Finance Analyst Report: 2026-05-18 08:00:19 ET
Signal Alignment
SPY Direction: SPY 0.0% (3d) | Alignment: 60% (3 aligned, 2 divergent) Status: MIXED — Mixed — no clear signal consensus
| Category | Signal Says | vs SPY | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Pool | ⚪ NEUTRAL | — | DIX 0.459 moderate |
| Gamma | 🟢 BULLISH | ✓ ALIGNED | GEX +18.2B strong suppression |
| Credit | 🟢 BULLISH | ✓ ALIGNED | HY OAS 2.76% benign, NFCI -0.524 loose |
| Breadth | ⚪ NEUTRAL | — | Breadth 45% — mixed participation |
| Energy | 🔴 BEARISH | ✗ DIVERGENT | Energy SHOCK — oil shock creates stagflation risk |
| growth_expectations | ⚪ NEUTRAL | — | Copper/Gold +10.6% growth optimism · real yield 2.00% firm |
| Correlations | 🔴 BEARISH | ✗ DIVERGENT | SPY/Oil -0.70 — oil shock transmitting directly into equity pricing |
| Volatility | ⚪ NEUTRAL | — | VIX 18.4 sub-20 in contango · SKEW 146 firm · VVIX/VIX 5.04 dealer stress |
| Inflation | ⚪ NEUTRAL | — | Stagflation score 42 — moderate, watching |
| carry_risk | 🟢 BULLISH | ✓ ALIGNED | USD/JPY 5d +1.0% stable, MOVE 80 calm |
| Liquidity | ⚪ NEUTRAL | — | Liquidity Adequate |
Divergence read: Signals are mixed with no strong directional consensus against price.
Market Status
Regime: CAUTIOUS | Score: 71/100 (Favorable, with caution) | Score reads 71 (Favorable) but regime is CAUTIOUS — breadth at 45% and energy regime SHOCK keeps full risk-on classification at bay.
Leading indicators show energy SHOCK (WTI at $101, watch for margin compression); DIX stable at 0.459; GEX positive at 18.2B (vol-suppressing). Lagging confirmation: VIX at 18.4 (low-fear environment); sentiment reads Bullish; seasonal pattern historically neutral.
- Sentiment: Bullish (Score: 0.2)
What Changed
- No signal changes detected.
Key Levels
- SPY: $737.34 | 50 SMA $690.04 | 200 SMA $676.07 | +0.1% from 50d | ZGL $730.95
- QQQ: $706.32 | 50 SMA $631.46 | 200 SMA $610.95 | +0.1% from 50d | ZGL $698.9
- IWM: $276.82 | 50 SMA $263.83 | 200 SMA $251.05 | +0.0% from 50d | ZGL $253.0
- VIX: 18.43 — sub-20 (low vol)
- 10Y Yield: 4.595%
Equity & Derivatives Board
| Ticker | Price | RSI(14) | IVR | ZGL | γ-Sent | PCR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPY | $737.34 | 69.61 | 37.4 | $730.95 | Neutral | 1.36 |
| QQQ | $706.32 | 73.26 | 59.9 | $698.90 | Neutral | 1.29 |
| IWM | $276.82 | 50.55 | 49.0 | $253.00 | Bearish | 3.43 |
Macro Board
| Ticker | Price | RSI(14) | IVR | ZGL | γ-Sent | PCR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIX | 18.43 | 52.20 | 18.5 | $10.50 | Neutral | 0.71 |
| TNX | 45.95 | 71.06 | 61.5 | - | - | - |
| GLD | $417.00 | 40.30 | 27.8 | $422.75 | Bearish | 1.55 |
| DXY | 99.27 | 59.38 | 34.5 | - | - | - |
| SLV | $68.76 | 51.07 | 30.4 | $49.00 | Neutral | 1.18 |
Dark Pool Activity
- DIX (Dark Index): 0.459
- DIX Signal: Moderate buying
- GEX (Gamma Exposure): 18.16B
Credit Conditions
- HY OAS Spread: 2.76% (Normal)
- BBB Spread: 0.95%
- 2s10s Spread: 0.50% (Healthy slope)
Market Breadth
- Stocks Above 50-Day SMA: 44.8%
- Stocks Above 200-Day SMA: 52.7%
- Breadth Signal: Moderately Bullish
- Total Stocks Analyzed: 500
- Mag 7 Concentration: 33.0%
- Top 10 Concentration: 43.9%
Sector Breadth
| Sector | % > 50d SMA | Stocks |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 89.5% | 17/19 |
| Real Estate | 67.9% | 19/28 |
| Technology | 66.2% | 43/65 |
| Financials | 52.9% | 36/68 |
| Communication Services | 50.0% | 10/20 |
| Consumer Staples | 47.1% | 16/34 |
| Industrials | 44.8% | 30/67 |
| Materials | 41.7% | 10/24 |
| Health Care | 25.9% | 14/54 |
| Consumer Discretionary | 22.0% | 13/59 |
| Utilities | 6.7% | 2/30 |
Energy & Commodities
- Energy Regime: SHOCK
- WTI Crude: $101.02 (5d: +3.0%)
- Brent Crude: $109.26 | Spread: $8.24
- RBOB Gasoline: $3.5600/gal
- Heating Oil: $3.9200/gal
- 3-2-1 Crack Spread: $53.54/bbl (Very wide)
- XLE (Energy Sector): $59.44
- UNG (Nat Gas): $11.33
Correlations
| Pair | 20d Corr | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| SPY / VIX | -0.66 | elevated |
| SPY / DXY | -0.708 | stretched |
| SPY / TNX | 0.331 | normal |
| SPY / Oil | -0.704 | stretched |
Volatility & Options
- Volatility Regime: Contango (Normal)
- MOVE Index (Bond Vol): 79.87
- VIX/MOVE Ratio: 0.23 (Normal Relationship)
- 0DTE Call Volume: 0.0
- 0DTE Put Volume: 0.0
- 0DTE Put/Call Ratio: 0.91 (No 0DTE Expiry Today)
- 0DTE Notional Dollar Volume: $552.2B
- Gamma Call Wall: $742 | Put Wall: $735 (Spot: $737.34)
CTA Trend Stack
- SMA Stack Score: 4/4 above
- Position: Above all 4 SMAs (full-stack long)
Positioning & Sentiment
- CFTC E-mini Specs Net: -143,835 contracts (Z -0.18, as of 2026-05-12)
- AAII Bull-Bear Spread: +2.7% (as of 2026-05-13)
- Squeeze Setup: none (0/4 triggers · no triggers active)
Macro Fundamentals
- 10Y Yield: 4.60%
- Yield Curve (10Y-3M): 1.01 (Normal)
- DXY: 99.27
- Growth vs Value: 0.96
- Fed Funds Rate: 3.50-3.75% | Next FOMC: 2026-06-10
- Rate Probabilities: Hold None | Cut None
Inflation Expectations
- 5Y Breakeven: 2.70% (Above Target)
- 10Y Breakeven: 2.49%
- 5Y5Y Forward: 2.28%
- Stagflation Risk Score: 42/100
Fed & Global Liquidity
- Fed Balance Sheet (WALCL): $6728.5B
- Treasury General Account (TGA): $838.6B
- Reverse Repo (RRP): $0.6B
- US Net Liquidity (WALCL - TGA - RRP): $5,889B
- Liquidity Regime: Adequate
- ECB Balance Sheet: ~$7,199B
- BOJ Balance Sheet: ~$4,178B
- Global Net Liquidity: $17,267B ◆
- BTC-USD (Liquidity Proxy): $77,242 ▲ (Neutral)
Active Alerts
- [WARNING] Oil market backwardation signal: energy regime SHOCK with crack spread at $53.54/bbl — supply disruption driving spot premium.
- [WARNING] SKEW at 146 — elevated tail-risk hedging activity.
- [WARNING] Sector breadth divergence: wide spread between strongest and weakest sectors — rotation or narrow leadership.
- [CRITICAL] WTI crude at $101.02 — triple-digit oil, severe stagflation and margin pressure.
- [WARNING] Oil-equity transmission active: SPY-Oil correlation at -0.704 with energy in SHOCK — crude shock propagating into equities.
- [CRITICAL] WTI crude at $101.02 — energy shock territory, stagflation risk rising.
- [WARNING] 5Y breakeven inflation at 2.70% — inflation expectations well above Fed target.
- [WARNING] 3-2-1 crack spread at $53.54/bbl — refining margins extremely elevated, consumer fuel price pressure.
- [WARNING] Oil spike alert: USO at $148.23 — potential geopolitical disruption or supply shock.
- [WARNING] Key correlation regime break detected — normal market relationships are shifting, increased unpredictability.
Seasonality
- Current Month: May
- Average Return: +1.06%
- Median Return: +1.61%
- Hit Rate: 80%
- Signal: Historically Neutral
Today's Events
Economic Releases:
- Industrial Production(MoM)(Apr): 0.7% vs Est. 0.3% (BEAT) | Prev: -0.3%
- Industrial Production(YoY)(Apr): 1.35% | Prev: 0.76%
- NY Empire State Manufacturing Index(May): 19.60 vs Est. 7.30 (BEAT) | Prev: 11.00
Upcoming Calendar (30 Days)
Economic Releases:
- Philadelphia Fed Mfg Index: 2026-05-26
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 2026-05-28
- Employment Situation (Payrolls): 2026-06-05
- Consumer Price Index (CPI): 2026-06-10
- Producer Price Index (PPI): 2026-06-11
- Industrial Production: 2026-06-15
Earnings & EPS Estimates:
- NVDA (2026-05-20): EPS Est. $1.78 (↑0.4% vs 30d)
- WMT (2026-05-21): EPS Est. $0.66 (↓0.3% vs 30d)
- JPM (2026-07-14): EPS Est. $5.40 (↑0.0% vs 30d)
- GS (2026-07-14): EPS Est. $13.74 (↓4.7% vs 30d)
- TSLA (2026-07-22): EPS Est. $0.45 (↑1.7% vs 30d)
- GOOGL (2026-07-23): EPS Est. $2.87 (↑4.0% vs 30d)
- MSFT (2026-07-29): EPS Est. $4.24 (↓0.2% vs 30d)
- META (2026-07-29): EPS Est. $7.23 (↑1.5% vs 30d)
- AAPL (2026-07-30): EPS Est. $1.90 (↑9.6% vs 30d)
- AMZN (2026-07-30): EPS Est. $1.82 (↑2.0% vs 30d)
FX News Wire
Unread articles (14):
[1] Japanese Yen: Intervention threat capping losses versus US Dollar - BBH URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/japanese-yen-intervention-threat-capping-losses-versus-us-dollar-bbh-202605181147 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:47:36 Z
[2] AUD/USD: Momentum points to break of 0.7100 - UOB URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/aud-usd-momentum-points-to-break-of-07100-uob-202605181130 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:30:31 Z
[3] Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD steadies above $4,500 awaiting news from Iran URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/gold-price-forecast-xau-usd-steadies-above-4-500-awaiting-news-from-iran-202605181126 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:26:01 Z
[4] AUD/USD Price Forecast: Flattens around 0.7150 after recovering early losses URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/aud-usd-price-forecast-flattens-around-07150-after-recovering-early-losses-202605181124 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:24:01 Z
[5] United Kingdom: Sluggish jobs outlook persists - Deutsche Bank URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/united-kingdom-sluggish-jobs-outlook-persists-deutsche-bank-202605181122 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:22:44 Z
[6] IMF Staff: BoE doesn't need to raise interest rates this year URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/imf-staff-boe-doesnt-need-to-raise-interest-rates-this-year-202605181114 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:14:58 Z
[7] Chinese Yuan: Stimulus hopes as PBoC defends 6.8 - TD Securities URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/chinese-yuan-stimulus-hopes-as-pboc-defends-68-td-securities-202605181112 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:12:25 Z
[8] US Dollar: Structural risks behind yield-driven strength - DBS URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/us-dollar-structural-risks-behind-yield-driven-strength-dbs-202605181102 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 11:02:56 Z
[9] Australian Dollar climbs against Yen as structural forces weigh on JPY URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/australian-dollar-climbs-against-yen-as-structural-forces-weigh-on-jpy-202605181058 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 10:58:33 Z
[10] Indian Rupee hits fresh all-time lows as oil prices rise further URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/indian-rupee-falls-further-as-oil-prices-extend-advance-202605180545 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 10:48:32 Z
[11] Euro upside attempts remain limited amid cautious markets URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/euro-ticks-up-from-six-week-lows-despite-risk-averse-markets-high-oil-prices-202605180741 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 10:27:13 Z
[12] US Dollar Index (DXY) eases to 99.10 amid hopes of a US-Iran peace deal URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/us-dollar-index-dxy-eases-to-9910-amid-hopes-of-a-us-iran-peace-deal-202605181010 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 10:10:51 Z
[13] Euro: Bond sell-off weighs against US Dollar - ING URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/euro-bond-sell-off-weighs-against-us-dollar-ing-202605181006 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 10:06:12 Z
[14] Japanese Yen: Fiscal risks and energy shock weigh on JPY - MUFG URL: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/japanese-yen-fiscal-risks-and-energy-shock-weigh-on-jpy-mufg-202605180956 Published: Mon, 18 May 2026 09:56:36 Z
Iran War News
Updates (5):
[1] Sanctioned LPG tanker loads at Iran's Kharg Island, tracking firm says Time: 2026-05-18T11:38:21.338Z
[BREAKING] [2] Pakistan sends squadron, 8,000 troops to Saudi Arabia - Reuters Time: 2026-05-18T11:16:04.186Z
[3] IRGC-linked propaganda posts targeted across platforms, Europol says Time: 2026-05-18T11:00:06.772Z
[BREAKING] [4] Germany says Iran must open Strait of Hormuz without limits Time: 2026-05-18T10:26:55.416Z
[5] Volant Media's 'Art of Resistance' wins two awards at Swedish film festival Time: 2026-05-18T10:15:22.341Z
Hormuz Strait Status
Hormuz Strait: no change since last report.
Strait of Hormuz Dashboard:
- Ships Transiting: Near zero (normal: ~60/day)
- Stranded Vessels: 150+ ships including tankers, bulk carriers, and other commercial vessels
- Oil Prices: Brent crude surging due to supply disruption
- War Risk Insurance: Premiums at extreme levels, over 16x normal rates
- Throughput: Under 2% of normal daily deadweight tonnage
- Global Impact: 21% of world oil supply at risk; 25% of global LNG trade at risk; est. $4 billion/day economic cost
- Shipping: +14 days via Cape reroute; tanker rates tripled