🌎 Market Context * SPY – $773.43 * QQQ – $723.92 * VIX – 15.47 * IWM – $300.68 S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures are slightly positive this morning, while the Dow is a little softer. The bigger backdrop is still bullish after last week’s record highs, but traders are now looking ahead to Wednesday’s July CPI report for the next major Fed/rates catalyst. The other major catalyst remains the Strait of Hormuz/Iran situation. Progress toward reopening shipping routes could cool oil and inflation pressure; setbacks could push energy and volatility higher again. Today also has earnings risk. MNDY reports this morning, while RKLB reports after the close. ⸻ 📊 VIX Game Plan Current VIX: 15.47 🟢 Under 16 = Buyers In Control 🟡 16–18 = Caution 🔴 Above 18 = Sellers In Control Right now we’re in the buyers-in-control zone, but I still want SPY and QQQ to hold their morning structure before chasing anything. ⸻ 🟢 CALL WATCHLIST META – $605.25 CALLS Reclaim/Hold: $605.00 Targets: $610.00 → $615.00 → $620.00 PUTS Lose: $600.00 Targets: $595.00 → $590.00 → $585.00 Catalyst: Strongest relative-strength name on your Mag 7 board this morning while large-cap growth remains supported by slightly positive Nasdaq futures. Game Plan: META is one of my favorite longs if $605 holds after the open. Don’t chase a straight push into $610. ⸻ NVDA – $224.37 CALLS Reclaim: $225.00 Targets: $227.50 → $230.00 → $234.00 PUTS Lose: $222.00 Targets: $220.00 → $217.50 → $215.00 Catalyst: AI remains a major earnings and market-leadership theme, and broader corporate profit growth continues to support the technology complex. Game Plan: I want NVDA + QQQ confirming together. Above $225 with volume gives the cleaner continuation. ⸻ AMZN – $275.24 CALLS Reclaim/Hold: $275.50 Targets: $278.00 → $280.00 → $284.00 PUTS Lose: $272.00 Targets: $269.00 → $266.00 → $263.00 Catalyst: Premarket relative strength and continued large-cap growth rotation. Game Plan: Watch $275–$275.50. Holding that area keeps the bullish setup intact.

🌎 Major Market Catalysts U.S. markets enter Monday after a strong week. The S&P 500 gained about 3.6%, the Nasdaq roughly 5.2%, and the Dow about 3% last week, with Friday’s weaker-than-expected jobs report reducing expectations for a near-term Fed rate hike. The S&P 500 also finished Friday at a record high. The next major macro test is July inflation data. CPI is scheduled for Wednesday, followed by PPI on Thursday and retail sales on Friday. Markets are currently balancing softer labor data against the possibility that inflation remains sticky. Geopolitics remains a live catalyst. Oil moved higher Sunday night as uncertainty continued around reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Brent was near $84.79 and WTI near $79.29, keeping energy and inflation-sensitive names in focus. Monday also brings several notable earnings. MNDY reports Monday morning, while RKLB, HIMS and ACHR are scheduled after the closing bell. 💰 Institutional Money Flow The broader institutional backdrop remains risk-on, but increasingly selective. The latest Investment Company Institute data showed $22.03 billion of estimated net inflows into long-term funds and ETFs for the week ending July 29, while ETF net issuance alone totaled approximately $46.5 billion. Technology continues attracting significant capital. Recent monthly ETF data showed U.S. large caps and technology leading flows, with technology ETFs receiving approximately $20.1 billion. At the same time, institutions appear less willing to reward AI companies simply for having an AI narrative. AMD’s post-earnings decline last week demonstrated how high expectations can punish even companies reporting strong growth when guidance fails to exceed elevated expectations. The takeaway: money is still flowing toward growth, AI infrastructure and strong earnings, but the market is becoming more selective about valuation and execution. 🔄 Sector Rotation Technology / AI: Remains a leadership area after the Nasdaq’s strong week, with semiconductors and software continuing to attract attention. Nvidia ended last week sharply higher as AI-chip concerns eased.

Talk of conflict with Iran increases fears that oil supplies could be disrupted, especially around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil-shipping routes. Fear enters the market → crude oil prices rise → energy stocks gain momentum. Then, when oil and energy stocks become extended, traders start taking profits. If peace talks or de-escalation begin, the fear premium fades. Oil prices pull back, energy stocks cool off, and patient investors begin looking for the next buying opportunity. Conflict → Oil rises → Profits are taken → Peace talks begin → Oil drops → Investors buy the dip. The bigger lesson is that markets don’t move on charts alone. News, supply concerns, fear, institutional positioning, and investor psychology all play a role. But don’t blindly buy or sell an oil stock because of a headline. Let the news create the setup, then wait for price action and volume to confirm it. We don’t guess, we confirm. Educational purposes only. Trading involves risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

🌎 Market Context * Stock futures are slightly positive ahead of the July employment report at 8:30 AM ET. * Payrolls are expected to increase by roughly 80,000–83,000, with unemployment holding near 4.2%. A large surprise could produce sharp movement in yields and technology stocks. Reuters⁠ * AI infrastructure, semiconductors, software, nuclear energy, and space stocks are showing relative strength. * TEAM and NET are moving after strong earnings, while CEG is higher after beating earnings expectations and raising guidance. * Do not enter before the employment report. Let the first 15-minute candle establish direction, then use the 5-minute and 2-minute charts for confirmation. 📊 VIX Game Plan Current VIX: 15.18 🟢 Under 16 = Buyers In Control 🟡 16–18 = Caution 🔴 Above 18 = Sellers In Control ⸻ 🟢 CALL WATCHLIST NVDA – $219.92 CALLS * Reclaim: $220.50 * Targets: $222.00 → $224.00 → $226.50 PUTS * Lose: $217.75 * Targets: $216.00 → $213.50 → $211.00 Game Plan AI leader. Calls require a clean hold above $220.50 with semiconductor participation. Avoid chasing an opening spike. ⸻ AMD – $495.30 CALLS * Reclaim: $498.00 * Targets: $502.50 → $507.50 → $512.00 PUTS * Lose: $491.50 * Targets: $487.00 → $482.50 → $478.00 Game Plan Watch for continuation with NVDA and QQQ. The better entry is a breakout followed by a successful retest of $498. ⸻ PLTR – $158.24 CALLS * Reclaim: $159.00 * Targets: $161.00 → $163.50 → $166.00 PUTS * Lose: $156.50 * Targets: $154.50 → $152.00 → $149.50 Game Plan Strong momentum, but extended. Let it pull back and hold or establish a higher low before entering calls. ⸻ DDOG – $234.99 CALLS * Reclaim: $236.00 * Targets: $239.00 → $242.50 → $246.00 PUTS * Lose: $231.50 * Targets: $228.00 → $224.50 → $221.00 Game Plan Software momentum candidate. Look for volume and acceptance above $236, not just a quick wick through it. ⸻ CEG – $263.80 CALLS * Reclaim: $265.00 * Targets: $268.00 → $272.00 → $276.00 PUTS * Lose: $260.00

🌎 Market Theme Tonight’s theme is jobs report caution with earnings-driven opportunities. The Dow fell 0.85%, the S&P 500 declined 0.18%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.06% as traders reduced risk ahead of Friday morning’s July employment report. Oil rallied sharply on renewed concerns involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, making energy one of the few areas showing clear relative strength. The July Employment Situation report arrives Friday at 8:30 AM ET. Payroll growth, unemployment and wages could quickly move Treasury yields, SPY, QQQ and the VIX. After-hours trading is highly selective. Money is rewarding companies that delivered strong growth and guidance while punishing weak forecasts and slowing demand. ⸻ 🥇 Tier 1 Watchlist These are the strongest earnings-driven names heading into Friday. NET — Cloudflare Cloudflare moved sharply higher after raising its annual outlook as demand tied to cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and AI workloads remained strong. ABNB — Airbnb Airbnb rallied after beating expectations, increasing its full-year forecast and reporting resilient global travel demand. TTD — The Trade Desk Trade Desk dropped sharply after missing expectations and issuing disappointing guidance. This is one of the clearest post-earnings relative-weakness names. CART — Instacart Instacart gained after hours following an encouraging outlook, making it another earnings-driven relative-strength candidate. SG — Sweetgreen Sweetgreen fell sharply after reporting a wider loss and reducing its forecast as demand weakened. ⸻ 🥈 Tier 2 Watchlist These names have meaningful catalysts but may require more patience or confirmation. LYFT Lyft reported stronger-than-expected revenue, gross bookings, rides and active riders. Shares initially gained nearly 7% after hours before settling closer to a modest increase as investors considered slower projected booking growth. RCAT — Red Cat Red Cat reported $20.2 million in quarterly revenue, representing 527% year-over-year growth, while gross margin improved. The company also reported a wider-than-expected loss, keeping this a higher-risk two-sided setup.