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March 15, 2025

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Retail (XRT) Dropping Quickly

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It’s been rocky for the S&P 500 and particularly rocky for some industry groups and sectors. The market does appear ready to give us a good bounce, but past that we aren’t overly bullish.

Tariff talk has really pummeled the Retail (XRT) industry group and we don’t see much relief in sight. The daily chart below doesn’t even show the next level of support. There was a recent Death Cross of the 50- and 200-day EMAs. Friday saw a good bounce but it wasn’t enough to really improve the under the hood indicators. Let’s look at our “under the hood” chart for XRT.

Participation is anemic, with all readings below our bullish 50% threshold. It will be very difficult to turn this decline around when so few stocks have price above their key moving averages. The Silver Cross Index is at a very low 16% and the Golden Cross Index is below our bullish 50% threshold. Both the Silver and Golden Cross Indexes are below their signal lines and falling, so the IT and LT Bias is BEARISH. The PMO is at an extremely low reading below the zero line. We don’t see much upside available to XRT; even if we do get a bounce, overhead resistance is very near at 69.

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Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

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Is a New Market Uptrend Starting? Key Signals & Trading Strategies

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Is a new market uptrend on the horizon? In this video, Mary Ellen breaks down the latest stock market outlook, revealing key signals that could confirm a trend reversal. She dives into sector rotation, explains why defensive stocks are losing ground, and shares actionable short-term trading strategies for oversold stocks. Don’t miss these crucial market insights to spot the next rally before it takes off!

This video originally premiered March 14, 2025. You can watch it on our dedicated page for Mary Ellen’s videos.

New videos from Mary Ellen premiere weekly on Fridays. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link.

If you’re looking for stocks to invest in, be sure to check out the MEM Edge Report! This report gives you detailed information on the top sectors, industries and stocks so you can make informed investment decisions.

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Three Reasons to Consider Gold

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Even with an impressive run of relative performance thus far in 2025, some investors still remain skeptical of gold’s uptrend. Let’s look at the performance of gold through three different angles, all using the best practices of technical analysis.

Gold Has Dramatically Outperformed in 2025

Whether you think gold has merit as a store of value, as a safe haven, or for no reason at all, there is no denying that gold has registered much stronger returns than stocks so far in 2025.

The S&P 500 index is now down about 4.0% for the year, even with Friday’s strong finish to the week. The Roundhill Big Tech ETF (MAGS) is down 12.4%, while the growth-heavy Nasdaq 100 is down about 6.2%. The SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), meanwhile, is up another 13.7% in 2025 after an exceptionally strong 2024.

There have been a number of times over my career where people have pushed back when gold is doing well. They have claimed that it’s just an anomaly, or that it shouldn’t go higher because of some particular reason.  My answer is always to bring up the chart and remind us both, “The market doesn’t care what we think!”

Gold Prices Remain in a Primary Uptrend

Let’s break down gold’s outperformance in greater detail using a daily chart of GLD.  At a time when many stocks and ETFs have broken below moving average support, gold stands out as remaining above two upward-sloping moving averages.

GLD has featured two clear consolidation phases since the end of 2023, one from April to July of 2024, and the other from October through December 2024. In both cases, the ETF bounced off price support a number of times before eventually resolving these patterns to the upside. Consolidations are very common in long-term bullish phases. What’s important is that the uptrend continues after the price exits the range, as we’ve often seen recently with GLD.

We can also apply our proprietary Market Trend Model to gold prices, which can help us to better compare the trend in gold to other ETFs and indexes. We can see that the GLD is currently bullish on all three time frames, compared to the S&P 500, which is now bearish on the short-term and medium-term time frames. When stocks are in a confirmed downtrend, I prefer to look for things that remain in primary uptrends, and gold fits the bill.

Gold Stocks Are Catching Up to Physical Gold

I’m often asked whether it’s better to play gold using an ETF that holds physical gold versus one that offers exposure to gold stocks. By focusing on the relative performance of gold stocks compared to gold futures, we can perhaps identify where opportunities could lie going forward.

Here we’re showing the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), along with RSI and then the relative performance of GDX vs. GLD.  When that ratio is sloping higher, gold stocks are outperforming physical gold. Going into the end of last year, the GLD was outperforming as gold stocks experienced a significant pullback. But, so far in 2025, we’ve noticed a strong reversal in relative performance which shows gold stocks are performing better.

The GDX is now testing its October 2024 high around $43.50, and we would consider a confirmed break above this level as an additional sign that gold stocks could continue a “catch up trade” versus physical gold. And with so many gold stocks starting to appear in the top decile of the StockCharts Technical Rating (SCTR), we see this as an area of emerging strength in the weeks to come.

Looking for our daily market recap show? CHART THIS with David Keller, CMT runs every trading day at 5pm ET over on our YouTube channel!

RR#6,

Dave

P.S. Ready to upgrade your investment process? Check out my free behavioral investing course!

David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

Disclosures: Author holds position in GLD.

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Investing

US Electricity Demand to Surge — Nuclear Energy Key, but Supply Challenges Remain

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The US is on the brink of an unprecedented rise in electricity demand, with projections showing a 35 to 50 percent increase by 2040, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights.

This surge, largely driven by artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, manufacturing expansion and mass electrification, underscores an urgent need for a diversified energy strategy.

While renewable energy and natural gas will both play vital roles, nuclear power is emerging as a key component — though its growth may be constrained by uranium supply challenges.

Nuclear energy’s key role in electricity supply

As demand for electricity skyrockets, nuclear power is positioned as a crucial solution due to its reliability and ability to provide continuous, carbon-free energy. Industry leaders stress that without significant investment in nuclear infrastructure and uranium supply chains, the US could struggle to sustainably meet its energy needs.

John Kotek, senior vice president of policy and public affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, one of the groups that commissioned the S&P study, emphasized nuclear energy’s potential, stating, “The S&P Demand Growth Report highlights the tremendous growth in electricity demand and the critical gaps that must be filled to meet future needs.’

He added that nuclear power is well positioned to serve power needs from the manufacturing sector, as well as AI and data center demand. Kotek also pointed to growing partnerships between nuclear energy producers and major tech firms like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), which require reliable around-the-clock power for their AI data centers.

However, uranium supply constraints could present long-term challenges. The nuclear fuel cycle depends heavily on uranium market stability, and geopolitical factors could further complicate sourcing. According to the World Nuclear Association, global uranium production has struggled to keep pace with growing demand.

In 2022, uranium mines supplied only 74 percent of power utilities’ annual needs, with the remainder coming from secondary sources such as stockpiled reserves and recycled materials. The depletion of these reserves over time, combined with increasing nuclear energy adoption worldwide, could stress uranium supply chains.

At the end of 2022, uranium stockpiles stood at approximately:

  • 36,000 metric tons in Europe
  • 40,000 metric tons in the US
  • 132,000 metric tons in China
  • 49,000 metric tons in the rest of Asia

China and Russia have taken steps to secure long-term uranium supply, with China investing in mines across Niger, Namibia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Canada. Russia’s ARMZ Uranium Holding acquired Uranium One in 2013, ensuring a steady uranium flow for its domestic reactors. The US and Europe, by contrast, rely more heavily on market-driven supply chains, making them more vulnerable to price fluctuations and geopolitical instability.

“Facing an unprecedented increase in electricity demand, America is provided with a golden opportunity to modernize our power sector while securing domestic leadership in cutting-edge future technologies,” said Marty Durbin, president of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute.

“To meet this challenge, we need policies that support both existing nuclear reactors and the development of next-generation nuclear technology,” he further emphasized.

US needs all types of energy to meet electricity demand

Against that backdrop, many policymakers and industry leaders argue that nuclear energy must be prioritized in future energy planning. The S&P report suggests that an additional 10 to 25 gigawatts of nuclear and geothermal capacity will be needed by 2040 to maintain grid reliability, along with increases in natural gas and renewable capacity.

‘We must bring equal urgency to accelerate the development and deployment of new nuclear generation capacity and fossil generation with carbon capture,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association.

This push aligns with policy efforts to streamline nuclear development.

Recent US government initiatives aim to fast track small modular reactor deployment, expand domestic uranium enrichment capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign uranium supplies. However, bringing new nuclear plants online can take a decade or longer, highlighting the need for quick action to ensure supply chain stability.

S&P notes that the US already has the technology to bridge the gap between electricity supply and demand — it sees a need for government, industry and consumers to work together on solutions.

‘It is time to join together behind a true all-of-the-above energy strategy that lowers prices, creates jobs, and supports our national security,’ Grumet concluded.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Investing

Seequent Unveils Evo: Using Open-source Tech to Reshape Mining Exploration

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Geoscience software company Seequent has grown from a small startup to a 750 employee operation over the past two decades. With the launch of its latest platform, Evo, at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, it is introducing new technology that could significantly impact the mining sector.

Seequent is aiming to expedite exploration and enhance accuracy in mining by centralizing geoscience data, streamlining workflows and improving collaboration between industries.

Designed to integrate data from multiple sources, Evo enhances decision making, optimizes resource extraction and supports environmental management. With open APIs and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, it extends the functionality of existing tools like Leapfrog, while leveraging cloud computing for faster processing of large datasets.

“What this industry needs more than anything is innovation,” said Graham, noting that the Seequent team comes from an array of backgrounds, including medical science. “(The mining sector) has to change the way it works, and usually, when you look at the pattern of technology, the most dramatic innovations come from outside your industry, not inside.”

The data fragmentation challenge

One of the issues Evo seeks to address is data fragmentation.

While today’s geologists and miners are privy to more data than ever, much of this data is distributed across different systems and locations, preventing companies from achieving full visibility and control.

To streamline the process for mining sector workers, Evo centralizes geoscience data from various sources, improving accessibility, collaboration and analysis. By integrating data that is spread across platforms, Evo helps users work with up-to-date information and draw insights from past projects.

Its geospatial search incorporates Cesium technology, and Seequent has introduced two related applications, Driver and BlockSync, to enhance functionality. Graham explained that to achieve this, Evo was designed to be open instead of siloing data and forcing mining companies to also be technology companies.

‘It’s enabling things to move quickly and easily across whatever the device,” he continued. “We saw this problem years ago, but we knew it would take cloud and cloud architecture to break this paradigm, and so what Evo is doing is it’s breaking that paradigm, and it’s approaching the world from the perspective of being open.”

The open platform design enables seamless connectivity and automation, even with competing software, according to Graham. This approach is key as even though mining companies are not tech firms, they often employ skilled professionals who can leverage automation and coding tools.

Additionally, the system allows users to develop custom solutions without relying solely on third-party vendors, marking a significant shift in how technology can be used in the industry.

Critical minerals discovery and jurisdictional risk

With the search for critical minerals deposits intensifying on a global scale, Graham said that technologies like Evo can can be leveraged to analyze data and better pinpoint deposits.

“We know the discovery process and the development process now is just a whole lot more complex,’ he said during the interview. ‘(Deposits are) harder to find, they’re deeper, the grades are lower, the easy stuff is gone. So the way to deal with that is to use the best science you can find.

The Seequent CEO also acknowledged the geopolitical challenges facing mining executives.

“Being a mining CEO and a mining executive right now has got to be one of the most complex tasks in the world,” said Graham, pointing to trade restrictions, tariffs, inflation, permitting challenges, community expectations and unpredictable geopolitical shifts as some of the reasons why the job is difficult.

“As an executive, the one thing you have to do is build a resilient and adaptable organization that can see its way through these kinds of changes,” he said. “Adaptability is the key, and this is what we can bring to a mining company — a flexible, adaptable technology framework that enables you to flex your organization fast, revisit scenarios and recalculate.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Opawica Explorations Announces Non-Brokered Private Placement for Aggregate Proceeds of CAD $300,000

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(TheNewswire)

March 14 th 2025 TheNewswire – Vancouver, Canada – Opawica Explorations Inc. (the ‘Company’ or ‘Opawica’) (TSXV: OPW) (OTCQB: OPWEF), a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on precious and base metal projects, is pleased to announce that it intends to complete a non-brokered Private Placement (the ‘Private Placement’) of up to 1,500,000 units of the Company (‘Units’) at a price of $0.20 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $300,000.

Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one Common Share purchase Warrant, with each Warrant exercisable into one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.30 per share at any time up to 24 months following the closing date of the Private Placement. The Company also maintains a Warrant Acceleration option allowing Opawica to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants if the daily trading price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange is greater than $0.42 per Common Share for the preceding 10 consecutive trading days. All securities issued under the Offering and including Warrants will be subject to a four (4) month holding period.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds to define and drill new exploration targets at its Arrowhead and Bazooka properties, general working capital and market awareness. The Private Placement remains subject to receipt of all required approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, as well as execution of formal documentation.

The qualified person has not verified the information on the adjacent properties and the information disclosed is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Opawica Projects.

About Opawica Explorations Inc.

Opawica Explorations Inc. is a junior Canadian exploration company with a strong portfolio of precious and base metal properties within the Rouyn-Noranda region of the Abitibi Gold Belt in Québec. The Company’s management has a great track record in discovering and developing successful exploration projects. The Company’s objective is to increase shareholder value through the development of exploration properties using cost effective exploration practices, acquiring further exploration properties, and seeking partnerships by either joint venture or sale with industry leaders.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Blake Morgan

President and Chief Executive Officer

Opawica Explorations Inc.

Telephone: 236-878-4938

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, actual results of the Company’s exploration and other activities, environmental risks, future metal prices, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by applicable law.

Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Editor's Pick

Iran is using drones and apps to catch women who aren’t wearing hijabs, says UN report

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Iran is using aerial drones, facial recognition systems, and a citizen-reporting app to enforce mandatory hijab laws on women, according to a United Nations report released Friday.

The report highlights Iran’s escalating reliance on technology to monitor and punish women defying the mandatory dress code. Central to this crackdown is the “Nazer” mobile application, a government-backed tool that allows citizens and police to report women for alleged violations.

Investigators involved in a two-year fact-finding mission accuse Iran of systemic human rights violations and crimes against humanity in its repression of dissent, particularly targeting women and girls.

According to the report, the “Nazer” mobile application enables users to upload the license plate, location, and time of a vehicle where a woman is not wearing a hijab. The app then “flags” the vehicle online, alerting the police,” the report reads.

The app also “triggers a text message (in real-time) to the registered owner of the vehicle, warning them that they had been found in violation of the mandatory hijab laws, and that their vehicles would be impounded for ignoring these warnings,” per the report.

The app, accessible via Iran’s police, abbreviated as (FARAJA) website, was expanded in September 2024 to target women in ambulances, taxis, and public transport.

Authorities have also deployed “aerial drones” in the capital Tehran and southern Iran to surveil public spaces and “to monitor hijab compliance in public spaces,” researchers found, in addition to new facial recognition software reportedly installed in early 2024 “at the entrance gate of the Amirkabir University in Tehran, to monitor such compliance by women students.”

Though suspended in December 2024 after an internal debate, Iran’s draft law “Hijab and Chastity” looms as a severe threat for women and girls in the country.

If enacted, the law would impose penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines equivalent to $12,000 for non-compliance, the report says. Under Article 286 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, women could face the “death penalty” if accused of “corruption on earth.”

The law would further delegate enhanced enforcement powers to Iran’s security apparatus while also increasing the use of technology and surveillance, the report says.

Hundreds of people were killed in protests, the UN said in 2022, against Iran’s mandatory hijab law and political and social issues following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police in September of that year.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Putin calls on Ukrainian troops in Kursk to surrender, as Zelensky asks US to put pressure on Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk to surrender, as diplomatic back-and-forth continues over a potential US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine.

At a meeting with members of Russia’s security council on Friday, Putin accused Ukrainian troops in the region of committing crimes against civilians, but acknowledged US President Donald Trump’s wish to spare the soldiers’ lives as Russian forces retake the area and claimed surrendering soldiers’ lives would be guaranteed.

He also said that his country is working at restoring relations with the US, after they were “practically reduced to zero, destroyed by the previous American administration.”

“Overall, the situation is starting to move,” he said on relations with the Trump administration. “Let’s see what comes out of this.”

With Kyiv is losing its grip on Kursk, its sole territorial bargaining chip, many believe that Putin may be delaying talks on a US-Ukraine ceasefire proposal until the region is back under Russian control. Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials accepted a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire covering the entire front line after holding talks with US counterparts in Saudi Arabia.

Putin’s remarks came after meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday in Moscow – a visit that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said gave “reason to be cautiously optimistic.” Trump earlier in the day had struck a similar note, calling the discussions “good and productive” in a post on Truth Social, adding that “there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.”

Trump also said that he has “strongly requested” for Putin to spare the lives of Ukrainian troops in Kursk.

“We understand President Trump’s call to be guided by humanitarian considerations with regard to these servicemen,” Putin said on Friday. “In this regard, I would like to emphasize that if they lay down their arms and surrender, they will be guaranteed life and decent treatment in accordance with international law and the laws of the Russian Federation.”

Ukraine’s military would first have to order troops in Kursk to surrender, however, he added.

In February, the United Nation’s Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it was alarmed at reports that dozens of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered to Russia since the end of August 2024 had been “shot dead on the spot.”

“All allegations of execution of captured Ukrainian military personnel and public statements calling for, or condoning, such actions must be investigated,” Danielle Bell, head of the mission, said at the time.

‘Every day of war means losing lives’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile on Friday expressed skepticism about Putin’s motives and urged the US to take “strong steps” to pressure Russia into ending its war against Kyiv.

In a series of posts on X, the Ukrainian leader said his country wants peace, writing that “from the very first minutes of this war, we have wanted only one thing – for Russia to leave our people in peace and for Russian occupiers to get off our land.”

“Every day of war means losing the lives of our people – the most valuable thing we have,” he said.

Zelensky also accused Putin of attempting to sabotage peace negotiations and lying about the “real situation” on the battlefield. The Russian leader on Thursday had suggested a number of conditions for truce, including that any deal address what the Kremlin sees as “root causes” of the conflict.

Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion in 2022. At the time, Putin demanded that Ukraine never be allowed into NATO, and that the bloc roll back its military footprint in Eastern and Central Europe – which the US and its allies dismissed as non-starters, condemning the invasion as a blatant land grab.

“Putin cannot exit this war because that would leave him with nothing,” Zelensky said. “That is why he is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions right from the start even before a ceasefire.”

Zelensky said that he “strongly urges” countries who can influence Russia, especially the US, to take steps to help end the war.

“Pressure must be applied to the one who does not want to stop the war. Pressure must be put on Russia. Only decisive actions can end this war, which has already lasted for years,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader is expected to take part in a virtual meeting with European and NATO leaders on support for Ukraine on Saturday, hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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