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SP500 trade ideas

Update on my thoughts on long term fibs thesis I wanted to give an overview update for those who've followed my macro thesis over the years. I've used various different things to support it but when it's come to my thoughts as to when the idea has failed I've always thought the only thing I really use for that is the big 4.23' of the 2008 crash. Since 2019 I've used the thesis big fib levels will foretell big moves in SPX, and it's worked really well. Inside the theory of trend formation through a fib swing I have been using, the 4.23 is the final boss. It's the biggest most important swing and at it everything is high stakes. 4.23 rejections can lead to 1.27 retracements. In the context of this chart, that would be a depression style move. When this area was first hit in 2022 it made the high there. One of my known for 4.23's is they'll often bluff and then have some sort of spike out. So if the 4.23 is actionable, we'd be in the end game now. Trying to work out exactly how much spike tolerance is very difficult but in the bear thesis this trading above the 4.23 should turn into a strong rejection. I'm talking conditions where weekly charts look like the 4 hour charts did in the original 10% break. What would happen on a 4.23 reversal would be unspeakably bad with the size of these swings, and this 4.23 principle can be found time and time again marking the end of extreme moves (both up moves and crashes). That's a concerning thing. If there's even a 5% chance of that happening I feel I have to think about it. Based on the odds of the fibs, the odds would be higher. It'd be fair to say thinking a fib can affect such big things is irrational. But it would be honest to accept to ignore the fact they actually have right in front of us is all the more irrational. But the 4.23 might break! It's difficult for me to tell you the specific price at which I'd consider the 4.23 to have been broken but I can tell you the idea that it might break is something I deeply consider- because if that is going to happen, my bear thesis would never be correct inside a workable time/price move. This isn't a "Right eventually" sort of thing. The patterns have expectations. If the 4.23 is not a top, then the plan totally changes. Because I know from my intraday / week trading that I really love to be fading 4.23s and 4.23 spikes regularly but if and when they fail the most exceptional of things happen. These are not all that notable intraday to anyone other than levels traders, but what if the same concept scaled up - I wondered. I wondered this a while ago and noticed it was something I'd never really checked. As it happened, all the 4.23s I looked at in indices reversed. Initially I found it tricky to find them but then I noticed the highest probability place to find them was heading into bubbles. And this makes me super wary of the fact my bear thesis could be spectacularly wrong. Because around about this zone Nasdaq was getting into a 4.23 - and this looked quite bubble-like. If I'd seen this in real time in the 4.23, I'd have thought that worth a fade. 1998. The Nasdaq did not make a high in 1998! 1998 was in fact a rather bad time to have a persistent bear thesis. But you could have made money. For a while there was a flux. During this you could have made some money. You'd just have to know when to stop doing that. Inside a thesis such as this, when there is a drop you always have to consider we might be in a spot something like this. From this move Nasdaq would go into a rally that literally changes the perspective of the chart. As you click through bar by bar the previous crash bars become hard to see. Nothing but up. Then sideways. Nothing but up. Then we're inside of the topping zone. If you didn't decide before the fact, where do you drop the bear thesis there? It's tough. Because the rally section would seem like a blow off. Then we go sideways. Which feels like the steam has ran out. Then we go into the real blow off. Where to close your short would be handled for you if you didn't - but it's hard to know when you'd flip bull there. For me, at least. Because I'd want to buy a crash move. And there really are not all that many of them. My style of trading is optimised for trading reversals (either of corrections or absolute) and steady and persistent pullback-less trends are trickier for me. I need to have a really good idea of where I'd want to switch to that style and my failure conditions (because all that momentum trading with no stops stuff isn't for me - I could not sleep at night - being someone who's benefited from so many major trend reversals and seeing how fast they happen). Looking through different examples of 4.23 breaks (which really are mostly found before bubble like moves or crashes if inverted) I have come to conclusion that the best thing to have done would have probably been to buy the low of the last crash before the bubble. Just buy the low before the bubble. That's it. Thanks for reading! Of course, on a more practical level - we actually have to try to do that. Now...if the break was coming, we'd maybe actually be AT that spot. I think to give the bearish 4.23 thesis its full fair chance we have to accept some sort of stop running above this recent high. Stuff like that is totally fail game. Even something a bit more spikey would be fine if it rejected. But if we trend up here, break highs and then continue to trend up, I really do think that would be the conditions where I would stop generating bear short levels. I'd switch my methods to generating bear risk areas but main using these for bullish trail/breakout decisions. I first came into indices in 2019 with my bear thesis on SPX. Which was spectacularly half right. But I'd forecast a two leg crash. Fortunately enough for me, when the high was broken I became disinterested in SPX and went back to Forex. Only setting an alert for the next big level, which triggered 2021. This is when I setup the "HoleyProfit" username. This period of time has been the best time to be a bear inside of my trading lifetime. But I believe if we're not somewhere deep inside the end game for this bull market we could head into conditions where if you trade flawlessly as a bear you can perhaps scrape breakeven eventually. Which are not good times to be a bear. They'd be good times to be a bull. If I don't think about this, we could have a move that looks like an obvious blow off in SPX to me. And ends up looking like this. Which I don't want to be short into. And realistically I'm not. I'd hit stops well before any of that madness affected me. But I don't want anyone who's followed my ideas and seen these having the big previous successes thinking it's a slam dunk sort of thing. I do believe if my bear thesis failed it would be spectacularly. I believe we're in a bubble. Whether we're late or mid bubble I am open minded to. Being mid bubble and being aware of it would be INCREDIBLE. Some people think I am determined to be a bear just because I want to be. I'd be happy with massively awesome markets. A trend one way or the other pay just as much to me. It's better to make money in conditions your broker and bank are not going out of business. I really don't mind being bullish. It's just sketchy doing it at major resistance levels with all the other weird confluences (like interest rate patterns etc). We are somewhat close to crux in this thesis. Hopefully you can easily understand how it's not practical to put a price on specifically but I do want to note that while I have plans to short different bull trap levels / spike outs on this rally - we are getting the point where my net thesis may be proven wrong on the large reversal. If that happens, my option and style will be become polar opposite. For me to continue to be bearish above the 4.23 would be me just wandering off into a jungle of random for trying to have an overall plan. And in fact, for me to not switch my bias from bear to hyper bullish on a 4.23 would be intellectually dishonest and directly fading the edges that the original idea bet on. Markets may make big reversals at major resistances, but if they break- can be much different. I wanted to be clear and thorough on this while while are still generally low. While I've discussed some different bear plans into a rally, it is also one of my considerations that this rally could end up spelling out the end of my bear thesis if we made new highs and were persistent. The net bear thesis will be right or wrong inside a specific zone. That zone is big and tricky to define, but it's specific. Specific in the fact that I'm saying we're specifically in that zone. There's potentially for setups that could take a lot of time to complete, but in terms of the zone and conditions what's accepted is getting narrower and narrower. It is entirely placeable within the next 6 months my entire macro swing bias will have changed. Or this might all just be the bull trap taking. We'll see how it goes.
SP:SPX
by holeyprofit
4
S&P500 - Temporary snap back rally to kill some bears ?Markets are in correction mode as everyone has (hopefully) noticed by now, with the NASDAQ and S&P500 breaching key lows. Forced selling like we saw on Friday usually gives us a reaction rally that can last a few days. Prices have already dropped too much already so don't try an be bold now with any agressive shorting, especially if you plan to keep positions overnight! You have to stay alert and react quickly to be able to profit on short-term setups within this bear market. Be disciplined, protect your capital, stay active—this is not an investor's market !!!
SP:SPXLong
by ElliottWaveBelgium
3
S&P500: Bottom is in. 5,800 Target imminent.S&P500 is almost neutral on its 1D technical outlook (RSI = 44.927, MACD = -131.940, ADX = 29.116) as it has recovered from the tariff selloff, finding support a little over the 1W MA200. The 1D RSI made a double bottom and is much like the October 27th 2023 bottom. Both DB bullish divergences in contrast to the LL of the price. The immediate target on the rebound that followed in 2023 was the R1 level. Trade: long, TP = 5,800. ## If you like our free content follow our profile to get more daily ideas. ## ## Comments and likes are greatly appreciated. ##
CAPITALCOM:US500Long
by InvestingScope
1
VIX Hits 27-Year Extreme. Is the Market About to CRASH or SOAR?The Volatility Index (VIX displayed by the blue trend-line) has entered a level that has visited only another 5 times in the last 27 years (since August 1998)! That is what we've called the 'VIX Max Panic Resistance Zone'. As the name suggests that indicates ultimate panic for the stock markets, which was fueled by massive sell-offs, leading to extreme volatility and uncertainty. So the obvious question arises: 'Is this Good or Bad for the market??' The answer is pretty clear if you look at the chart objectively and with a clear perspective. In 4 out of those 5 times, the S&P500 (SPX) bottomed exactly on the month of the VIX Max Panic signal. It was only during the 2008 U.S. Housing Crisis that VIX hit the Max Panic Zone in October 2008 but bottomed 5 months late in March 2009. As a result, this is historically a very strong opportunity for a multi-year buy position. If anything, today's VIX situation looks more similar to September 2011 or even the bottom of the previous U.S. - China Trade war in March 2020. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Please LIKE 👍, FOLLOW ✅, SHARE 🙌 and COMMENT ✍ if you enjoy this idea! Also share your ideas and charts in the comments section below! This is best way to keep it relevant, support us, keep the content here free and allow the idea to reach as many people as possible. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 💸💸💸💸💸💸 👇 👇 👇 👇 👇 👇
TVC:SPXLong
by TradingShot
US Stocks Wipe Out $6.6 Trillion in Two Days—What Just Happened?Shoutout to the real MVPs of April: the traders who did absolutely nothing. You market wizards, zen masters of the sidelines — while others were busy buying the dip that kept on dipping, you outperformed the S&P 500 SP:SPX , avoiding the nastiest market faceplant since the Covid crash of March 2020. Since April 2, Liquidation Day , Liberation Day , the S&P 500 SP:SPX has nosedived a brutal 10%. That’s officially a correction — the kind that makes you stare out your window like a philosopher, questioning your life choices, your portfolio, and whether you really needed that Nvidia NASDAQ:NVDA call. This isn’t just a dip. It’s a market reality check served with extra salt. So raise a (half empty?) glass to the ones who stayed flat — you just made Warren Buffett proud . In a world of overtrading, doing nothing was the most alpha move of all. Everyone who checked the market at least once on Thursday or Friday (even today when futures markets were all red ) knows what that is all about. It’s Trump’s tariff rollout coming like a wrecking ball. While the US President portrays his efforts as a fair and even lenient response to other countries’ trade policies with the US, investors don't seem to think so. In just two days, Thursday and Friday, the US stock market washed out $6.6 trillion. The violent selloff threw the Nasdaq Composite NASDAQ:IXIC into a bear market (down 20% from its peak) and the S&P 500 into correction territory. The broad-based Wall Street darling waved goodbye to 6% on Friday, extending its 4.8% loss from the previous day. On Thursday, Trump unveiled his new plan to boost the US economy through reciprocal tariffs. China got hammered with a total of 54% , while Europe wasn’t spared either, slapped with a flat 20%. Some uninhabited islands also made the list — Heard and McDonald Islands (Australia's icy outpost) and Jan Mayen (Norway's frozen Arctic rock) got served a 10% tariff. Now, the thing with tariffs is, they tend to backfire. Because they are paid by the party receiving them, i.e. US companies, they hike the prices of imported goods, squeeze consumers, and isolate the country imposing them. They strain international trade relationships, disrupt supply chains, and — as history shows — often spark retaliation. And that’s exactly what happened. On Friday, China hit back hard, launching a 34% tariff barrage on US imports — a sharp counter-strike against Trump’s escalating trade war tactics. What did Trump say on the matter? “CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED - THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!” he said on his social media platform. Just as the markets were a dumpster fire on Friday, Federal Reserve boss Jay Powell gave a speech at a business journalists' conference. In his remarks, he said that Trump’s tariffs would cause “higher inflation and slower growth.” “It is now becoming clear that the tariff increases will be significantly larger than expected. The same is likely to be true of the economic effects,” Powell said. Trump's response? “This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut Interest Rates. He is always ‘late,’ but he could now change his image, and quickly,” Trump wrote in a post. “Energy prices are down, Interest Rates are down, Inflation is down, even Eggs are down 69%, and Jobs are UP, all within two months - A BIG WIN for America. CUT INTEREST RATES, JEROME, AND STOP PLAYING POLITICS!” So here we are — $6.6 trillion lighter, futures in free fall, inflation fears reignited, and a full-blown trade war back on the table. The Fed’s caught in a political crossfire, Trump’s turning up the heat, and markets are flashing every red light imaginable. On top of it all, corporate earnings are just around the corner with the big banks on Wall Street kicking off the first-quarter reporting at the end of this week. Keep track of all big reports in the Earnings Calendar . One thing’s for sure: this isn’t the time to trade on hope or headlines. It’s the time to trade with eyes wide open, risk tightly managed, and a clear understanding that your next move could shape the rest of your year. Most of all, don’t panic . Off to you now: are you sitting this one out like Buffett — or are you moving in before the smoke clears?
SP:SPX
by TradingView
46
One more wave down for SPX500USDHi traders, SPX500USD went straight into the target last week. From there it rejected and made a bigger correction (orange) wave X (updated wavecount). Next week we could see the last impulse wave down to finish the bigger (red) WXY correction. Let's see what the market does and react. Trade idea: Wait for a change in orderflow to bearish and a small correction up on a lower timeframe to trade shorts. If you want to learn more about trading FVG's & liquidity sweeps with Wave analysis, then please make sure to follow me. This shared post is only my point of view on what could be the next move in this pair based on my technical analysis. Don't be emotional, just trade your plan! Eduwave
OANDA:SPX500USDShort
by EduwaveTrading
1
$SPX - Recap of April 14 2025So if you just read SPY - this is just a copy and paste because of course we had almost identical price action here. Today, Monday April 14th we opened with a gap UP to the 30min 200MA and we also gapped right to the top of the bear gap (always considered resistance and strengthened by the downward momentum of the 30min 200. We did see resistance with those combined bearish levels and we brought is back down to the middle, closed the gap from open and took it back to the 30min 200MA and got pushed back at close. This chart setup was bearish today - even though we closed green - how? The 30in 200MA pointing down. The bear gap under that. And the 35EMA trading Under the 30min 200MA. It was an easy trading day and just looking at the momentum you could feel that price was going to stay in the center of the implied move. At least I mentioned that in last night’s video. Excellent day. How did you guys do??
SP:SPX
by SPYder_QQQueen_Trading
2
Bear Pattern Often Would Spike One More Time The swings of the week so far have created a giant pending butterfly- which may be the most important setup we've seen in SPX for a long long time - certainly the most important during this drop. A butterfly here in its book context is a bearish pattern, but if you follow my work you'll know I always say harmonics are binary decision levels. If they work, the accurately forecast the reversal zone and then often the implied swing to follow- when they fail, they tend to indicate strong moves in the other direction. Off a setup like this, a failure of the butterfly would be failure of the downtrend. A successful butterfly would be a failure of the bigger overall uptrend. It's a high stakes moment. But bears should be aware we could be 98% right here and still face a brutal stop run. Protecting profits from higher entries now. Ideally want to size up into a spike.
CAPITALCOM:US500Short
by holeyprofit
5
Planning to short a little higher. I made a full pivot on my bear position while we were 6% down on the day into the end of last week, switching to long positioning at 5150 and adding a couple times once the first resis levels broke, now I'm starting to get ready to try to position short again into a move a little higher (5550 or so). My bias at this point is fairly neutral. As a trader, it really doesn't matter which way the market goes. One could equally make the polarised case for us to trend up 1000 points or down 1000 points. Many people think I want to be a bear for the sake of being a bear, but those 1000 points pay the exact same. I'd opt for the one with no systemic risk. After all, the money I make I keep in banks and brokerages. Nicer to know they'll be okay. But markets are not a place for preference. Heading into 5550 is where we have another window of risk for the bear setup. We took a large position (relative to typical exposure) betting 4% long on SPX at 5150 with 100 points stop. Banked on this for 300 points. With the added positions this was a bit over 15%. Basically, we made as much as a non leveraged long would make trading from the absolute low to a retest of the high. Still currently have some light exposure betting on 5550 hitting. If and when we get there, we'll cycle some of our long profits back to shorts. Even inside of a bull market case I could make a reasonable case for 5000 retesting. And if we're actually inside a bear market, then we've just been through the eye of the storm. Over the last few days I've not done much. Caught up on work outside the market (or related to work I do based on the market that isn't trading). Caught up on sleep (because I slept very rarely through March / early April). Whatever way it goes, I think we're going to be back to being super active some time in the next few days. For now, locking in the profits. Through this year the market has made over 50% worth of swings when you add them all up. We caught a lot of them. Covering multiple years of the standard expected gains for the style and low risk setting used. My priority is keeping that. But I can see myself repositioning as a bear in the coming days. I'm undecided of how deep a bear move I'd be targeting. But I do strongly suspect I'll be a short 5550 if it trades.
CAPITALCOM:US500Short
by holeyprofit
Is Trump Intentionally Crashing the Econ?I want to preface this by saying I'm a TA and this is just dinner table chat as far as I am concerned. I've no interest what-so-ever in why a market moves. All the money is made based on how it moves- and the TA is working great for that. Just sharing a theory that is floating about (It's not mine). The idea is Trump is intentionally crashing the markets in an attempt to reduce the debt burden on the US. This would work by this sequence of events; 1 - Markets crash. Making people who care about their money anxious and less eager to take risk in the stocks (etc) markets. 2 - This money moves to bonds. Pushing bond prices up. Rising bond prices push interest rates down. So crashing the econ can lead to lower interest rates. 3 - At a lower interest rate (say 2%) the US can refi its debt. Inside of this theory, everything we're seeing is part of a calculated plan to, literally, force stocks lower.
SP:SPXShort
by holeyprofit
23
SPX: the absurdity of tariffsTariffs-narrative continues to shape the sentiment of investors on the US equity markets. The high volatility continues to be the predominant way of price movements, ranging from deep pessimism to higher optimism. The reality is that no one is sure what to trade and in which direction. Markets are extremely unhappy in times of high uncertainty, like the tariff-time currently is. Another week with extreme moves is behind the market. The S&P 500 reached the lowest weekly level at 4.840, but soon realized that this might be too low for current conditions of the US economy. Then the news hit the market that US tariffs will be delayed for the majority of countries for up to 90 days, and the market suddenly entered into an optimistic mood, reaching the highest weekly level at 5.480. This occurred at Wednesday's trading session, where S&P 500 gained around 10% within one day. For the S&P 500 this could be treated as highly extreme movement, but it shows how much nervousness is within investors at this moment. One of few reactions on the extreme volatility of US equity markets came from Susan Collins, head of the Boston Fed, who noted that “markets are continuing to function well” and that the Fed would be prepared to address chaotic conditions on the market, if needed. However, there is no indication that the Fed will react at this moment, and whether current developments will have any effect on their decision on rate cuts during the course of this year. The next FOMC meeting is scheduled for May 6-7th. At this moment, the long term investors should not be worried, as this absurdity will come to pass one day, and US equities will continue to follow the growth of the US economy. Short term investors and traders will find this period of time as highly challenging. This sentiment will, unfortunately, continue for some time in the future, until the final tariffs-deal is set or dismissed.
SP:SPX
by XBTFX
S&P500 Tariff comeback may be starting a whole new Bull Cycle!The S&P500 index (SPX) is making a remarkable comeback following the non-stop sell-off since mid-February as, following the tariff 90-day pause, it is staging a massive rebound just before touching the 1W MA200 (orange trend-line). Since that was almost at the bottom of its bullish channel while the 2W RSI hit its own Higher Lows trend-line, this can technically initiate a 2-year Bull Cycle similar to those that started on the October 2022 and March 2020 bottoms (green circles). The fact that the current correction has been almost as quick as the March 2020 COVID crash, may indicate that the recovery could be just as strong. In any event, it appears that a 7200 Target on a 2-year horizon is quite plausible, being close to he top of the bullish channel, while also under the 2.0 Fibonacci extension, which got hit during both previous Bullish Legs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Please LIKE 👍, FOLLOW ✅, SHARE 🙌 and COMMENT ✍ if you enjoy this idea! Also share your ideas and charts in the comments section below! This is best way to keep it relevant, support us, keep the content here free and allow the idea to reach as many people as possible. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclosure: I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis. 💸💸💸💸💸💸 👇 👇 👇 👇 👇 👇
TRADENATION:US500Long
by TradingShot
4
"US500/SPX500" Index Market Money Heist Plan (Day / Scalping)🌟Hi! Hola! Ola! Bonjour! Hallo! Marhaba!🌟 Dear Money Makers & Robbers, 🤑 💰💸✈️ Based on 🔥Thief Trading style technical and fundamental analysis🔥, here is our master plan to heist the "US500 / SPX500" Index CFD Market. Please adhere to the strategy I've outlined in the chart, which emphasizes long entry. Our aim is to escape near the high-risk ATR Zone. Risky level, overbought market, consolidation, trend reversal, trap at the level where traders and bearish robbers are stronger. 🏆💸"Take profit and treat yourself, traders. You deserve it!💪🏆🎉 Entry 📈 : "The heist is on! Wait for the MA breakout (5500) then make your move - Bullish profits await!" however I advise to Place Buy stop orders above the Moving average (or) Place buy limit orders within a 15 or 30 minute timeframe most recent or swing, low or high level for Pullback entries. 📌I strongly advise you to set an "alert (Alarm)" on your chart so you can see when the breakout entry occurs. Stop Loss 🛑: "🔊 Yo, listen up! 🗣️ If you're lookin' to get in on a buy stop order, don't even think about settin' that stop loss till after the breakout 🚀. You feel me? Now, if you're smart, you'll place that stop loss where I told you to 📍, but if you're a rebel, you can put it wherever you like 🤪 - just don't say I didn't warn you ⚠️. You're playin' with fire 🔥, and it's your risk, not mine 👊." 📍 Thief SL placed at the recent/swing low level Using the 1H timeframe (5200) Day trade basis. 📍 SL is based on your risk of the trade, lot size and how many multiple orders you have to take. 🏴‍☠️Target 🎯: 5750 (or) Escape Before the Target 🧲Scalpers, take note 👀 : only scalp on the Long side. If you have a lot of money, you can go straight away; if not, you can join swing traders and carry out the robbery plan. Use trailing SL to safeguard your money 💰. 💰💵💴💸"US500/SPX500" Index CFD Market Heist Plan (Day / Scalping Trade) is currently experiencing a bullishness🐂.., driven by several key factors.👆👆👆 📰🗞️Get & Read the Fundamental, Macro economics, COT Report, Geopolitical and News Analysis, Sentimental Outlook, Intermarket Analysis, Index-Specific Analysis,Positioning and future trend targets with Overall Score...... go ahead to check 👉👉👉🔗🔗 ⚠️Trading Alert : News Releases and Position Management 📰 🗞️ 🚫🚏 As a reminder, news releases can have a significant impact on market prices and volatility. To minimize potential losses and protect your running positions, we recommend the following: Avoid taking new trades during news releases Use trailing stop-loss orders to protect your running positions and lock in profits 💖Supporting our robbery plan 💥Hit the Boost Button💥 will enable us to effortlessly make and steal money 💰💵. Boost the strength of our robbery team. Every day in this market make money with ease by using the Thief Trading Style.🏆💪🤝❤️🎉🚀 I'll see you soon with another heist plan, so stay tuned 🤑🐱‍👤🤗🤩
CAPITALCOM:US500Long
by Thief_Trader
What are Tariffs? How They Work and Why They Matter to You?For centuries, tariffs have played a crucial role in global trade, safeguarding domestic industries, shaping international relations, and influencing economic policies. While they often dominate headlines during trade wars and economic policy debates, many people still don’t fully understand what tariffs are, why they are used, and how they impact the economy. This comprehensive guide covers: ⦿ What tariffs are and how they work ⦿ Different types of tariffs ⦿ Why governments impose tariffs ⦿ The economic, political, and social effects of tariffs. ⦿ Historical and modern examples ⦿ The debate between protectionism and free trade ⦿ Tariffs in different economic systems ⦿ The future of tariffs in a globalized world By the end of this article, you’ll have a decent understanding of tariffs and their role in the global economy. 🤔 What Are Tariffs? A tariff is a tax imposed by a government on imported goods and services. The primary purpose of tariffs is to increase the cost of foreign products, making domestically produced goods more attractive to consumers. This serves several economic and political functions, such as protecting domestic industries, generating government revenue, and addressing trade imbalances. 👍 How Do Tariffs Work? A government sets a tariff rate on imported goods (e.g., 25% on foreign cars). Importers must pay this tax when bringing goods into the country. This increases the cost of imported goods, enhancing the competitiveness of domestic alternatives. Domestic industries benefit from reduced foreign competition. The government collects revenue from the tariff. 🦸‍♂ Who Pays the Tariff? Importers: These businesses or individuals directly pay the tariff when they bring goods into the country. This increases their costs. Businesses: Since importers face higher costs, businesses that rely on imported goods often pass these costs onto consumers by increasing prices. Consumers: Ultimately, the general public bears the cost as they pay higher prices for goods affected by tariffs. 🔎 Types of Tariffs Governments employ various tariffs depending on their economic goals and trade policies. Some of these are: 1️⃣ Ad Valorem Tariffs An ad valorem tariff is a percentage-based tariff calculated on the value of the imported goods. The tax amount increases or decreases with the price of the product. Example: A 10% tariff on imported TVs means a $1,000 TV incurs a $100 tariff. Usage: Commonly used for luxury goods, automobiles, and consumer electronics. 2️⃣ Specific Tariffs A specific tariff is a fixed fee charged per unit of imported goods, regardless of price. Example: $3 per barrel of imported oil. Usage: Often used for commodities like oil, wheat, and alcohol. 3️⃣ Compound Tariffs A compound tariff includes both a percentage-based tax (Ad valorem) and a fixed fee on imports (Specific). This means importers pay a fixed fee per unit as well as a percentage of the item’s value. Example: A 5% tax plus $2 per imported cheese wheel. Usage: Applied to goods where both quantity and value affect the market, such as food products and industrial materials. 4️⃣ Tariff-Rate Quotas (TRQs) A TRQ allows a limited quantity of an imported good to enter at a lower tariff rate. After the quota is reached, extra imports are taxed at a higher rate. Example: One of the most well-known examples of a TRQ is the U.S. Sugar Tariff-Rate Quota. The United States allows a certain quantity of sugar to be imported each year at a lower tariff rate. Any sugar imports within the quota limit are subject to a low tariff (e.g., 5%). However, once the quota is exceeded, any additional sugar imports face a much higher tariff (e.g., 20%). This system ensures that domestic sugar producers remain competitive while still allowing controlled imports to meet demand. Another example is the European Union's TRQ on Beef Imports. The EU permits a specific amount of high-quality beef imports (e.g., from the U.S. and Canada) at a lower tariff. Once this quota is filled, any additional beef imports are taxed at a significantly higher rate. This policy helps protect EU cattle farmers while maintaining trade agreements with international suppliers. 5️⃣ Protective Tariffs A protective tariff helps local industries by making imported goods more costly, reducing foreign competition. Example: The U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese steel to protect domestic steel manufacturers. Usage: Commonly used in industries facing strong foreign competition, such as steel, automotive, and textiles. 6️⃣ Revenue Tariffs A revenue tariff is mainly designed to raise money for the government, not to shield local industries. Example: In the 19th century, tariffs were the main source of revenue for the U.S. government before income taxes were introduced. Usage: Often applied to goods that do not have strong domestic competition but are widely consumed, such as alcohol and tobacco. ❓ Why Do Governments Impose Tariffs? 1️⃣ Protecting Domestic Industries Tariffs shield local businesses from cheaper foreign competitors, helping domestic industries grow. Example: U.S. steel tariffs in 2018 benefited domestic steel manufacturers. 2️⃣ Generating Government Revenue Before modern taxation systems, tariffs were a key source of revenue for governments. Example: In the 1800s, tariffs accounted for 90% of U.S. federal revenue. 3️⃣ National Security Concerns Some industries, like defense and technology, are crucial for national security, and governments impose tariffs to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. Example: The U.S. limits imports of rare earth minerals to ensure a domestic supply chain for defense technologies. 4️⃣ Retaliation in Trade Wars Countries impose tariffs to address unfair trade practices or economic conflicts. For instance, during the trade war between the United States and China, both countries imposed taxes on each other's goods 5️⃣ Preventing Dumping Dumping occurs when a country exports goods at below-market prices to eliminate competition. Example: The U.S. imposed tariffs on Chinese solar panels due to concerns about dumping. ⚖️ Pros and Cons of Tariffs Pros ✅ Protects local jobs and industries ✅ Encourages domestic production ✅ Generates government revenue ✅ Enhances national security by reducing reliance on foreign goods Cons ❌ Increases prices for consumers ❌ Can lead to trade wars and economic retaliation ❌ Encourages inefficiency in domestic industries ❌ Disrupts global supply chains 📕 Historical and Modern Examples of Tariffs 1. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (1930) The U.S. imposed tariffs on over 20k imported goods. Result: Other countries retaliated, global trade dropped by 66%, and the Great Depression worsened. 2. Trump’s Tariffs on China (2018-2020) The United States levied tariffs on $360 billion worth of Chinese goods. China retaliated, affecting U.S. agriculture exports. Result: Some U.S. industries benefited, but consumers faced higher prices. 3. The European Union’s Tariffs on U.S. Goods (2021) The EU imposed tariffs on American whiskey, motorcycles, and jeans in response to U.S. steel tariffs. Result: Brands like Harley-Davidson saw reduced sales in Europe. ⚙️ Tariffs vs. Free Trade: The Big Debate The debate between tariffs and free trade is a fundamental discussion in global economics and trade policy. This debate revolves around whether governments should impose tariffs (taxes on imported goods) or embrace free trade (minimal to no restrictions on imports and exports). ◉ Free Trade (No Tariffs) Free trade is the unrestricted movement of goods and services across borders without tariffs or other trade barriers. Advocates argue that it fosters economic efficiency and global cooperation. ✅✅ Advantages of Free Trade Lower Prices for Consumers – Without tariffs, imported goods are cheaper, leading to more affordable products. Increased Economic Growth – When countries trade freely, they specialize in what they do best, leading to higher productivity and economic expansion. More Competition = Better Products – Companies must compete on quality and innovation rather than relying on government protection. Stronger Global Relations – Open markets encourage cooperation between nations, reducing the risk of economic conflicts. Access to More Goods and Services – Consumers enjoy a greater variety of products at lower costs. ❌❌ Disadvantages of Free Trade Job Losses in Unprotected Industries – Domestic industries that can't compete with cheaper imports may shrink or shut down. Dependence on Foreign Suppliers – A country may become overly reliant on other nations for essential goods (e.g., medical supplies, electronics). Potential Trade Deficits – Countries that import more than they export may struggle with imbalances in trade. ◉ Protectionism (Using Tariffs) Protectionism refers to economic policies that restrict imports through tariffs, quotas, or other barriers to shield domestic industries from foreign competition. ✅✅ Advantages of Tariffs Protects Local Jobs and Industries – Domestic businesses have a better chance to compete without being undercut by cheaper imports. Reduces Dependence on Foreign Competitors – A country can maintain its own manufacturing and production capabilities, especially in critical industries like steel, energy, and food. Generates Government Revenue – Tariffs provide a source of income for governments, which can be reinvested in public services. Prevents Dumping – Tariffs discourage foreign companies from flooding the market with artificially cheap goods to destroy domestic competition. ❌❌ Disadvantages of Tariffs Higher Prices for Consumers – Since imported goods are taxed, businesses pass the extra costs to customers. Risk of Trade Wars – When one country imposes tariffs, others retaliate, leading to economic conflicts that hurt all parties involved. Encourages Inefficiency – Without foreign competition, domestic companies may become complacent and innovate less. Disrupts Global Supply Chains – Many industries rely on international suppliers; tariffs can increase production costs and delays. ❇️ The Future of Tariffs in a Globalized World As economies become more interconnected, tariffs are often seen as barriers to global trade. Emerging industries, such as digital services, face new trade policy challenges that traditional tariffs do not cover. With globalization, many nations favor free trade agreements (FTAs) like USMCA and the EU single market to reduce trade barriers. Climate-related tariffs, such as carbon border taxes, may become more common as nations try to incentivize environmentally friendly trade practices. 📌 Closing Thoughts Tariffs remain one of the most powerful - and controversial - tools in economic policy. Like a thermostat for trade, they can be adjusted to protect domestic industries, but risk overheating the economy with unintended consequences. History shows that while tariffs can provide temporary relief for specific sectors, they often create ripple effects across the entire economy. The steel tariffs of 2018 helped some American mills reopen, but made cars and appliances more expensive for everyone. Neither free trade nor tariffs are perfect solutions. A balanced approach, where tariffs are selectively used for strategic industries while promoting open markets in others, is often the best path. Each country must decide based on its economic strengths and priorities. For example, developed nations might push for free trade, while developing nations use tariffs to protect growing industries. As trade policies continue evolving, understanding tariffs gives citizens and businesses crucial insight into how globalization affects prices, jobs, and economic security. The debate isn't about whether tariffs are "good" or "bad," but rather when and how they should be used strategically. What are your thoughts on the ongoing U.S. tariff war? Share your opinions in the comments! 📩
SP:SPXEducation
by johntradingwick
6
S&P500 Still a Short: Be mindful of Alternate CountI discuss how the additional wave up could have a larger implication on the entire outlook of S&P500 and could cause a re-labelling of the entire wave structure. What we want to see in order to keep our primary count, is a breakdown below the low of where I plotted wave 1 of C. That is, below 5119.8. But no matter the primary count or the alternate count, it is still a short opportunity. But there is an implication on the Take Profit target.
OANDA:SPX500USDShort
by yuchaosng