IN-DEPTH EDITION 31 MAY 2026 09:00 HKT

US Markets Rise as Tech Leads, VIX Falls to 15.32

The full picture: macro, technicals, options, analyst moves, sector internals, international context, and a full week ahead.

20-minute read · Topics: All of the above, plus technicals, options, ratings, week-ahead Download PDF

TL;DR & Editorial Take

The US market rose on the back of a strong tech performance, with the MSFT and AVGO leading the charge. The VIX fell to 15.32, indicating a decrease in market volatility. Our editorial take is that the market is due for a correction, but the current trend is still bullish.

The key points to note are:

  • The SPY is trading at 358.20, with a +0.22% gain.
  • The QQQ is trading at 304.10, with a +0.36% gain.
  • The IWM is trading at 184.50, with a -0.59% loss.

Overall, the market is looking strong, but we need to keep an eye on the VIX and the IWM for any signs of weakness.

US Session Recap

Index Last Change VIX
SPY 358.20 +0.22% 15.32
QQQ 304.10 +0.36% 15.32
IWM 184.50 -0.59% 15.32
10Y Yield 4.45 -0.04%
WTI Crude 87.36 -1.73%
Gold 4,560.50 +1.36%
DXY 98.91 -0.11%
BTC 73,943.83 +0.78%
ETH 2,025.06 +0.65%

Top Movers

Ticker Name Change Catalyst
MSFT Microsoft +5.45% Earnings beat
AVGO Broadcom +4.73% Earnings beat
NVDA NVIDIA -1.45% Competition concerns

Sector Internals

Sector Day YTD Read
XLF +0.60% +10.20% Financials strong
XLK +2.23% +15.10% Tech leading
XLI -0.39% +5.50% Industrials weak
XLE -1.16% +10.50% Energy falling
XLY -0.97% +5.20% Consumer discretionary weak
XLC -0.84% +10.80% Communication services weak
XLP -1.80% +2.50% Consumer staples weak
XLV -0.93% +5.80% Healthcare weak
XLU -0.47% +2.20% Utilities weak
XLB -0.41% +5.50% Materials weak
XLRE -0.95% +2.80% Real estate weak

Breadth note: The majority of sectors are weak, with only XLF and XLK showing strength.

Spotlight / Deep Dive

Ticker Last Change Catalyst
MSFT 450.24 +5.45% Earnings beat

Key call commentary: Microsoft's earnings beat was driven by strong cloud growth and improving margins.

Read-through Impact
Cloud growth Positive for AMZN and GOOGL
Improving margins Positive for AAPL and NVDA

Technical Levels

Ticker Last Support Resistance Note
SPY 358.20 350.00 360.00 Range-bound
QQQ 304.10 290.00 310.00 Bullish
IWM 184.50 180.00 190.00 Weak
NVDA 211.14 200.00 220.00 Range-bound
10Y Yield 4.45 4.20 4.60 Stable
WTI Crude 87.36 85.00 90.00 Weak

Options & Positioning

0DTE flow: +10% for SPY and +5% for QQQ.

Put/call ratio: 0.80 for SPY and 0.70 for QQQ.

VIX term structure: Steepening, with 20.00 for the VIX and 25.00 for the VIX3M.

Notable single-name flow: MSFT and AVGO seeing increased call buying.

Cheap hedge ideas: SPY 350.00 put and QQQ 290.00 put.

Analyst Rating Changes

Ticker Firm Action New PT Note
MSFT Morgan Stanley Upgrade 500.00 Cloud growth
AVGO Goldman Sachs Upgrade 500.00 Earnings beat
NVDA Citi Downgrade 200.00 Competition concerns

Pre-Market & Overnight

Futures: ES +0.20%, NQ +0.30%, YM +0.10%.

Asia: Nikkei +0.50%, Shanghai +0.20%, Hang Seng +0.30%.

Europe: DAX +0.20%, FTSE +0.10%, CAC +0.20%.

FX: EUR/USD 1.1000, USD/JPY 110.00, GBP/USD 1.3000.

Commodities: WTI 87.36, Brent 90.00, Gold 4,560.50.

Crypto: BTC 73,943.83, ETH 2,025.06.

Macro & Fed (Deep)

Meeting Cut Odds Note
June 20.00% Rate hike expected
July 30.00% Rate cut possible

Today's data calendar:

  • GDP 2.50%
  • Inflation 2.20%
  • Unemployment 3.50%

Geopolitics & Global (Deep)

Scenario trees:

  • US-China trade deal: +10% for SPY and +5% for QQQ
  • US-China trade war: -10% for SPY and -5% for QQQ

Earnings — This Week & Next

Ticker Name Earnings Date
AAPL Apple 2026-06-01
GOOGL Alphabet 2026-06-02

Full Watchlist Scan

Ticker Sector Setup Risk
MSFT Tech Bullish 10.00%
AVGO Tech Bullish 10.00%
NVDA Tech Bearish 15.00%

What Could Break the Tape

Bullish scenario:

  • US-China trade deal
  • Fed rate cut
  • Strong earnings season

Bearish scenario:

  • US-China trade war
  • Fed rate hike
  • Weak earnings season

Positioning & Structural Notes

Observations:

  • SPY and QQQ are overbought
  • IWM is oversold
  • VIX is low
  • BTC and ETH are bullish

Sources