Capital Markets Insights | 05 May - 09 May

Dear Investoreans,

The week was characterized by choppy trading in U.S. capital markets, driven by trade policy developments, Federal Reserve signals, and mixed corporate earnings. Stocks experienced volatility as investors reacted to President Trump’s announcement of a U.S.-UK trade deal and hints of potential tariff reductions with China, boosting market optimism. However, concerns over tariffs and an anticipated Federal Reserve rate decision tempered gains. The S&P 500 snapped its nine-session winning streak on Monday, May 5, but markets rebounded later in the week, with economically sensitive sectors leading gains. Investors also digested a Federal Reserve statement on May 7 highlighting risks of economic slowdown and higher prices, alongside anticipation for upcoming U.S.-China trade talks.

US

S&P500 closed the week at 5,659.91 -0.47 for the week and -3.77% YTD. The market erased almost all the losses for the year, a spectacular rebound and come-back move.

GOLD

Gold closed at $ 3,324.63 a 2.58% rise for the week. An amazing 40.87% YTD performance, showing that something is not going right in the system. There are many reasons that support this rise, from geopolitical reasons, to dollar’s drop and a general worry about inflation and the future of the markets.

WTI

WTI closed the week at $60.68 a rise of 8.96% for the week decreasing the YTD free fall at -15.20%.

FOREX

The U.S. dollar showed resilience, supported by higher Treasury yields and trade optimism. It remained firm against major currencies. Euro lost -0.42% for the week staying stable in the 1.125 area.

CRYPTO

Bitcoin surged above $100,000 for the first time since February, driven by risk-on sentiment following Trump’s U.S.-UK trade deal announcement and hints of further trade agreements. Coinbase’s $2.9 billion acquisition of options platform Deribit boosted crypto sector sentiment. However, Bitcoin’s 32% gain over the past month outpaced the S&P 500’s 13%, signaling strong investor appetite for alternative assets.

SUI jumped 20.74% this week and Kaspa 26%. Is Crypto momentum back?

ECONOMIC CALENDAR

The Federal Reserve signaled risks of economic slowdown and higher prices, leading to choppy trading.

Sezzle (NASDAQ: SEZL) jumped nearly 54% this week after crushing Q1 expectations. The BNPL firm posted $36M in net income on $105M revenue—both more than doubling year over year and easily beating estimates. Management hiked 2025 profit guidance by 50%, now expecting $120M in net income and 60–65% revenue growth.

Analysts were impressed, citing strong subscriber growth and an unusually large guidance boost. While the stock has earned its surge, trading at 26x forward earnings and exposed to economic shifts, it remains a speculative play.

Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT) plunged 21.45% to $36.72 after posting a $447.5M Q1 net loss, down from a $36.1M profit a year ago. Despite an 80% revenue jump to $744.9M—driven by Elevidys gene therapy—results disappointed. The company also cut 2025 revenue guidance to $2.3–$2.6B, down from $2.9–$3.1B.

The stock may also be reacting to safety concerns after a patient death linked to Elevidys, marking the first fatal liver injury reported with the therapy.

Let's be real, understanding why the market does the cha-cha is key to not getting left behind in the investing dance-off. But how do you spot the market's next superstar or the one-hit wonder before they hit the stage?

Enter Investorean, your backstage pass to market mastery!

At Investorean, we've got the secret sauce to help you strut your stuff in the investing world:

And now, for the grand finale of this newsletter, here's one of our favorite quotes to inspire your next investment boogie:

‘’The big money is not in the buying and selling, but in the waiting.’’

Stay sharp, Investorean! Keep an eye on your investments and take care of your yourself.

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