OP Wire 4/30 (OP – Lite)

By Steve

Earnings Momentum Builds, Intel Partnership Signals Foundry Future, and Traders Watch Key Economic Data

After a volatile start to April driven by sweeping new U.S. tariffs, the market has found its footing with a late-month recovery across major indexes. The S&P 500 is now down just 0.9% for the month, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is on pace to close April with a 3.5% decline, while the Nasdaq Composite has flipped green, up 0.9% on the month.

Trade War Easing? Or Just a Pause?

Markets were lifted yesterday by signs that the White House may be softening its stance on tariffs. President Trump signed two executive orders Tuesday offering tax credits and relief for auto tariffs, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted that a major trade agreement could be close.

This comes just before the U.S. was set to implement a 25% tariff on auto parts, and may signal a strategic pivot to reduce damage to key swing-state industries like auto manufacturing.

Still, the damage might already be showing:

Consumer Confidence just hit its lowest level since May 2020
March JOLTS job openings fell to 7.192M from 7.48M

Key Economic Data to Watch Today

A stacked calendar today will shape short-term sentiment and determine whether we see continued follow-through on the late-month bounce:

Scheduled U.S. Economic Releases:

ADP Nonfarm Employment (Apr)
GDP (Q1, Advance)
Employment Cost Index (Q1)
Core PCE Prices (Q1)
GDP Price Index (Q1)
Chicago PMI (Apr)
Core PCE Price Index (Mar)
Personal Spending (Mar)
Pending Home Sales (Mar)
Crude Oil Inventories
Atlanta Fed GDPNow (Q2 update at 1PM ET)

All eyes will be on whether Q1 GDP shows a stall or contraction, which would mark the weakest print since 2022. This will be key to gauging the real economic toll of the tariff war and tightening conditions.

Earnings Spotlight: Big Tech Carries the Torch

Earnings season kicks into high gear this week. Today’s after-hours lineup features several tech heavyweights that could act as directional catalysts for $QQQ and broader market momentum:

$MSFT – Microsoft
$META – Meta Platforms
$QCOM – Qualcomm
$HOOD – Robinhood

Tomorrow we get $AAPL and $AMZN, which will round out reports from the “Magnificent Seven.”

If the group delivers, the $QQQ tech index could continue its move back toward the 200-day moving average at ~490. Resistance remains at 480 and 485, and we would only need a 3% rally to break above this critical level — a move that would reverse the medium-term downtrend dating back to February.

Crude Oil Set for Steep Monthly Loss

Oil is down over 15% for the month — the worst drawdown since late 2021 — driven by fears of declining demanddue to the global trade slowdown and weak China manufacturing data, which just dropped into contraction territory at 49.0 PMI.

This trend adds deflationary pressure and reinforces the fragility of global growth.

Stock Focus: $INTC – Intel’s Big Strategic Play

Yesterday’s OP analysis highlighted how Intel is emerging from underperformance by laying the groundwork for a massive foundry pivot — and the news keeps getting better.

In a joint announcement, Synopsys and Intel Foundry expanded their partnership to support chip development on Intel’s advanced 18A and 18A-P nodes. This includes:

RibbonFET & PowerVia architecture: Boosting chip speed and energy efficiency.
EDA Tool Certification: Synopsys flows now certified and production-ready for Intel customers.
EMIB-T Packaging: Intel’s 2.5D chip stacking tech is now fully supported — key for high-bandwidth AI and data center applications.
14A-E Node in Development: Expected to improve performance-per-watt by 15–20% over 18A by 2026–27.

This isn’t just technical — it’s market-moving. Intel is now fully equipped to support fabless giants like NVIDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm. With design flows validated and manufacturing optimized, Intel has a real shot at winning major chip contracts on U.S. soil.

For traders, the partnership:

Supports the long-term bull case for $INTC.
Confirms that Intel is undervalued relative to its innovation trajectory.
Provides a strong foundation for leveraging OptionsPlayers LEAPS strategies and AC&I system signals around key levels.

Bottom Line for OP Traders:

Watch the $QQQ bounce — if earnings stay strong, we could retest 490 and confirm the trend reversal.
$INTC is quietly transforming into a U.S. foundry powerhouse — stay ahead of the crowd.
Tariffs may have peaked, but today’s GDP and inflation data will show how much damage was already done.
Let the news guide the context — but let your OP systems execute the trades.

Stay focused. Stay strategic. Stack Your Gains.

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