Hurst Cycles Update: SPX, NDX, ASX, DAX, Gold, BTC | David Hickson

In the prior update, we assessed whether the 80-day cycle trough formed early in mid-May or on schedule in early June. Most instruments pointed to a first-week-of-June trough. The key was a decisive test using Hurst’s Future Line of Demarcation (FLD), which now provides the evidence reviewed here.

S&P 500: Analysis continues to use a shortened nominal cycle model due to persistently compressed cycle lengths in US equities, particularly the SPX, while acknowledging the possibility that true Hurst wavelengths still govern. Under this framework, a potential 18-month trough was inferred on March 31 based on proximity to a 20-week trough, and an 80-day trough was projected for mid-May. 

 

[current average cycle periods in stacked, color-coded boxes at bottom right.] 

 

The validation mechanism was price behavior at the 20-day FLD: holding above it would confirm the trough, while breaking below would indicate it still lay ahead. In early June, price briefly held the FLD but broke below it on Friday, confirming the 80-day trough had not yet formed and signaling a reversion to standard Hurst cycle lengths.

Nasdaq: Expectation was likewise that the 80-day trough remained ahead unless price held above the FLD. Friday’s clean break below confirmed the trough was still pending and invalidated the early-trough scenario. 

 

 

The 18-month trough placement remains uncertain, though Sentient Trader identifies it at the end of March; if correct, the structure is bullish, as the market would be in the second 80-day cycle rather than the final one.

Australian ASX: Initial price action—an A-category move above the FLD combined with a nest of lows—suggested the trough had formed early. 

 

However, a subsequent break below the FLD disrupted that view, and although price later reclaimed the FLD in what is likely another A-category interaction, the structure remains less coherent than in US markets. With the 18-month trough still ahead, the market may still be in a bearish phase depending on its position within the cycle.

German DAX: Break below the FLD confirmed the 80-day trough had not yet formed. A nest of lows suggests it likely formed recently, and price has since moved back above the FLD in an A-category interaction. 

 

Even so, with the 18-month trough still ahead, downside risk remains if this is the final 80-day cycle within that larger structure.

Indian NIFTY-50: Price crossed above the 20-day FLD on Friday, confirming the 20-week trough formed earlier in the week and marking the start of a bullish phase.

 

 

Gold: Repeated failures at the FLD formed a GH interaction pair, confirming the 80-day trough had not yet formed at that time. It likely completed shortly after, around Thursday, June 11. 

 

 

While the near-term outlook is upward, an 18-month trough still lies ahead, implying potential future downside pressure.

Bitcoin: 20-week trough formed in the first week of June. FLD behavior showed a GH interaction followed by an A-category breakout, confirming the trough. Although the composite structure is somewhat atypical, the short-term bias remains bullish.

 

 

Reference:

David Hickson (June 15, 2026) The Power of Hurst's FLD - Hurst Cycles Market Update. (video) 

 

See also:

Christopher Grafton (June 15, 2026) - S&P 500 Up (80D Trough) and Bitcoin Up (20W Trough).

S&P 500 Up (80D Trough) and Bitcoin Up (20W Trough) | Christopher Grafton

General outlook: US Dollar Down (->40D trough). Gold Up (80D trough). Oil Down (->80D trough). Copper Up (40D trough). USDJPY Down (-> 40D trough). EURUSD Up (80D trough). SPX E-minis Up (80D trough). Nikkei futures Up (80D trough). Bitcoin Up (20W trough). Ten Year Notes Up (20W trough).

 

S&P 500 E–Minis (ES) - 80 day cycle trough in. Up. 

[Current average lengths of nominal cycles in stacked, color-coded boxes at bottom right of charts.] 

Bitcoin – 20 week cycle trough in. Up. 

Reference:
Christopher Grafton (June 15, 2026) - The Macro Brief- 15 June 2026.

 

See also:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (June 2, 2026) - June Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years. 

Larry Williams (May 26, 2026) - NASDAQ, DJIA & Bonds: Next Bullish Wave May Be Starting. 

Nicholas D. Savino (May 31, 2026) - S&P 500 Forecast for June 2026.

Hurst 80-Day Cycle Low in SPX, NDX, ASX, DAX, Gold, BTC | David Hickson

The global market stands at a critical crossroads regarding the 80-day (or 20-week) cycle trough. Price action relative to the 20-day FLD (Future Line of Demarcation) serves as the ultimate macro decider across all major indices. Holding support or breaking cleanly above this line confirms the trough is behind us, validating a bullish continuation. Conversely, failing at or breaking below the FLD signals that a deeper cycle decline is still underway.

S&P 500 (SPX): The S&P 500 maintains a strongly bullish bias, with the 80-day trough likely already in place after a brief 49-day run from the March 31 low. While officially phased as a 20-week trough, the immense underlying strength suggests a much larger 18-month cycle trough formed in late March, running significantly shorter than Hurst's nominal model at a recent average of 11.4 months.

 

S&P 500 (daily candles, April-June 2026): The 80-day trough is likely complete,

favoring an immediate bullish advance if price holds above the 20-day FLD this week.

However, at day 62 of a nominal 68-day cycle, the index implies about six days of remaining downside. 

 

This right-translated structure favors an immediate A-category upside continuation. The next minor 20-day cycle trough is due this week, where price must find support at the 20-day FLD to keep this bullish interpretation intact. A clean breakdown below the FLD invalidates the view and opens the door to lower lows.

NASDAQ: Unlike the S&P 500, the NASDAQ analysis relies on Hurst's original nominal model, which indicates the 80-day cycle trough still lies ahead. At day 62 of a nominal 68-day cycle, the index implies about six days of remaining downside, pointing toward an F-category interaction that should drag price below the 20-day FLD. 

 

NASDAQ (daily candles, April-June 2026): The 80-day trough remains ahead with roughly

six days of downside expected, unless price invalidates this by holding above the 20-day FLD.

 

However, because the recent average wavelength is an unusually stretched 89.5 days, this phasing remains under scrutiny. The 20-day FLD is the key tactical level to resolve this model divergence: if price holds above the FLD instead of breaking down, the NASDAQ will pivot to match the S&P 500's bullish "trough-is-in" reality.

Australian ASX: The Australian market provides a clean, textbook cross-check for global commonality. The 80-day cycle trough formed precisely as anticipated, arriving roughly one week earlier than projected near the May 18 window. 

 

ASX (daily candles, April-June 2026):The 80-day trough is locked in, establishing

a textbook bullish advance that eyes a minor 20-day trough support level this week.

 

Price has since executed a flawless bullish sequence, crossing above the 20-day FLD via an A-category interaction, finding exact support on the retest, and resuming its march higher. Cycle projections should now be shifted forward, timing the next 20-day trough for this week—where it should again find support at the FLD—followed by a 40-day trough roughly three weeks later.

German DAX: The DAX confirms a high-confidence shorter-term sequence but offers less macro clarity due to choppy data continuity. The prevailing model suggests a 40-day trough formed in late April and the most recent low was merely a 20-day trough, meaning the 80-day decline has not yet occurred. 

 

DAX (daily candles, April-June 2026): The 80-day trough timing is unresolved, leaving

the directional bias strictly dependent on whether price holds or breaks the 20-day FLD. 

 

However, because the 80-day cycle whisker still encompasses this recent low, a definitive conclusion is impossible based on phasing alone. Just as with the US markets, the fixed-wavelength 20-day FLD will provide the final verdict through upcoming price interaction.

Nifty 50 (India): The Nifty 50 is actively diverging from global commonality, displaying an isolated bearish structure. Following an early-April 80-day trough and a mid-May 40-day trough, the index has already broken cleanly below its 20-day FLD in an F-category interaction. 

 

Nifty 50 (daily candles, April-June 2026): The index has broken below the 20-day FLD, diverging

from global markets as it heads into a major 20-week cycle trough due in two weeks. 

 

Rather than acting as a leading indicator that drags Western markets down, this breakdown reflects weaker-than-usual global synchronization for the Nifty. Price remains on track toward a major, projected 20-week cycle trough expected in roughly two weeks.

Gold (XAUUSD): Gold maintains a neutral-to-slightly bearish broader outlook, capped by a potentially massive, long-term cycle peak. In the near term, a classic GH-category interaction pair against the 20-day FLD strongly indicates that an 80-day cycle trough formed late last week, executing roughly seven days later than the recent average wavelength. 

 

Gold (daily candles, May-June 2026): Neutral-to-sluggish overall after forming an 80-day trough

last week, requiring a break above Friday's high to safely confirm a new upward advance.

 

Price has since teased an A-category breakout but recently slipped back below the FLD line, threatening a double GH interaction. A conservative entry requires waiting for price to clear Friday's high to confirm the new cycle advance and eliminate near-term downside risk.

Bitcoin (BTCUSD): Bitcoin's underlying cycles are rapidly contracting, pulling its macro timeframe forward. Approximately 115 days have passed since the foundational 18-month cycle trough in February. While Hurst's nominal model projects a 136-day wavelength for the 20-week trough, compressed shorter cycles suggest this major nest of lows will arrive ahead of schedule, likely late this week. 

 

Bitcoin (daily candles, April-June 2026): Shorter cycles are compressing toward a major 20-week

nest of lows expected this week, where an FLD breakout will signal a powerful new advance.

 

A recent failure to sustain a breakout above the 20-day FLD confirmed a textbook GH-category resistance pair, proving the trough was not yet in. The next interaction with the 20-day FLD is critical: an aggressive A-category breakout will confirm the 20-week trough is structurally complete and launch a major upward advance.

Reference:
David Hickson (June 1, 2026) - Hurst Cycles Market Update: Was That The 80-Day Cycle trough? (video)

David Hickson (May 18, 2026) - Hurst Cycles Update: SPX, NDX, ASX, DAX, NIFTY, Gold, Bitcoin.  

Namzes (January 10, 2026) - 2026 Hurst Cycles Playbook for the S&P 500.  

 

41-Month Kitchin Cycle in Hurst Method Nominal Market

Cycle Chart by Richard Russell, Dow Theory Letters, 1985. 

 

The S&P 500, NASDAQ, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Russell 2000 bottomed in a 41-month Kitchin

cycle trough in late March 2026, approximately 3.5 years after their previous major low in October 2022.

 

See also:

Edward R. Dewey (1971) - The 41-Month Kitchin Cycle in Stocks. 

Larry Williams (May 26, 2026) - NASDAQ, DJIA & Bonds: Next Bullish Wave May Be Starting.

Hurst Cycles Update: SPX, NDX, ASX, NIFTY, Gold, Bitcoin | David Hickson

Global equity markets are diverging: US indices may have already formed an 18-month cycle trough, while others likely have not. Despite this, all markets are synchronously declining into an 80-day cycle trough expected into late May or early June. S&P 500 and NASDAQ show strong bullish signatures suggesting a possible completed 18-month trough, yet are now rolling into 80-day lows. ASX and DAX still point toward pending 18-month troughs, with ASX clearly bearish and DAX more neutral. Gold is bearish post-January peak, and Bitcoin is descending into a synchronized 80-day / 20-week trough.

 

S&P 500: A confirmed 20-week cycle trough occurred on March 30 (Mon), potentially aligning with an unconfirmed 18-month cycle trough. In Hurst cycle analysis, tracking shorter cycles allows to infer longer-cycle behavior. To maintain analytical clarity, this update sets aside longer-cycle markers to focus on the confirmed 20-week trough.

S&P 500 (daily candles), March to June 2026: Downside into an 80-day trough into late May remains the base case. 

Prior bullish excess suggests underlying strength, so declines may be muted, but a break below the 20-day FLD is still expected.  

[ Actual average lengths of the nominal 20-day, 40-day, 80-day, 20-week, and higher-order cycles of

each instrument are indicated in the stacked, color-coded boxes at the bottom right of the charts. ] 

 

On April 29, a 40-day cycle trough formed. Instead of breaking below the 20-day Future Line of Demarcation (FLD) to meet its downside target—as expected under normal conditions—price found support at the FLD. This resilience signals underlying bullishness, likely driven by a high-amplitude 20-week cycle or the larger 18-month cycle trough.

The next major milestone is an 80-day cycle trough projected for late May. Price is currently testing the 20-day FLD in what appears to be an F-category interaction, implying an imminent breakdown toward a downside target. Although recent bullish momentum could truncate this target, an 80-day trough rarely forms at the 20-day FLD level; thus, the base case remains a move lower.

Timing Metrics: 48 days have elapsed since the late-March trough. Given a nominal 80-day wavelength (historically 68 days, but recently averaging 60.5 days), this trough may arrive slightly early, narrowing the target window to late May. 

NASDAQ: Unlike the S&P 500, the NASDAQ's 18-month cycle trough lies ahead, highlighting broader long-term uncertainty. However, shorter cycles offer actionable clarity. Following a late-March trough, price crossed above the 20-day FLD and significantly exceeded its upside target, signaling intense bullish momentum.

NASDAQ (daily candles), April to June 2026: Stronger than the S&P, with prior momentum overwhelming

normal cycle behavior. Now rolling into an 80-day decline, likely shallow relative to typical cycle moves.

 
The 40-day trough likely formed early. Price failed to even retrace to the 20-day FLD during this phase—a classic indication of exceptional strength rather than analytical error. Price is now returning to the 20-day FLD for an F-category interaction. At 48 days post-trough, the NASDAQ is poised to decline into its 80-day cycle trough alongside the S&P 500. 

 

Australian ASX: The ASX anchors the global divergence thesis. Its 18-month cycle trough lies ahead, creating a structurally bearish backdrop. While the 20-week trough occurred slightly ahead of the US and boasts a highly reliable (74.4%) FLD interaction sequence, the index recently failed to reach its upside breakout target.

ASX (daily candles), April to June 2026: Structurally bearish into a pending 18-month trough. Failed upside targets

and expanding cycles confirm weakness. The 80-day trough is imminent or aligns into early June.

 
An unfulfilled bullish target is a vital diagnostic signal confirming underlying bearish pressure. Furthermore, a displaced nest of lows indicates expanding shorter cycles (delayed troughs), typical of a bearish environment.

Timing Metrics: 56 days have elapsed since the March trough. With recent cycle wavelengths averaging 57.8 days, the 80-day trough is imminent, though global synchronization could defer it to late May or early June.

German DAX: The DAX exhibits rigid, less fluid price action, but the principle of commonality allows for reliable cross-market tracking. A major trough formed on March 23, aligning with the ASX. Its 18-month trough remains ahead, supporting a long-term bearish framework.

 

DAX (daily candles), March to June 2026: Balanced and orderly. Moving into an 80-day trough,

likely slightly lagging the US, with no clear bearish distortion—expect moderate downside.

However, the DAX appears more neutral than the ASX; its FLD interactions have been clean and balanced, meeting targets with high reliability and no immediate bearish distortion. Following a recent F-category interaction, price is heading lower into an 80-day cycle trough, projected slightly behind the US timeline.

Indian NIFTY-50: The NIFTY remains analytically ambiguous, with the 40-week trough tracking to either February or early April. Shorter-cycle analysis offers some guidance, though low interaction quality (52.4% reliability rating) suggests analytical distortion or heavy interference from longer cycles.

 

NIFTY 50 (daily candles), April to June 2026: Uncertain structure and weak signal quality. Likely a short bounce

from a 40-day trough, then decline into a delayed 80-day trough in June. Key: reclaiming the 20-day FLD.

 

A 40-day trough likely just formed; expect a brief rally toward the 20-day FLD before a deeper decline into an 80-day trough in June—lagging global markets by roughly two weeks. A failure to reclaim the 20-day FLD will signal that this downward leg is already underway.

 

Gold (XAUUSD): Gold remains intermediate-term bearish. While a 40-week trough formed on March 23, a prominent late-January peak continues to exert downward pressure.

 

Gold (daily candles), February to June 2026: Bearish phase intact. Repeated failure of bullish targets

confirms pressure. Now declining into an 80-day trough, potentially forming slightly early.

 
Recent price action confirms this underlying weakness: an FLD upside breakout met its target but lacked follow-through, subsequent rallies have faltered, and recent bullish targets were missed entirely. Following an F-category cross below the 20-day FLD, gold is moving toward an 80-day trough, likely arriving just ahead of late May. 

 

Bitcoin (BTCUSD): Bitcoin closely tracks its composite cycle model. After a bounce off the 40-day trough, price peaked precisely as modeled before reversing. It has since broken below the 20-day FLD in an F-category event, hitting its initial downside target.

 

Bitcoin (daily candles), February to June 2026: Tracking its cycle model. Already in decline

toward a combined 80-day / 20-week trough. Further downside likely before completion.

 
The market is now compressing into a synchronized 80-day and 20-week cycle trough. Because of the larger 20-week cycle's magnitude, this trough should run deeper than the prior 80-day low. Despite realized losses, further downside is expected before the cycle bottoms. 

 

Reference:
David Hickson (May 18, 2026) - 80-Day Cycle Trough Ahead - Hurst Cycles Market Update. (video)

See also:
David Hickson (May 4, 2026) - Markets Diverge as US Entered New Hurst 18-Month Cycle.

Christopher Grafton (May 19, 2026) - The Macro Brief: US Dollar Up (->20D peak). Ten Year Notes Down (->20W trough). 

Christopher Grafton (2022) - J.M. Hurst's Future Lines of Demarcation (FLDs). 

David Hickson (2014) - The FLD Pullback.

Markets Diverge as US Entered New Hurst 18-Month Cycle | David Hickson

Global stock markets are exhibiting a rare divergence where the US market is decoupling from international peers like the Australian ASX due to staggered major cycle troughs. The S&P 500 is emerging from an 18-month cycle trough (formed March 31), while the ASX and other global stock indices are still trending downward toward their equivalent troughs expected in July.

S&P 500 / NASDAQ: The outlook is predominantly bullish following the 18-month cycle trough. Price targets remain outstanding near 7,424, with the next minor softening expected during an 80-day cycle trough in late May.

 

 S&P 500 (daily candles), March to May 2026: 80-day cycle trough expected in late May.

 

Australian ASX: Bearish to neutral for the next two months. Expect a continued move downward or sideways as these markets seek an 18-month cycle trough positioned in late July 2026.

 

ASX (weekly candles), April 2025 to December 2026: 18-month cycle trough expected in late July 2026.

 

Gold: Cautiously bearish. While a 40-day trough has likely formed, providing a short-term bounce, the potential 9-year cycle peak in late January suggests that rallies may be limited by significant long-term down pressure.

 

 Gold (daily candles), February to June 2026: Potential 9-year cycle peak and long-term down pressure.

  

Bitcoin: Short-term bullish as price moves out of a 40-day trough toward a 20-week cycle peak. However, a broader correction is expected in early June as the market moves into a 20-week cycle trough.

 

 Bitcoin (daily candles), February to June 2026: 20-week cycle trough expected in early June.

 

Reference:
David Hickson (May 4, 2026) - The Markets Are Diverging! Hurst Cycles Market Update. (video)

 

See also:

David Hickson (March 9, 2026) - Hurst Cycles Update for the S&P 500 and Bitcoin. 

Namzes (April 19, 2026) - S&P 500 Bear Outlook Intact: Q3 3.5-Year Hurst Cycle Low.

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (May 1, 2026) - May Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years.

S&P 500 Bear Outlook Intact: Q3 3.5-Year Hurst Cycle Low | Namzes

The big picture remains unchanged: I still expect a bear market, with a buyable 3.5-year Hurst cycle low in Q3 2026. The 20-week cycle low arrived on schedule—just one day after the ideal March 27 (Fri) window outlined in my 2026 forecast.

 Chart 1: The new 20-week cycle could run higher into late May. The current 40-day cycle is now about halfway through.

I didn’t expect new all-time highs—my plan was for a rejection at the golden pocket retracement. Instead, a mix of CTA driven mechanical buying and Trump playing the market like a violin produced the blow-off top I’d anticipated back in February. The market always finds a way to humble you. 

 

The current 40-day cycle is roughly halfway complete (Chart 1). Next week should clarify whether the rally has further upside or is topping out. In my base bear case, April 17 was flagged as a potential turning point, but so far there are no signs of buying pressure slowing. Options expiration (OPEX) often serves as a pivot—either on the day itself or shortly after.

 
From a Hurst cycle perspective, the S&P 500 may still have several percent of upside left. That said, I’m not chasing it. As in February, I’ve stepped aside—risk/reward isn’t compelling for my multi-month holding framework, especially with weekend headline risk in play.

Timing-wise, the next 40-day low is due around May 7 (Thu). That should provide clearer insight into structure—namely the depth of the pullback and the strength of the rebound into late May (Chart 2). This sequence would then feed into a larger decline toward a higher-degree summer low. Leading indicators continue to point to a more meaningful downside move in the weeks ahead, so I remain heavily in cash.

  

 Chart 2: Options expiration (OPEX) often acts as a pivot, either on the day itself or a few days after. 

Next 40-day low due around May 7 (Thu), followed by a rebound into late May.

 

Short-term models have triggered a buy signal. If you’re leaning bullish, the new 20-week cycle could extend into late May, including a typical retest of the May 40-day low. However, given the negative pressure from the dominant 3.5-year cycle, my base case is that this rally is a false breakout—likely forming another divergent top and unlikely to persist beyond April.

It’s extremely rare for a 40-week cycle (top panel, Chart 3) to undercut its prior low and still go on to make new highs. In S&P 500 history, I could identify only one comparable instance. The usual structure in such cases is an M-shaped pattern with a clear bearish bias, as highlighted by the arrows.

 

Chart 3: It’s rare for a 40-week cycle to undercut its low and still go on to make a new high.

Bottom panel shows 20-week cycle, expected to synchronize with the 40-week cycle around July. 

That’s exactly how I expected the current 20-week cycle to unfold. That said, we now need price action to confirm emerging bearish signals. A bullishly configured cycle could still extend into June. While models have triggered a buy signal, participation remains narrow and volume is light. In my view, a downside resolution over the next few weeks remains the highest-probability outcome—but it still requires confirmation. Cycles define the setup; price action and models provide the trigger. The bottom panel shows the 20-week cycle, which I expect to synchronize with the 40-week cycle around July.

To illustrate what typically happens after a 20-week cycle low when the 40-week cycle has already failed, we can look back at Q1 2022 (Chart 4). In January of that year, the price made a lower low, confirming that the 40-week cycle had failed and signaling the start of a larger-degree correction.

 

Chart 4: Typical outcome after a 20-week low when the 40-week cycle has already failed.

 

This was followed by a series of bounces that retraced some of the decline but failed to make new highs. The market then rolled over and established new lows. This pattern is typical behavior roughly 99% of the time.That’s why I’ll be watching closely to see whether the current breakout turns out to be a deviation that ultimately resolves to the downside over the next few weeks, especially with the longer 3.5-year cycle exerting downward pressure.

I'm watching for a potential Wyckoff upthrust after distribution (UTAD) to play out over the next few weeks (Chart 5). For the bulls, it's critical to keep any pullbacks shallow and hold above the 2026 opening price at SPY 685.71, as well as above the overall consolidation range. 

 

Chart 5: Watching for a potential Wyckoff UTAD to unfold in the coming weeks.

Doing so will help avoid the setup looking like a classic false breakout. I've also overlaid the 2022 bear market in yellow for reference, in case the bearish thesis unfolds and we see a similar structure develop.

Reference:
Namzes (April 17, 2025) - S&P 500 Bear Outlook Intact – Q3 3.5-Year Cycle Low.

See also:
Namzes (January 10, 2026) - 2026 Hurst Cycles Playbook for the S&P 500. 
Namzes (January 1, 2026) - 2026 US Stock Market Forecast: 25% Bear Market and Recovery.

Krasi (April 19, 2026) - This is a 4-year cycle high—don’t get too excited.

David Hickson (April 7, 2026) - Twenty-Week Cycle Trough Or Greater? (video)

S&P 500 After Rapid 10% Gains: +17% Avg One-Year Return | Alex Krainer

Historical S&P 500 data shows that sharp 10% rallies over a 10-day span tend to exhibit strong follow-through. On average, returns have been approximately +0.6% after one week, +2.5% after one month, and +17% over the following year.

Rapid 10%+ bounces in the S&P 500 (weekly candles), 1980 to 2026.

A review of the weekly S&P 500 chart from 1980 to 2026 highlights multiple instances of these "rapid +10% bounces," marked by green and red arrows. In most cases, these moves were followed by continued upside, though there were notable exceptions—such as the period around 2000.

 

Alex Krainer argues that the current setup differs meaningfully from the 2000  episode. He notes the absence of broadly synchronized overbought conditions among megacap stocks today, and emphasizes that the more significant declines in 2000 occurred only after the index had already fallen below its 40-week moving average.
 

S&P 500 RSI readings above 70 have led to pullbacks in 8 of the last 10 cases over two years, with the other two resulting in flat consolidation. The daily chart (May 2024–April 2026) marks these signals with red arrows for pullbacks and one green arrow, alongside recent price action near 7,000. This suggests an 80% likelihood of a near-term pullback, though prior corrections since the 2025 rally have been relatively mild.

Reference:
Alex Krainer (April 16, 2026) - Rapid S&P 500 10% rallies in 10 days historically show strong follow-through. 

 

Jeffrey Hirsch notes that the S&P 500's 7.57% gain in the first 10 trading days of April 2026 ranks as the second-strongest start to April since 1950.

Gains averaged +10.8% for the rest of the year, with full-year returns positive in 91.7% of cases (+16.2% avg.).

Historically, such powerful early-April momentum has been a bullish signal: in 20 of 24 comparable cases (83.3%), the market delivered further gains over the remainder of the year, with an average advance of +10.8%. Full-year returns were positive in 22 of those 24 instances (91.7%), averaging +16.2%. Hirsch’s data also segments April starts into performance tiers, with 2026 firmly in the top group—where subsequent returns have consistently outpaced those seen in the middle and bottom tiers.