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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

H2 outlook: Wall Street to defy gravity

As traders countdown to earnings from Amazon and Apple, IGTV’s @AngelineOng takes a look at why gravity-defying US stocks may well grind higher in the second half of 2023, despite S&P 500 earnings being relatively uninspiring.

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(Video Transcript)

Amazon and Apple earnings

During this earnings season, both Amazon and Apple have announced positive quarterly earnings, adding to the positive performance of other big companies like Alphabet (formerly Google), Meta, and chipmakers like Intel.

This means that the stock prices of these companies have been steadily increasing since the beginning of the year, which is a good sign for the market. But it's not just these specific stocks that are doing well – it's happening across the board.

Other chip makers, like Intel and Lam Research, have also seen their stock prices go up. This is partly because they have strong outlooks for earnings, but it's also because people are getting really excited about artificial intelligence technology. This positive feeling has even spread to the blue chip Dow Index, which has had its longest winning streak in almost 40 years.

S&P 500

Different sectors, like healthcare and energy, which were not doing so well earlier in the year, have also contributed to this strong performance. Even though overall earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are expected to decline this year, investors may not be too worried about that.

Instead, they might be more interested in the Federal Reserve and the fact that it's almost done raising interest rates. If this is the case, then there could be even more potential for the market to keep going up.

So in a nutshell, big companies like Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, and Intel have reported good earnings, which has led to an overall increase in stock prices. The Dow Index has been doing really well, thanks to sectors that were previously struggling.

Even though earnings for S&P 500 companies aren't great, investors are focused on the Federal Reserve and how it's almost done raising interest rates. This suggests that the market could continue to be strong in the second half of the year.

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.

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