Summary
Investors aren’t chasing hype; they’re parking money in strength.
Market Movers
- 📈 JOLTS Job Openings: Apr 29, 2025
- 📈 ADP Non-Farm Employment Change: Apr 30, 2025
- 📈 Advance GDP q/q: Apr 30, 2025
- 📈 ISM Manufacturing PMI: May 1, 2025
- 📈 Non-Farm Employment Change: May 2, 2025
📚 Deep Dive 📚
Top $200B+ S&P 500 Stocks Above Their 200-Day Moving Average (April 2025)
As of April 28th, 2025, only a handful of S&P 500 companies with market caps over $200 billion are trading above their 200-day moving averages - a classic signal that the market is leaning hard into quality and stability.
Here’s what the trend is telling us:
Key Takeaways:
1. Flight to Quality
Investors are stacking into mega-cap names with strong balance sheets and reliable cash flow. This reflects a defensive tone - traders aren’t chasing hype; they’re parking money in strength.
2. Consumer Behavior is Shifting
McDonald's MCD and Walmart WMT holding strong signals consumers are tightening their wallets - focusing on value as economic uncertainty builds.
Visa V remains firm, suggesting people are still spending, but with a clear tilt toward cost-consciousness.
3. Financial Sector Holding Steady
JPMorgan Chase JPM trading above its 200DMA shows the credit markets are healthy. No cracks (yet) in the banking foundation.
4. Defensive Plays Taking the Lead
Costco COST strength highlights a clear consumer pivot: bulk buying, value hunting, and cautious budgeting.
Healthcare giants like Abbott Labs ABT and Eli Lilly LLY are thriving — a reminder that healthcare stays essential no matter the macro backdrop.
5. Tech — But Only the Right Kind
Investors are being selective with tech. The love is flowing to profitable, cash-heavy names, not speculative, high-volatility growth stories.
6. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) Setting the Tone
With massive cash reserves and ultra-diversified holdings, Berkshire continues to act as a "safe haven" for big money looking to ride out any storms.
The Bottom Line:
The market right now is cautiously optimistic - but smart money isn’t taking wild risks. Instead, they're favoring strong fundamentals, defensive sectors, and value-driven plays. It's a positioning strategy that quietly prepares for possible economic bumps ahead, without flashing full-blown recession alarms just yet.
Stay tactical, stay selective.