{The Magnificent Five} Stocks Driving the S&P 500 and Nasdaq into a Bull Market

Plus, can they continue the momentum for the rest of May? Learn more inside! Sponsored [This Has Won 99.1% Of Trades Over 3 Years]( This new video is causing quite a stir. It exposes a unique trade based on the 4 characters “310F”. These 4 characters hold the secret to the most powerful trade you’ve NEVER heard of. It’s released every Tuesday and could DOUBLE your money by Friday. Over the past 3 years, we’ve won 321 out of 324 of these trades (that’s a 99.1% success rate), with the majority of the trades making 100% or more every 3-10 days. Discover how a simple 10-minute trade on Tuesday could double your money by Friday.[Watch The Full Video Here]( [Privacy Policy/Disclosures](  Bull-Market Territory: The Big Five Driving the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Higher [Image]  Hello Stock Traders  The ups and downs of the stock market this year have been unpredictable. The S&P 500 index, tracked via the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), is up a respectable 7.8% so far. But, hold onto your hats, because the Nasdaq 100, followed by the QQQ Invesco Trust Series 1 (QQQ), has soared a whopping 19.9% in 2023! It seems like AI growth and some expectations about the Fed rate peaking have given tech stocks a Red Bull-style energy boost. The Nasdaq has been enjoying itself, with a 27% gain since hitting rock bottom in October 2022. It's now officially in bull market territory – a party the S&P 500 would love to join, having come tantalizingly close to the 20% rally barrier twice this year, in both February and May. So, who's been responsible for these impressive rallies in the U.S. stock market indices? Well, let's take a closer look at the companies leading the charge, which – spoiler alert – are quite similar for both indices: Nasdaq 100's Fab Five in 2023: Apple Inc (AAPL): Our dear iPhone maker from Cupertino has seen a 33% gain, contributing 3.84 percentage points (ppt) to the index's overall performance.  Microsoft Corp. (MSFT): This Washington-based tech behemoth has risen 28.4% in 2023, adding 3.57ppt to the Nasdaq 100 index's performance, with a little help from AI-driven gains.  NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): The semiconductor giant has nearly doubled this year, contributing 3.24ppt to the Nasdaq 100's performance.  Meta Platforms Inc (META): The social media king has climbed 95% in 2023, adding 2.33ppt to the Nasdaq 100's gain.  Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN): This internet retail giant has gained 27% and contributed 1.6ppt to the overall Nasdaq 100's performance.  These five superstar stocks account for 60% of the Nasdaq 100's total performance in 2023.  Apple added 2ppt to the S&P 500's performance.  Microsoft contributed 1.58ppt.  NVIDIA added 1.1ppt.  Meta Platforms tossed in 0.8ppt.  Amazon contributed 0.6ppt.  These firms make up a staggering 78% of the S&P 500 index's year-to-date performance when you add up their contributions. Now, if we had an exclusive club (or a weighted index) made up of these five performance dynamos, they would have gained a mind-blowing 53.9% this year. That’s an all-star team! Meanwhile, the rest of the market has been more of a wallflower, with the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) inching up a mere 0.9%. It's no wonder these five powerhouse stocks have been responsible for almost all the growth in the U.S. stock market over the past five months. It's like they've been running the show while everyone else just watches from the sidelines.  So, here's to the fabulous five – and may we find the next winners!  Trade safe!  -James  Coming Up Next: The markets been strong lately. Can they continue for the rest of May? Find out in the article below!   SPONSORED 🔽 Sponsored [A 100% Win Rate In 2022… Over The Past 6 Years...]( The next 10 minutes could change your life. We’ve recorded a special sit-down interview with a reclusive millionaire who details how he’s closed out winning trade after winning trade throughout the volatility of 2022. In fact, he hasn’t closed a single losing trade since 2016. Sounds impossible? It’s not - and he’ll prove it to you. [Click to see this exclusive sit-down interview.]( [Privacy Policy/Disclosures]( May Madness: Can the Bull Market Continue to Roar? April was quite the month, definitely. The stock market rallied like it had a newfound spring in its step. U.S. markets had single-digit gains, bond markets were feeling moderately positive, and international markets were having a mixed bag – developed markets partied with modest gains, while emerging markets had a little downward slide. Given the not-so-happy earnings expectations at the beginning of the month, this rally could be a silver lining for the upcoming months. So, let's have a little recap for today. The markets showed us some decent numbers, with the S&P 500 gaining 1.56% in April, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.57%. The Nasdaq Composite, the tech-savvy cousin, didn't fare as well, with a gain of only 0.07%. As for developed markets, represented by the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSE:EFA) Index, they rose 2.82%, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index lost 1.1%. Now, let's talk fixed income. The Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index (AGG) went up by 0.61% for the month, and the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield Index gained 0.61% as well. Overall, April was a solid month for the financial markets, with a thumbs up for all indices. The magic behind April's gains? Better-than-expected fundamentals! First-quarter earnings were much better than we thought, and interest rates went down. May might just surprise us too, giving stocks a little tailwind. But, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. The economy showed signs of slowing down. Labor market indicators, like job openings and hiring, continued to slow. Consumer confidence had a little wobble, and business confidence indicators went down too. The manufacturing survey stayed in recessionary territory, and the service sector didn't quite reach its previous highs. Let's not forget the banking crisis that continued into April, with First Republic Bank (OTC:FRCB) failing in early May. This suggests the banking system is still under pressure, which could slow lending growth and affect consumers and businesses alike. This, along with the lingering effects of prior Fed rate hikes, might slow the economy down for the rest of the year. But wait! There's potential good news on the horizon. With inflation dropping and likely to drop further as the economy slows, the Fed might have less reason to raise rates.  The Fed did increase rates at the start of May, but they also hinted that future increases might be less likely. While the current data shows that higher rates were needed to curb inflation, such increases now seem less probable. Although slower growth could be a headwind for the market, it could also mean even lower rates, which would help support markets. In the short term, the economy might grow more slowly. But earnings growth is holding up, which is great news. That, along with the prospect of lower rates, might give markets some cushion this month. Of course, there's always political and international risks to consider. The federal debt ceiling was hit again in January, and the U.S. Treasury is now using extraordinary measures to pay the bills. They're expected to run out of money soon, which could disrupt markets. This situation will likely be resolved (at the last minute, as usual), but until then, rising uncertainty will weigh on markets. With the Ukraine war ongoing and China's Covid-19 reopening still uncertain, multiple risks could act as headwinds this month. So, what's the takeaway from April? It's mostly good news! The economy is slowing but still growing, progress on inflation has allowed the Fed to ponder pausing rate hikes, and earnings are better than expected. While we face risks like the debt ceiling situation, the solid results from April mean the prospects for the rest of the year continue to look good. The bottom line here is that, yes, we do have some headwinds. But the current economic slowdown and adjustments in interest rates might just put the economy and markets in a better place. Over time, we could see the economy showing its resilience as these improvements continue. To sum it up, let's stay cautiously optimistic! April showed us that even with some bumps in the road, there's still hope for growth and progress. As we look ahead, it's essential to keep an eye on the risks and challenges, but also remember the silver linings and opportunities that lie ahead. After all, slow growth is still growth, and that's something we can all get behind!   Disclaimer:  The material in this document is for informational purposes based on our proprietary research. It is not an offering, specific recommendation, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned or discussed herein.  Any performance results discussed herein represent past performance, are not a guarantee of future performance, and are not indicative of any specific investment.  Due to the timing of information presented, any investment performance reflected within this document may be adjusted after the publication and distribution of this material. There can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product made reference to directly or indirectly in this communication will be profitable, be equal to any corresponding indicated historical performance levels or be suitable for your portfolio.  Any investment results set forth in this document are not net of expenses and execution costs, nor do they account for other relevant trading or investment fees. Please visit tradersontrend.com/terms for our full Terms and Conditions.  COE MEDIA.   1126 S Federal Hwy Unit #827   Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 [UnsubscribeÂ](  [Privacy Policy](