The Nasdaq 100 has staged an impressive rally over the past two weeks, climbing more than 12% since Monday 21 April to close at roughly 19,970 on Monday 5 May. However, if there were a point at which the advance might pause, it could be near current levels. The index has risen to a key area of technical resistance in the 19,900 to 20,200 range, which could prove challenging to break through, especially given the uncertain outlook.
One driver behind the Nasdaq 100’s rise has been the fall in implied volatility, as indicated by the VXN. While the better-known Vix measures expected volatility in the S&P 500 over the next month of trading, the VXN measures volatility on the Nasdaq 100. It has recently dropped to a reading of 25.7, down from more than 50 in April, as shown on the chart below. This decline in implied volatility probably triggered significant unwinding of put positions in the options market, allowing market-maker hedging flows to provide a tailwind for stocks. But with the VXN now back at levels last seen on 2 April, this tailwind may no longer be available to support the market.
Additionally, the Nasdaq 100 has returned to the 61.8% retracement level, a significant Fibonacci level that frequently acts as strong resistance and could help determine whether the recent rebound is genuine or merely a short-term blip. Just above this 61.8% retracement lies the 200-day moving average, another level that typically provides strong resistance. Furthermore, the 19,950 region has consistently acted as both support and resistance, dating back to June 2024. With these three resistance areas converging, it may be challenging for the tech-heavy index to sustain its upward momentum. Should stocks begin to reverse lower, initial support may be around 19,300, followed by a gap at 18,240.
That said, if the Nasdaq 100 somehow manages to overcome all these hurdles, it could rise to 21,100 – though such a move appears unlikely at this stage.
Written by Michael J. Kramer, founder of Mott Capital Management
Disclaimer: CMC Markets is an execution-only service provider. The material (whether or not it states any opinions) is for general information purposes only and does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed.
No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by CMC Markets or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although we are not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, we do not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination.
One driver behind the Nasdaq 100’s rise has been the fall in implied volatility, as indicated by the VXN. While the better-known Vix measures expected volatility in the S&P 500 over the next month of trading, the VXN measures volatility on the Nasdaq 100. It has recently dropped to a reading of 25.7, down from more than 50 in April, as shown on the chart below. This decline in implied volatility probably triggered significant unwinding of put positions in the options market, allowing market-maker hedging flows to provide a tailwind for stocks. But with the VXN now back at levels last seen on 2 April, this tailwind may no longer be available to support the market.
Additionally, the Nasdaq 100 has returned to the 61.8% retracement level, a significant Fibonacci level that frequently acts as strong resistance and could help determine whether the recent rebound is genuine or merely a short-term blip. Just above this 61.8% retracement lies the 200-day moving average, another level that typically provides strong resistance. Furthermore, the 19,950 region has consistently acted as both support and resistance, dating back to June 2024. With these three resistance areas converging, it may be challenging for the tech-heavy index to sustain its upward momentum. Should stocks begin to reverse lower, initial support may be around 19,300, followed by a gap at 18,240.
That said, if the Nasdaq 100 somehow manages to overcome all these hurdles, it could rise to 21,100 – though such a move appears unlikely at this stage.
Written by Michael J. Kramer, founder of Mott Capital Management
Disclaimer: CMC Markets is an execution-only service provider. The material (whether or not it states any opinions) is for general information purposes only and does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed.
No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by CMC Markets or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although we are not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, we do not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination.
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.