Good morning, Lab! Before the bell, things are showing a bit of uncertainty, with major futures slightly lower and markets digesting a few different factors. Here’s what we’re seeing early: ✔ U.S. futures are modestly weaker — S&P 500 and Dow futures are down in pre-market trading and suggesting a cautious open. ✔ Volatility is creeping up — the VIX (volatility index) is showing a bit more activity, which often means traders are waiting for a clearer direction. ✔ Big macro headline: Fed leadership news is still influencing sentiment after a major nomination announcement, which has had a mixed response from markets. ✔ Recent price action has been choppy — stocks finished mixed yesterday, tech struggled vs. other sectors, with some names down more than others. In the ETF world, watching the broad market proxies like: • SPY (S&P 500) • QQQ (Nasdaq/tech) • DIA (Dow) • IWM (small caps) can help you gauge where money is flowing as the session unfolds. This kind of environment often means first reaction is not the whole story. A lot of price moves today may be about how traders respond to early volatility and sentiment before any sustained trend develops. 🔍 What I’ll be watching today • Does SPY hold support levels early? • Does QQQ show tech strength or weakness? • Are sector rotations showing up (financials/energy vs tech)? • Any quick reaction to overnight news or headlines? Drop below if you’re watching any specific ETF or index this morning — what caught your eye and why? 👇

When I’m trying to understand what the overall market is doing, I usually start with a few big ETFs before looking at individual stocks. Some of the main ones I watch: • SPY – tracks the S&P 500 (broad market health) • QQQ – tracks the Nasdaq (tech/growth sentiment) • DIA – tracks the Dow (large, established companies) • IWM – tracks small caps (risk appetite) • XLF – financial sector (banks, economic expectations) • XLK – technology sector (growth strength) These help answer simple questions like: Is the whole market moving together?Is money flowing into growth or safety?Are small caps participating or lagging? Before getting lost in individual charts, I like seeing what these are doing first. If you follow any of these (or others), drop which one you watch most and why 👇 (Educational discussion only.)