U.S. Equity Market Speculative Trading Indicator Animal spirits are building, but not yet overheating. Retail activity and Goldman Sachs’s Speculative Trading Indicator are firm, still short of past cycle peaks. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Retail Share of Trading Volumes in Select U.S. Equity Index ETF Since 2021 Retail traders are piling into leveraged U.S. equity index ETFs, hardly a surprise given their long-standing appetite for leverage. The trade looks smart in the moment, until it doesn’t. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Annual Average IPO Return During First Trading Day In 2026, U.S. IPOs rose 19% on average in their first trading session, edging above the 30-year median and delivering a solid first-day pop. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 Consecutive Trading Sessions Above 50-Day Moving Average The S&P 500’s 138-day rally above its 50-day moving average has come to an end, snapping the index’s second-longest run this century and putting volatility back in the spotlight. Image: Bloomberg
S&P 500 Intraday Returns – NY Cash Trading Hours vs. Overnight Trading U.S.-daytime volatility’s resurgence reflects renewed market focus on American macro developments, with global investors avoiding illiquid overnight hours—a behavior typically seen after major geopolitical or policy events. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation
Consecutive Trading Days Without a 2% Drop in the S&P 500 While the S&P 500’s 108-session run without a 2% drop is striking, history offers several precedents of calm periods that were just as long—or even longer. Image: Bloomberg
S&P 500 Performance After >25% Rally in 100 Trading Days (Since 1950) Good news for bulls: since April’s low, the S&P 500 has risen over 25% in 100 trading days—a rare event. Historically since 1950, such rises have delivered positive 12-month returns 90.9% of the time, with a median gain of 13.2%. Image: Carson Investment…
Monthly Median IPO Return Durig First Trading Day The strong first-day trading performance of U.S. IPOs in 2025 provides clear evidence of a resurgence in speculative trading and renewed investor confidence in new listings. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Each Component of the Speculative Trading Indicator Screens as Elevated vs. History All three core components of Goldman Sachs’s speculative trading indicator—unprofitable, penny, and high EV/sales stocks—are trading near the extreme upper deciles, reflecting a highly speculative market environment right now. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Average S&P 500 Price Returns Following Sharp Increases in Speculative Trading Indicator Sharp increases in speculative trading activity serve as a leading indicator of a market cycle marked initially by above-average returns, followed later by a heightened risk of downturns. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 Performance After >19% in 27 Trading Days This is more than just another bear market rally, as the S&P 500 has jumped over 19% in 27 trading days. Historically, since 1950, similar rallies have averaged a 32% gain one year later, with positive returns every time. Image: Carson Investment Research