THE EAGLE EYE | Wednesday, April 16, 2026

WHAT THE MARKET DID THIS WEEK

The S&P 500 hit a new all-time high yesterday at 7,022. Today it gapped down to 6,937 at the open, recovered to 7,040 intraday, and is currently sitting at 7,013. Look at the chart. That is not weakness. That is the market digesting a 3% weekly move.

The Nasdaq is at 23,960. Down slightly from yesterday but look at the bigger picture. It recovered sharply from the March pullback and is pressing right into the resistance zone near 24,000. The 10 day moving average at 19,482, 50 day at 17,860, and 200 day at 18,547 are all well below us. The structure is intact. We are trading above every major moving average.

The key SPX levels are clear. Resistance at 7,100. The 50 day moving average at 6,791. The 200 day moving average at 6,679. As long as we hold above those moving averages, the trend is our friend.

Two things drove this week's strength.

Earnings season opened and the banks came out swinging. JPMorgan posted $16.5 billion in profit, up 13% year over year. Citigroup grew net income 42%. When the big banks print numbers like that, capital moves into risk assets. That benefits everything on our Watchlist.

Second, the Iran situation is cooling. Markets fully recovered from the March war scare. Traders are now pricing in a potential peace deal.

The environment is favorable. That does not mean it is forgiving.

THE ACTIVE PLAY

MNST (Monster Beverage) $80 Call | Entered at $2.20 | Expiration June 18

MNST closed yesterday around $74.66. We are below our strike. Two months until expiration. The Runway Rule gives us until mid May before we need to make a decision.

No panic. The thesis has not changed. Monster has consistent earnings growth and brand dominance in its category. We have time. That is the whole point of how we trade.

But we are watching this one closely. If MNST does not show momentum toward $78 to $80 in the next two to three weeks, we reassess.

WATCHLIST SCAN

The semiconductor and AI infrastructure names are leading this week.

AMKR (Amkor Technology) around $57 to $70 range. Up 49% in the last 10 trading days. That is a punch. Semiconductor packaging demand is real and accelerating.

ASX (ASE Technology) at $27.96. Up 220% over 52 weeks. Same story. Packaging and advanced testing for AI chips.

AXTI (AXT Inc) around $67. Up 295% since end of 2025. Compound semiconductor substrates. The materials layer underneath the chip boom.

ICHR (Ichor Holdings) at $62. Fluid delivery systems for semiconductor manufacturing. Quietly compounding.

VRT (Vertiv) around $301 to $310. This name went from $66 to over $300 in 52 weeks. Data center power and thermal infrastructure. The picks and shovels play behind the AI buildout.

POWL (Powell Industries) around $229 after the 3 for 1 split that took effect April 6. Record backlog. AI data center electrical infrastructure.

BW (Babcock and Wilcox) at $18.49. Up over 4,400% year over year. That is not a typo. They landed a $2.4 billion contract for AI data center power generation. The demand for power infrastructure behind AI is that aggressive.

GLW (Corning) at $172. Up 50% year to date. Fiber optics and specialty glass for AI infrastructure. Earnings coming up.

PL (Planet Labs) at $34. Satellite imagery and geospatial data. Different sector, same principle. Real product, real revenue growth, real demand.

SATS (EchoStar) at $131. The SpaceX adjacent play. Spectrum assets are the story here.

LASR (nLIGHT) at $66. Laser technology for defense and semiconductor applications.

Every name on this list has something in common. They move in punches. They have institutional accumulation behind them. And they meet our screening criteria. That is why they are here and nothing else is.

THE COACHING MOMENT

When everything on your Watchlist is green and running, the temptation is to chase. To enter late because you feel like you are missing out.

That is not a thesis. That is a reaction.

The names that just ran 40%, 50%, 200%. Those moves already happened. The question is never "look how much it went up." The question is "what is the next setup?" Is there a pullback to a support level? Is there a consolidation forming? Is there a new catalyst on the calendar?

If the answer is no, then the move is to wait.

Cash is a position. It is not a failure of nerve. It is the disciplined choice when the data does not support an entry.

You do not chase. You prepare. And when the setup is there, you execute.

THE RADAR

Two things between now and Sunday's lab briefing.

Retail sales data and initial jobless claims dropped this morning. Strong retail means consumer spending is holding and this rally has fuel. Weak retail means rotation could start. Either way, it is data, and we respond to data.

The bigger one. The Fed meets Thursday and Friday. No rate change expected. But the language matters. If Powell signals patience, this market has room to run. If he turns hawkish, repricing follows. Do not make moves ahead of the statement. Let the market digest it first.

Sunday I will break all of this down in the full lab briefing.

Eyes open. Moves calculated.

Aziz | EagleTrade

This is education, not financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always do your own due diligence before making any investment decisions.

1 comment

CALIBRE CAPITAL

skool.com/calibre-capital

Structured options trading for busy professionals. A framework, not a feed. Execution over speculation. Raise your calibre.

Leaderboard (30-day)