S&P 500 (SPY) Dives To 3635 As Initial Jobless Claims Decline

Key Insights

• S&P 500 found itself under pressure after the release of Initial Jobless Claims report.
• Auto stocks are losing ground as traders react to the disappointing report from CarMax. 
• A move below the support at 3635 will open the way to the test of the next support level at 3600.

Traders Worry About Hawkish Fed

S&P 500 is down by more than 2% in today’s trading session as traders react to the better-than-expected Initial Jobless Claims report.

The report indicated that 193,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits in a week, compared to analyst consensus of 215,000. The Fed has previously stated that job market remained too tight. The report confirmed that the job market was in good shape. This is bearish for stocks as the Fed is forced to raise rates aggressively to cool demand and fight inflation.

Auto stocks found themselves under pressure after CarMax report missed analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. The stock is down by 23% in today’s trading session. Tesla, General Motors, and Ford are down by 5-6% as traders fear that rising loan rates have started to put pressure on demand for vehicles.

Tech stocks have also moved lower today, which is not surprising as the market prepares for higher interest rates. AMD, NVIDIA, and Apple were among the biggest losers in this market segment today.

The current sell-off is broad, and even energy stocks are under pressure despite the rebound in oil markets. The market views Fed’s actions as the biggest danger for stocks, so any news that signal that Fed will continue to raise rates aggressively lead to a sell-off.

S&P 500 Tests Support At 3635

S&P 500 continues its attempts to settle below the support level at 3635. RSI is close to the oversold territory, but there is enough room to gain additional downside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 settles below 3635, it will move towards the next support level at 3600. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3580.

On the upside, the previous support at 3660 will serve as the first resistance level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 climbs back above this level, it will head towards the next resistance at 3700. A move above 3700 will open the way to the test of the resistance at 3725.

For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar.