Judgment Day Averted (For Now): Can the Stock Market Survive Trump and AI?

I'll Be Back... With a Market Report

Alright listen up future's not set in stone but my gut tells me this market is about to get messier than a T 800 at a biker bar. Apparently after a spring that had investors sweating more than me running from a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 the stock market's trying to stage a comeback. The S&P 500 even hit an intraday high probably fueled by the same blind optimism that makes people think they can outsmart a machine. But like Skynet this market's full of surprises.

Hasta la Vista Trade Deals?

Trump's trade policy is back folks. Remember those sweet nothings about trade deals with China? Yeah those gains evaporated faster than my foster parents. Now with the 90 day tariff pause ending on July 9 Goldman Sachs is predicting more volatility than a date with a Terminator. And considering I've seen what unchecked power can do I'm inclined to agree. This uncertainty is thicker than Arnold's accent. It's enough to make you want to grab a plasma rifle and hide in the desert.

AI: Friend or Foe (to Inflation)?

BlackRock's Rick Rieder thinks AI is going to save the day by crushing inflation. Sure maybe it'll be like Skynet promising peace while secretly building terminators and enslaving humanity. I'm just saying relying on machines to solve our problems? That's a one way ticket to Judgment Day. But hey what do I know? I only predicted the end of the world.

July: Traditionally Explosive

Apparently July is usually a good month for the S&P 500. Ryan Detrick from Carson Group calls it the index's best month in the past 20 years. Fireworks he says! Well I know a thing or two about fireworks and usually when they start it means something's about to blow up. But hey maybe this time it'll be the good kind of explosive. Maybe. Just keep your head down and hope you don't get caught in the blast radius.

Valuations: Are We There Yet?

DataTrek warns we might be heading back to dot com bubble territory with the S&P 500 trading at sky high earnings multiples. They say we need 1999 type valuations to justify this. Rate cuts and cheaper oil might help but it's still a gamble. Current market optimism is as inflated as the ego of a T 1000. Someone needs to bring this market back down to earth... before it's too late.

Employment: The Key to Survival

Ameriprise's Anthony Saglimbene says the job market is crucial. If people start losing jobs they stop spending and the economy tanks. Next week's employment data is a big one especially since it's sandwiched between a holiday and a shortened trading day. I'll be watching those numbers closer than a Terminator guarding John Connor. Because if the economy crumbles we're all gonna need a lot more than just 'fireworks'. We'll need a miracle. Or a time machine.