184: This Week in the SP500: Market Holding Strong Near Highs

In this episode, Eric and Brian Terry break down a market that just won’t quit—despite geopolitical tension, rising oil, and a packed economic calendar. With the S&P 500 hovering near all-time highs, the conversation dives into positioning, risk management, and where the real opportunities might be right now.

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📈 Episode Breakdown

This week’s discussion centers around a tricky market environment—strong momentum on the surface, but plenty of uncertainty underneath.

• The market rallied over 4% last week and continues to hold near highs, even with rising oil and geopolitical concerns
• Key events this week include retail sales, PMI data, and a major appearance from the incoming Fed Chair
• Despite potential volatility, the market continues to show resilience, with dips getting bought quickly

Eric shares how he’s navigating this environment:

• Sitting on higher cash levels after covered calls were assigned
• Looking for pullbacks to re-enter long positions or potentially deploy collar strategies
• Increasing focus on SPX 0DTE trades for short-term opportunities with defined risk

Brian walks through a practical hedge idea using a broken wing butterfly on QQQ, highlighting:

• Favorable risk/reward structure
• Ability to profit even in downside scenarios
• A flexible way to hedge without tying up large capital

⚡ Key Takeaways

• Short-term uncertainty, long-term bullish tone continues to define the market
• Many traders are holding cash, which could fuel continued dip-buying
• 0DTE trading is gaining traction, especially with potential changes to PDT rules making it more accessible
• Gamma levels and options positioning suggest possible resistance near current levels, but nothing is guaranteed

📊 Strategy Focus

Eric discusses leaning more into:

• Mechanical 0DTE credit spreads using the Trend Spread Engine (TSE)
• Staying active even when swing strategies aren’t triggering
• Using data-driven timing, trend, and strike selection to find edge intraday

🎧 Listen On

Available on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• And all major podcast platforms

If you’re looking to stay active in this kind of market, this episode is a solid mix of macro perspective and actionable strategy ideas.