Exactly. Talking heads on CNBC and Bloomberg are there getting paid six figures to lie to the retail trader so that the big boys (hedge funds, mutual funds, banks, brokers) get to grab the shares of the retail traders dirt cheap then, sell it to the same sucker retail traders as they chase the stock higher for fear of missing out on a sure thing, right at the very top. Then, it drops like a boulder on their heads and the retail trader is once, more crushed. What just happened? The market is rigged I tell you, they tell each other. Till the retail traders repeat the process once, again. Some people never learn.
There are countless ET members not making their homework! I say: get your act together! One basic fact about S&P companies: In 2018, the percentage of S&P 500sales from foreign countries decreased, after slightly increasing last year, and declining the prior two years. The overall rate for 2018 was 42.90%, down from 2017’s 43.62% and 2016’s 43.16%. The recent high mark was 2014’s 47.82%, and the recent low mark was 2003’s 41.84%. S&P 500 foreign sales represent products and services produced and sold outside of the U.S. Conclusion? The S&P 500 performance is not equal with "US economy".
One way to look at it is : Stock market leads the Economy and economic data no one would have expected NQ to appreciate by 50% ( from 7000 to 11000 points) within the span of just 3 months. that is one of the main reason why I migrated from swing trading to day trading years ago.