Norbert’s Wealth Dome
By Norbert Manhart · WealthDom Futures are sliding. Oil is creeping higher. And Brent Crude just touched $78 a barrel in the early hours. Let’s get into it. 📉 The S&P Looks Tired The futures market gave us a clear message overnight — and it wasn’t a good one. The S&P 500 is down 0.27% pre-market, off 19 ticks. More importantly, the 20-day moving average has crossed below the 50-day moving average. That’s not noise. That’s a signal. And now, the 20-day is threatening to cross below the 100-day as well. When I look at this chart, I see a market that wants to go lower. Not because the world is ending, but because the technicals are deteriorating and momentum has shifted. Yesterday’s close at 6,869 felt solid — but equities are already giving those gains back this morning. The question on my mind: are we looking at a small correction, or something more? Probabilities favor a pullback. I’m not calling a crash, but I am positioning defensively. 🛢️ Oil, Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz Here’s the macro story that’s quietly driving everything right now. Brent Crude touched $78/barrel in the early hours and is holding around $77. With US-Iran tensions escalating — and reports that Iranian operatives have reached out to the US — we could realistically see oil push toward $80. Trump has offered naval escort for commercial vessels through the Persian Gulf. That sounds reassuring on the surface. But here’s the real problem nobody is talking about: oil tankers can simply turn off their transponders and sail through the Strait of Hormuz regardless. The actual bottleneck isn’t military protection. It’s insurance. If tankers can’t get insured to pass through the strait, it doesn’t matter how many warships are in the water. That’s the risk to watch. Meanwhile, a stronger dollar (DXY approaching 99) adds another layer of complexity for global trade. A strong dollar is rarely a friend to US exporters or emerging markets. 🇰🇷 Samsung and the KOSPI Plunge South Korea’s KOSPI had its biggest single-day drop in recent memory — but if you were watching Samsung closely, you already knew what to do. Samsung pulled back 23% from peak to trough — and then gapped down. When that gap filled and the stock reversed, it delivered a 16% move off the low. That’s not luck. That’s pattern recognition. Samsung is no longer overbought, and with South Korea being heavily dependent on oil imports from the Persian Gulf region, this story is still evolving. The US produces its own oil. Korea doesn’t. That asymmetry matters. 📦 Tariffs Are No Longer a Threat — They’re a Reality Treasury Secretary Bessent confirmed it: the 15% global tariff is expected to take effect this week. Let me be direct — this is why the market is pulling back. Not war. Not Iran. Earnings drive markets. And tariffs eat into earnings — across multinational companies, across Asia, across Europe. The market is watching closely for retaliation. When retaliation comes (and it usually does), volatility follows. This is not a drill. 💼 Earnings Highlights A few names worth your attention: Moderna (MRNA) — Up 11% after settling its major COVID vaccine patent lawsuit for $2.25 billion. The legal overhang is gone. That’s meaningful. The stock is still sitting at $57 vs. an all-time high of $520, but the path forward just got cleaner. Broadcom (AVGO) — Blowout earnings. The stock is ripping. If you own it, this could be a smart spot to sell a covered call — collect around $650 in premium on a 30-delta, ~43 days out. Take profit at 50% and definitely close before 21 days to expiration. Don’t get greedy. CrowdStrike (CRWD) — Reported EPS of $4.90 vs. $4.80 consensus. Beat on both top and bottom line. A clean quarter. 🤖 Tech Giants: Nvidia, Alphabet, and the Waiting Game Nvidia posted historically strong earnings — again. And the market shrugged — again. NVDA is still in the penalty box. Still sitting below key moving averages. The question isn’t whether Nvidia is a great company (it is). The question is whether the stock can find a floor and build from here, or whether it still needs to test the 200-day moving average. I’m watching, not adding. Alphabet (GOOGL/GOOG) has been on a parabolic run for months without a real cooldown. It’s found support after a minor pullback. With a dividend coming in a few days, if you’ve been waiting for a reason to add to a Google position — this isn’t the worst moment. 🥇 Commodities: Gold, Silver, Copper, Bitcoin Gold and silver are pulling back — which hurts my current long positions, I won’t lie. But I’m holding. Copper is where I’m watching carefully. I want to see it pull back further. Copper is critical infrastructure for AI data centers and the broader tech build-out. If it gets oversold, I’m adding to my long. The demand story isn’t going away. Bitcoin and Ethereum are both down this morning, which adds to the risk-off tone heading into today’s open. 📊 My Current Portfolio Positions Transparency is everything. Here’s where I stand: * VIX — Still long. Expecting volatility. Haven’t closed it. * MES (Micro E-mini S&P) — Closed yesterday at +24%. Locked in that credit. Good trade. * NVDA — Long with a covered call. Watching it carefully. * Silver (SLV) — Long, but the moment I see a pop, I’m out. * Gold (GLD) — Long with two vertical put spreads. Still holding. * Netflix (NFLX) — Long via LEAPS, sold a call against it. Position looks healthy. Taking profits at 50% or on any major market pullback. * IBIT (Bitcoin ETF) — Long from last year. Down 42% on the position, but with call-selling overlay, I’ve generated $345 in net premium this year alone. The recovery thesis is intact. Today I’m considering a 0DTE iron condor on SPX given how iffy the market looks. My 0DTE count is at 2 — so I have room. 🎬 Coming Later Today: Visa, Mastercard & Stablecoins After the bell, I’m releasing a full deep dive on Visa, Mastercard, and the stablecoin threat. Here’s the question I’m wrestling with: Is Visa still the best wealth-building vehicle for the next 25 years? Or is the stablecoin revolution quietly eating their lunch? I hold Visa in my portfolio. This deep dive is me being honest with myself — and with you. Drop the popcorn. See you after the close. — Norbert Manhart WealthDom · Build and Protect Wealth This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research. This is a public episode. 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