Nasdaq Bounce or Break? 21340 Becomes the BattlegroundNasdaq futures may have seen an ugly decline following the Fed’s rate decision but it’s noteworthy the price remained respectful of technical levels, bouncing off 21340.75 at the height of the carnage.
It’s far too early to call a bottom, especially with momentum indicators mixed: MACD has crossed over from above, generating a bearish signal, but the long-running uptrend in RSI (14) remains intact. Therefore, rather than trying to anticipate directional risks based on thin volumes going through in Asian trade, I’d much rather see how the price action evolves into Europe and US.
If the price tests and holds again 21340.75, longs could be established above the level with a stop beneath for protection. Apart from a minor level at 21608, there’s little visual resistance until the record highs.
Alternatively, if the price breaks 21340.75 and cannot reverse back higher, you could flip the setup around, selling beneath the level with a stop above for protection. 20984 and important 50-day moving average are nearby levels of note, with a break of the latter opening the possibility of a deeper flush towards 20400.
More broadly, for the carnage witnessed following the Fed, its updated rate projections were not significantly different to what traders were anticipating before the event. And when you step back and look at where markets see the funds rate bottoming this cycle, it’s around 70bps higher than where the Fed’s dot plot indicated.
What the Fed signalled was a slower pace of cuts, not a large reduction in cuts. One 25bps move was removed from the profile by the end of 2027. That’s it. Based on the market reaction, you’d think multiple cuts were removed!
That makes me think the move was more about market positioning rather than a truly monumental hawkish shift, making me question how long the rout can be sustained when that reality sets in.
