The S&P 500 rose +0.02%, the Nasdaq gained +0.1%, and the Dow climbed +0.4% to fresh record highs. Falling oil prices fueled optimism, while Goldman Sachs raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 8,000 points — implying a 17% annual return driven by AI- related trading. Today, all eyes are on the PCE inflation report, GDP data, and weekly jobless claims — a triple dose of economic signals. 📌

Two big forces are pulling in opposite directions right now. On the positive side, the Core PCE index (the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, excluding volatile food and energy prices) came in at 0.2% for April — below the 0.3% expected. That’s a sign inflation is easing, which could give the Fed (the Federal Reserve, America’s central bank) room to slow down rate hikes. On the cautious side, Q1 GDP (Gross Domestic Product — the total value of goods and services produced) grew only 1.6%, well below the 2.0% forecast, signaling the economy is losing steam. Meanwhile, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned that market optimism may be overdone. He compared today’s environment to 1972 and 2007 — years that preceded sharp downturns. Durable goods orders (orders for long-lasting products like appliances and machinery) surged 7.9%, far above the 4.0% expected, showing factory demand is still strong. For your portfolio, this tug-of-war between cooling inflation and slowing growth means the Fed’s next moves matter more than ever. TrendMind.AI 📖

the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge that measures price changes in consumer spending while stripping out unpredictable food and energy costs. Why you care today: April’s Core PCE came in lower than expected at 0.2%, hinting the Fed may not need to raise rates as aggressively — which is good news for stock prices and bond yields. 💼