The Weekly Trend

Episode: 261 Can't Complain

Kevin Firari Season 6 Episode 27

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0:00 | 22:33

 In this week’s episode, Ian and Kevin talk about the continued signs of risk-on behavior, like growth versus value, Bitcoin continuing higher, alt coins moving higher, international areas of fixed income, and convertible bonds. They also discuss how Chinese equities are beginning to look interesting, the Russell 2000 and return contribution rates.  

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Welcome back to the Weekly Trend Podcast. Today is July 18th, 2025 s and p sitting at 6 2 9 2, which is the highest number ever said on this podcast in this segment. This intro segment. I am joined by Kevin Ferrari today. How are you doing, Kevin?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Not too bad. I'll say if we're saying higher numbers every week, can't really complain about that.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

That's so like we were talking about, uh, this morning, it's just life is so much easier when markets go up,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yeah, I mean, it's hard to find anything really to complain about that matters really at that point,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

right? And what two, how many weeks ago did we break to all time highs? So it would've been late June. So we've been there about, we've been, we broke above to new all time highs above kind of that 61 50 area Friday, June 27th. So yeah, about three weeks.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

a month

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

And here we are broke to new highs. Right? Definitely, definitely not bearish, excuse me. And quite a few areas have been pretty solid. Now the, the s and p, even really the last couple weeks kind of flattish

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

yeah, really from pretty much all of July for the most part.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

but a lot of other things. Around the market have not paused.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

mm-hmm. Yeah. Kind of like, your growth versus value

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yes.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I mean, growth still kind of continues to lead. So things like, tech communication services, things along that front, um, still

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yeah. A lot of the software, a lot of these high beta software names, um, some. A lot of the stuff like that was big in 2021. Some of it stayed pretty strong. A lot of it's seems to be coming back. So maybe a little a little bit of a risk on appetite, especially in those names. We've seen spurts of that over the last few years, but never really got going. So. We will see, but hey, all time highs. And then you got Bitcoin,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

right? Last week on the podcast, we were talking about Bitcoin continuing to consolidate. Big breakout. I think it got up to like 123,000, 122,000 earlier in the week, sitting right now around 1 17, 1 18. So Bitcoin out of its consolidation. In the direction that, uh, was most likely. And here we are.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Ethereum lately has been

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yeah.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

kind of pushing higher actually, that. If you look at, Ethereum versus Bitcoin been outperforming here over the last, few months,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

And we've got the other,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

of late the last few weeks, so,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

yeah. And we've got the other, um. Yeah, Ethereum looks great, especially back up above this like 2,900 level

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

3000 in there. I was sitting at almost 3,600. And then you had,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Other coins like Tron,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

I was, that's exactly what I just pulled up. Tron

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yep.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Ripple.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Maybe a little alt season going on for the crypto lovers. So, I mean, another risk on sign, lot of aggressive buying out there and some pretty, uh, pretty high beta stuff. Um. Those, uh, what are those pictures that people used to buy the yacht? The, uh, the apes

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Oh yeah.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

NFTs.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

there you go.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Golly, that's

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

It

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

bad. I couldn't even think of the acronym.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

It feels like it was a decade ago, but it

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

I mean, you never hear about, so I don't know. Maybe if they're buying the, the Yacht club Apes, uh, I forget the name of'em. I know those were the. Most popular ones, but that would be something I pretty good week for Russell you know, s and p consolidating. But Russell broke above. Its 200 day I mean, really textbook broke, I mean, a few weeks or a couple weeks ago, right. And then kind of came back to touch, retest the 200 to eighth. Now

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yeah. It's

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

higher.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

dab in the middle of that range where it kinda spent quite a bit of time back in like. 2020. End of 2020.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Oh gosh, Kevin, why'd you have to bring that up?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Just saying.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yeah, yeah. Definitely in that nightmare-ish range. I mean, this is, it still has work to do. It has. I mean, I feel like we got head above water, like above two 10 on IWM. Like, okay, head is above water, but we're not, we still got a waste to get to shore.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

so

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

now, which is a

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

at least, and yeah, at least it's above a 200 day. I mean, it's a flat 200 day, but I, I'll take it.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

We just want to get it. Moving Dow has yet to get to new highs either, but you know, whatever.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right is what it is.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

That's just kind of the turtle that never keeps up. I assume he'll get there, right? I mean, we talked about yesterday in breadth, all these advanced decline lines look pretty solid. They have all gotten the new highs. So I'd assume eventually. And like the DAO will get there. In the indices that are already there, I would assume that they do hold these hives. We haven't really seen any big divergences in participation. I mean, you even had NYSE advanced decline line looks good. I mean, and that's a great looking chart if as far as. You wanna look at the, the broad, broad, super broad stock market, NYSC, breaking out retest of the, uh, November 20, 24 and February highs and likely high. I mean, we can consolidate here for a bit. I'd be okay with that, but.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Okay. That's all constructive, right? It definitely doesn't create the feeling you know, that we're not gonna continue moving higher, at least, hold up right. In the near future here.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

What about,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I mean, even

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

what are the

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

today out to all time high.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

utilities out to? All time highs underperforming. Not today. It's not underperforming, but

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

but generally

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

the trend. Yeah, the trend is, I mean that's, it's exactly, exactly exactly what I mean. I wish Russell would do that, to be honest. What about fixed income? Is the bond market saying we need to be heading for shelter?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

No, I mean, we've been talking about risk on, you know, for like equity sectors. I mean, fixed income, kinda the same deal. Like your international bond still doing really well. You use like Igov or IBND. For the most part holding up well on a relative basis and even on absolute you know, we were kind of talking a little bit before here too, convertible bonds. I've really been rolling here lately, which is

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

good.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

you know, and even just, you know, looking at junk bonds, j and k versus TLT, I mean that relative chart's, at levels that we haven't really seen since. 2014,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Wow, that's crazy.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

doesn't seem to be too risk off to me.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

I mean, could you imagine if this j and k verse t, LT, right. And so this bottom, during COVID, this whole relationship, at least I, I have it on an unadjusted chart. Bottoms during COVID at this rate of trend. Just to get back to the previous highs, I mean, you could have multiple years of risk on behavior still ahead of you,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

just in, from this one, kind of, I'd say it's pretty good. I mean. We love, I love fixed income markets for their kind of clues that they give, right? We talk about that all the time on here. We talk about it as a team. I mean, you could have this trend going into the late twenties, early thirties, and just be getting back to where you were before the GFC.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

That be something, or, or we just really continue to hate long-term treasuries because rates go higher

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

right.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

and rates continue to not break down. I know there's a lot of chatter. It's not really our world, uh, on whether there's gonna be a rate cut this year. I don't know.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I hate to see Jerome Powell's dms right now.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Oh my gosh.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

to watch.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Or his like email inbox. He probably gets so many questions. Yeah. Not, not a job I envy. I don't think he's done bad as, I mean That's right. That's a pretty lot of people. Uh, with different opinions on Jerome Powell, I guess any Fed chair, right?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I would say that's a job where you could, I mean, I don't think it really matters

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

I mean, minus yelling, but then I feel like there was like, oh, you can't be mean, can't be mean to grandma.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

looking back on it, I don't know. We'll save that. We'll, if we ever do a macro podcast or a a Fed podcast episode, maybe we will talk about that. So we will see, I will, we'll say this long end of the curve, not really budget to be honest. Like it's where, still up near the high end of this range that we've been in for 18, 24 months. About 20 months. I don't know. To tell you, but no clues, no clues, no signs there that we're gonna be cutting interest rates. So I guess I'm not refinancing.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yeah, I don't think, I'm not expecting to do that for a very long time.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Foreign anything. Has it recovered?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I mean, I think you still have kind of your pockets that are still performing really well. Like, I mean, grease hasn't sold, slowed down for months.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

You do have to pick your pocket. It is like playing pool,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Rent. Yeah. No, no. Slap for sure.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

China, that working up.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yeah, that's probably the most interesting one.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

I mean, even Chinese healthcare looks good, which is,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

which is because

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

I mean, okay, like that kind of gets my attention

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

if we're being honest.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yeah. Because like looking through healthcare ETFs, you know, they're really our only two that even paid a look at. One kinda talking about earlier too, is that psychedelics fund, what is that? PSIL

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

PSIL.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

and then Chinese healthcare. Those are like the only two that. Really pays to look at. So

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

what they're, is that what they're getting into over there?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Is that like a, uh. Is that a theme in itself? Psychedelics and Chinese healthcare hand in hand.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

The new frontier of healthcare. Chinese, LSD.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I mean,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

That sounds safe.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

No. Right. kidding. I mean, even like Chinese.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yeah,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

internet tech, I mean, that's been holding up fairly

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

that's.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Just, you know, large cap Chinese equities in general using FXI Looks really good.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Well, even that EMQQ

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

was in the, I mean, discretionaries kind of hit or miss

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yep.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

the EMQQ out to actually all time highs today. Relative chart trying to turn it around. So also a little bit of, I think China's. Still gets considered as an emerging market, I feel like.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm. Yeah, because like Asia, so I mean, I guess not China specifically, but you know, emerging markets, Asia is like 65% of EMQQ.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yeah.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

actually

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

They got like Alibaba and all that in there.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right? So I mean, it. Is that risk off if China's starting to finally pick up steam here again?

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Maybe, I think I looked that up a few years ago. Like a certain percent of your population has to be, so these, it's all based on the MSCI, I think that's who like figures out what's like a, uh, frontier market. What's an emerging market? Or at least in like the financial services stock categorization world, they kind of are in that and it's something like a certain percentage of your population has to be middle class or what they deem middle class. I don't think China's like ever really gotten there. I think they do have a big middle class, but as far as you know, nominally,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

but like percentage wise. Still can't move the needle. But hey, if you can invest in it, it doesn't really matter to me if it's emerging or developed,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

right.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

But definitely something to pay attention to. What about commodities?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Well, I can say that, live cattle, feeder cattle, definitely not slowing down, it looks like anytime soon. So beef pretty strong. Hogs kind of up against resistance, so I guess what we'll see there.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Hogs up against resistance. We got'em pinned.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

But we'll see.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Gold,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

You never know what happens up there, eh, gold just hanging out.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

flat, flat, flat. Consolidating silver though already made a little move. We'll see that relationship has definitely improved.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yep. Yeah. And copper's kind of held up well for the most part.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yeah. Speaking of China, isn't that like a thing for the macro, um, big brains like China and copper and aren't those kind of like linked,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

It could be.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

could be is a correct answer? I wouldn't know, Ian. I just look at the charts.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I have no idea.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

It's something I read on X, so it's probably true. I mean, I have read it like 19 times on X over the years, maybe even more so.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

You know, and it, I guess, I don't know this either, but like rare Earth metals, is that kind

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Is that a China thing

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I don't know.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

or they just own this mp?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Let's see. So if you look at REMX,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

You are. They do have a lot of Chinese holdings,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

28.5%. Chinese, I'm assuming CN is China.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

but if you go to, all right, if we go to Koi fin free advertising for Koi Fin here, and then we look up their contribution, I wonder if it's all mp.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I mean that's gonna be a big part of it

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

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it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right. And so while you were through that, I looked up the, uh, REMX contributions. So outta the top 10, five of'em are Chinese companies,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

There you go.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

and actually the second one, the second largest year to date, obviously MP blows these outta the water. But the next highest one this is 323 basis points. Year to date is Chen Northern Rare Earth Group.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

So you take an FXI sitting near multi-year highs on an absolute basis and a relative up trip. I mean, this thing is kind of a Bronco but you are getting a bounce off the relative 200 day. So if you were interested in China, I think you'd know pretty quickly if this is gonna be a thing, and certainly on a relative basis, I don't think, I mean, hasn't gotten away. Golly. Now we're a CCP propaganda podcast.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I probably just made like A-C-A-A-F-B-I watch list.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Now we just got dinged. They're listening in now.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

That's all right. No

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Oh, we have a group of new listeners from Northern Virginia qu.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

more the merrier. Just gotta pump those stats up.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Anything else you would like to share with our listeners and clients before we depart for the weekend? Well, we have to work, but it's Friday.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

No, nothing too crazy. I mean, we always talk about checking boxes and I mean, it, it's, there's not really too many boxes really that are unchecked. I mean, even like some of those value sectors that aren't performing well this week or really performing well on a relative basis for the most part, are at least still holding up on an absolute basis like XLE not so hot this week, but. You know, essentially sideways for a couple years. It's not like it's getting sold off really hard. X lb two, kind of similar, maybe a little bit of a wider range than XLE, but holding up for the most part on an absolute basis. I mean, really the, the one that kinda is probably the most troubling is just healthcare. I mean, that's kind of in.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Terrible. I.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Kind of a crazy range. It looks like it's gonna be trying to build out here between, I don't know, one and like one 40. It could bounce

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Just

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

like it did.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

flat out not participating. I don't even think it's like a top 10 holdings thing like it's healthcare sucks, Has sucked,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

it's pretty rough.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

continues to suck.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

There's a few pockets, like really, pharma is not too bad. I mean, I don't know that you could necessarily, you know, say that across the board though, either, like if you look at PJP, eh, it's

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

and look what they did to

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

up above

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

our boy UI Lily.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

84. Yeah.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Remember Lily, how strong that was.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Nothing for basically a year. It's still, and it's still one of the better look. I mean,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right. Yeah.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

but yeah.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Lily is almost 13% XLV, and.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

And UNH is, I mean, it's looks like, right, because we talked about that. I don't know if you talked about on here, we've definitely talked about it on market call with this. Yeah. So UNH guide hit really didn't even try to bounce just went sideways, looks like. That downtrend is going to continue, uh, unless we can somehow get back above like 300, 2 95, 300.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Mm-hmm.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

it's a bleak, bleak world out there for healthcare.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

I think that's kind of probably one of the main reasons, know that Russell really probably doesn't.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

That's a good point.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

better because I mean, that's like 15% IWM. And if you look at just year to date return contribution, healthcare is the largest contributor to the downside.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Oh, so you're telling me that small cap therapeutic stocks with phase two FDA trials are not outperforming?

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

It doesn't look like it at this point in time.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

I'm shocked. I am shocked. But you know what? Why? I guess it's by market cap. Part of me. I mean, I guess Ru Russell, I think Russell does make good indices because it's truly market cap tiered and I guess they, yeah, they just, that's where a lot of these biotech stuff. Falls unfortunately for them. Same with regional banks, but hey, when they're, when they're working in school

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Right.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

and they, but then you even had stuff like industrials. Where was Dave saying that small cap industrials was, but that was small cap industrials versus small caps. Right. Versus Russell is the new highs. PSCI versus IWM. Yeah. Well it's getting hit today, but yeah, there's definitely, I mean, there's things out there if you wanna go look for'em in the small cap world, but, uh, you had mentioned it earlier in the podcast, it's still very much a growth overvalue environment, so.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yeah,

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Probably better ways to spend your time

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

for

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

than trying to find needles in the small cap haystack.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yeah. But if that's what you're into, man, let it, let it rip.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

Yeah. I mean, if you're a small cap portfolio manager,

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

You gotta do what you gotta do.

squadcaster-26bg_1_07-18-2025_110259

first off, God bless you. I don't envy you, but uh, I get it. Well, I think that wraps it up for this week. Kevin. Thank you so much for joining me and. We hope all of our listeners have a great weekend.

it-support_1_07-18-2025_100302

Yep. Have a great weekend.