We have successfully opened our first US 500 option trades of the year, and the initial results are very promising.
IG Index (Spread Betting): The position is already in profit. We are currently on target to achieve a 2.5% tax-free return over a 9-day duration.
IBKR (Traditional Options): This version of the trade is also sitting in a slight profit, currently on track for a 1.3% ROI over a 9-day duration..
📋 Long-Term Buy Watchlist Update
We are officially adding CRM, ORCL, PYPL, and CCL to our Long-Term Buy Watchlist. They join our existing watchlist members: DELL, ANET, and AMD.
Reminder: This watchlist is not a BUY list. These are high-quality companies we are getting ready to add to our long-term buy-and-hold portfolio, but we are not ready to act just yet. We are staying patient and waiting for the recent technical downtrend in these names to definitively end before committing capital.
📅 Market Review for Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Overview: The market mood soured over the long weekend following President Trump’s social media posts threatening a 10% tariff on eight NATO allies (effective February 1st) in connection with the ongoing Greenland standoff. This escalation ignited fears of a global trade war, overshadowing recent AI-driven optimism. While we have opened our broad index trades, we remain patient and have yet to place our first individual stock option trade of the year as we wait for the technical setups in these volatile conditions to stabilize.
📈 Major Indices
Dow Jones Industrial Average: Plunged -1.74% (860 points), closing at 48,498.96.
S&P 500: Sank -2.04%, finishing at 6,798.48.
Nasdaq Composite: Tumbled -2.38%, closing at 22,955.94.
🏛️ Bonds, FX & Commodities
US 10-Year Yield: Jumped to 4.27% as investors weighed the inflationary impact of new tariffs.
Gold: Surged to a new all-time high of $4,737 per ounce on safe-haven demand.
Silver: Exploded higher by over 6%, hitting a record $95.34 per ounce.
WTI Crude Oil: Advanced to settle near $60.55 per barrel.
📊 Specific Stock Performance (Verified Closing Prices)
STZ (Constellation Brands):Up +4.45% ($163.61). A massive standout performer, acting as a powerful defensive hedge in a sea of red.
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices):Up +0.04% ($231.92). Watchlist: Showed incredible relative strength, managing to finish flat-to-green despite the Nasdaq's 2.3% drop.
PFE (Pfizer Inc.):Down -0.51% ($25.52). Held up significantly better than the broader market due to its defensive value profile.
ANET (Arista Networks):Down -0.60% ($129.81). Watchlist: Stayed relatively resilient compared to its high-beta tech peers.
NVO (Novo Nordisk ADR):Down -2.66% ($60.67). Saw some profit-taking after the previous week's historic 9% surge.
GOOGL (Alphabet Inc.):Down -2.42% ($322.00). Followed the broader mega-cap tech sector lower amid the trade-war fears.
META (Meta Platforms):Down -2.60% ($604.12). Faced heavy selling pressure as investors exited high-growth software names.
ALK (Alaska Air Group):Down -4.86% ($47.61). Hit hard as the airline sector grappled with the twin threats of rising oil and potential trade restrictions.
DELL (Dell Technologies):Down -7.85% ($111.07). Note: Dell was among the worst performers in tech yesterday. We continue to monitor it closely and are preparing to buy, but with the technical downtrend accelerating, we are staying patient for a clear bottoming signal.
FLTR.L (Flutter Entertainment):Down -0.70% (13,515.00p). Hit a new 52-week low in London as it continues to struggle with regulatory and technical headwinds.
📞 Strategy Call Assistance
If you require assistance with trade setup, risk management, or strategy review, please schedule a strategy call.
PREMIUM Plan Members: Strategy calls are included in your plan.
All Other Members: Strategy calls can be scheduled at a rate of €100 per half hour.
