A rapidly rising market has caught a lot of investors off-guard. Tim Anderson from MND Partners has spent many years on the floor of the NYSE. He loves to watch what he calls the "pain trade," the move in the markets that would catch the largest number of active investors off-guard. Surveying Monday's late-day rally on the floor, Anderson looked up at the NYSE boards and said, "the pain trade is up.
Earnings are expected to rise every quarter this year, into record territory, and only slightly decline in the first quarter of 2025. S & P 500 earnings estimates Q1 24 $55.78 Q2 $59.64 Q3 $63.60 Q4 $65.25 Q1 25: $64.76 Source: LSEG The AI story is boosting utilities Another major factor in the rally is the artificial intelligence story is broadening out, moving into other sectors.