index fell 0.25% to end at 5473. Earlier in the session, the S&P 500 gained around 0.34% to hit a new all-time high.

S&P 500 one day chart 20th June 2024

S&P 500 one day chart 20th June 2024

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.79% to finish at 17721. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow) jumped around 299 points, to close at 39134.

Nvidia lost ground and handed the Market Cap crown back to Microsoft after briefly enjoying the accolade for just 2 days. At one point, Nvidia trimmed around $240 billion off its Market Cap as investors took profits.

Will Nvidia regain the crown in the coming weeks? Probably.

Nvidia one day chart 20th June 2024

Nvidia one day chart 20th June 2024

Anthropic releases its most powerful AI Chatbot

Chatbot

Anthropic, a rival to OpenAI, unveiled Claude 3.5 Sonnet on Thursday, touting it as their most advanced AI model to date.

Claude has joined the ranks of widely used chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Founded by former OpenAI research leaders, Anthropic has secured backing from major tech entities like Google, Salesforce, and Amazon. Over the past year, the company has completed numerous funding rounds, reportedly amassing approximately $7.3 billion.

The announcement comes after Anthropic introduced its Claude 3 series of models in March, followed by OpenAI’s GPT-4o in May 2024. Anthropic has stated that Claude 3.5 Sonnet, the initial model from the new Claude 3.5 series, surpasses the speed of its predecessor, Claude 3 Opus.

It shows marked improvement in grasping nuance, humour, and complex instructions, and is exceptional at writing high-quality content with a natural, relatable tone,” the company said in a blog post.

It can also write, edit and execute code in a real time workspace open for the user to engage.

The unloved stock market rally: exploring why many investors are hesitant to embrace this record-breaking run

Unloved rally

The unloved rally: A paradox

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq have been reaching all-time highs with remarkable frequency, notching nearly thirty record days in 2024, including four in the past week. Despite this stellar performance, a considerable number of investors remain hesitant. Let’s explore the reasons behind this paradox.

Lingering recession fears

The recollection of the 2022 bear market continues to trouble investors. The swift escalation of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve at that time generated widespread uncertainty and apprehension. This has led many investors to maintain a cautious stance, concerned that the past may repeat, even amidst a surging market. Maybe less of us expected the AI driven stock buying frenzy to scale such highs so quickly?

Scepticism

Investors are inherently sceptical. Amidst a relentless market rally, uncertainty emerges. Can this be sustained? Is a correction looming? This scepticism may hinder investors from wholeheartedly participating in a bull market, despite what the statistics indicate.

Emotional baggage

Investment isn’t solely a game of numbers; it’s equally a matter of emotions (although it shouldn’t be). Investors bearing the scars of past losses may find their emotional baggage weighing heavily on their decisions. The fear of experiencing another market crash can cloud rational judgement, leading them to forgo opportunities for potential gains.

The ‘easy money’

The stock market’s significant rise from the lows of 2022 has convinced some that the phase of ‘easy money’ is over. Investors who did not capitalize on the early stages of the rally might think they have missed out, causing hesitation to engage fully. That’s where I am right now – but waiting for a ‘pullback’.

Navigating the dilemma

For individuals caught between caution and the fear of missing out (FOMO), the following strategies could be considered.

Diversification

Distribute your investments among various asset classes. Diversification serves to reduce risk and acts as a safeguard against the unpredictability of the market.

Long-term perspective

Keep in mind that investing is akin to a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to concentrate on long-term objectives instead of short-term market movements.

Education

Inform yourself about market cycles, historical patterns, and the effects of monetary policy. This should empower more informed decision-making.

Professional advice

Consult a financial advisor who can guide you based on your individual circumstances and risk tolerance.

Conclusion

The current stock market rally, though not widely embraced, offers both opportunities and challenges. Investors are tasked with finding the right balance between exercising caution and capitalizing on potential growth. As the market climbs, it’s essential to be aware of our biases and emotions. Only then can we approach the rally with a more informed viewpoint.

Disclaimer: This article provides general insights and should not be considered personalised financial advice. Always consult a professional before making investment decisions.

Remember: Always do your own diligent and careful research.

RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!

Nvidia passes Microsoft in market cap – should investors be concerned about the meteoric rise?

GPU power for AI

Nvidia, traditionally recognised within the gaming community for its graphics chips, has become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company.

On Tuesday 18th June 2024, Nvidia’s shares rose by 3.6%, increasing its market cap to $3.34 trillion and overtaking Microsoft, now valued at $3.32 trillion. Earlier in the month, Nvidia’s valuation reached $3 trillion for the first time, surpassing Apple.

Nvidia $3.34 trillion market cap

Nvidia $3.34 trillion market cap

So far this year, Nvidia’s shares have surged over 170% and saw further gains after announcing first-quarter earnings in May 2024. Since the close of 2022, the stock has increased more than ninefold, paralleling the rise of generative artificial intelligence.

Apple’s shares dropped by 1.1% on Tuesday, resulting in a market value of $3.29 trillion for the tech giant.

Nvidia commands roughly 80% of the market share for AI chips in data centres, a sector that has expanded rapidly as companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta have competed to acquire the necessary processors for constructing AI models and managing growing workloads.

In the latest quarter, Nvidia’s data centre business saw a 427% increase in revenue from the previous year, reaching $22.6 billion and comprising approximately 86% of the company’s total sales.

Established in 1991, Nvidia initially focused on hardware, selling gaming chips for running 3D games. The company has also ventured into cryptocurrency mining chips and cloud gaming services.

However, in the last two years, Nvidia’s stock has soared as investors recognised its pivotal role in the AI boom, a trend that continues to accelerate. This surge has increased the net worth of co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang to an estimated $117 billion, ranking him as the 11th richest individual globally, according to Forbes.

But is the rise too fast and is it time for a share price valuation adjustment in its meteoric rise, to bring it back down to Earth?

Nvidia share price one year chart 18th June 2024

Nvidia share price one year chart 18th June 2024

Financial advisors are reportedly cautious about Bitcoin ETFs and are adopting them slowly, according to BlackRock

Bitcoin ETF

Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) debuted in January 2024, yet their adoption by financial advisors has reportedly been sluggish.

Advisors’ hesitations stem from Bitcoin’s price volatility and its relatively brief history. Bitcoin ETFs serve as a conduit between cryptocurrency and conventional finance. According to a BlackRock spokesperson – financial advisors are cautiously, but progressively, embracing the long-anticipated Bitcoin ETFs since their launch.

Currently, it is estimated that approximately 80% of Bitcoin ETF purchases are being made by self-directed investors who decide their own allocation, frequently via an online brokerage account.

Bitcoin one year chart snapshot 18th June 2024 (am)

Bitcoin one year chart snapshot 18th June 2024 (am)

Nvidia to get 20%+ weighting as ETF fund reportedly plans to acquire $10 billion of shares

EFT fund

Nvidia’s swift ascent is poised to prompt a major technology exchange-traded fund to acquire more than $10 billion in shares of the semiconductor maker, consequently reducing its shareholding in Apple.

The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK), which will rebalance soon, is guided by an index that will adjust based on the market cap value at Friday’s close. According SPDR Americas Research, the recalibration will reportedly position Microsoft as the leading stock, followed by Nvidia, and then Apple.

Without caps, each of the three stocks would exceed a 20% weight in the index. However, the index’s diversification rules restrict the total weight that stocks constituting at least a 5% share of the fund can hold.

Consequently, it is anticipated that Microsoft and Nvidia will each approach a 21% weight, while Apple’s share is projected to drop to approximately 4.5%.

This news moved markets on 17th June 2024 and pushed the S&P 500 to a new all-time high. The Nasdaq100 index also relished the news reaching: 19902.75

The Nasdaq100 index also relished the news reaching: 19902.75

Nvidia share price 17th June 2024 – one year chart

Nvidia share price 17th June 2024

New all-time highs for S&P 500 & Nasdaq

Record high

The S&P 500 climbed on Monday 17th June 2024, closing at a new record high aided by the substantial weighted rebalancing of an ETF.

The index concluded at 5473, while the Nasdaq Composite soared to 17857. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 188.94 points, finishing at 38778.

These gains occurred after XLK announced it was rebalancing its fund in favour of Nvidia. The major technology exchange-traded fund will get 20% weighting and billions in investor demand it was announced.

S&P 500 500 reaches another all-time high of 5473 on 17th June 2024