STOCK MARKET BEARISH -- SHORT -- CAUTION

Keybot the Quant remains short as this week's drama plays out. The markets are a deer in the headlights not knowing which way to commit. The bears are in charge with the algo number 7 points below the signal line that is nothing to write home about.

The bears fight off the bull charge by creating negativity in retail stocks. XRT 83.85 is the bull/bear line in the sand that failed yesterday creating stock market sogginess. It is a game of pennies with XRT trading at 83.81 in the premarket. Bulls win and will start their charge higher again only if XRT moves above 83.85 moving higher. Bears should be in good shape ahead as long as they maintain the weakness in the retailers.

Banks, copper and volatility remain in the mix as the most important factors impacting stocks. Watch the XLF 50.98, CPER 35.60 and VIX 19.87 bull/bear lines in the sand. Banks and copper are above and vol below so all three are bullish creating the buoyancy in stocks. Copper may fail today and the bulls are aware of that trying to prop-up the red metal.

If XRT regains 83.85 moving higher, the bulls will send stocks higher. If the SPX then moves above 7146, Keybot the Quant may flip long.

If XRT remains below 83.85 and dropping, the bears remain firmly in the driver's seat. If CPER then fails below 35.60, stocks will begin sliding down the rabbit hole. The end of month prescheduled number prints this evening and May trading begins tomorrow. Markets go up and down but Rock 'n Roll is King. Come on honey, get on that dance floor and show your wares.

5/3/26; 7:00 PM EST =
4/30/26; 7:00 PM EST EOM =
4/29/26; 2:14 PM EST = +53; signal line is +60
4/29/26; 12:49 PM EST = +69; signal line is +59 but algorithm remains short
4/29/26; 12:39 PM EST = +53; signal line is +59
4/29/26; 9:00 AM EST = +69; signal line is +59 but algorithm remains short
4/28/26; 10:00 AM EST = +69; signal line is +59 but algorithm remains short
4/26/26; 7:00 PM EST = +68; signal line is +59 but algorithm remains short