Market Analysis and Options Trading Ideas – Week of March 24, 2025

Trade AI’s Monday Insights

A Breather Week for U.S. Markets

Last week, the U.S. equity market showed the first signs of a rebound after the sharp correction seen in recent months.

There is still a long way to go, especially since the weekly close failed to confirm the bullish signal triggered by the breakout of the previous week’s high at $47.99.

With an intraday high at $48.20 and a close at $47.66, the market sent both a signal of hope and an invitation to caution.

The coming days will be crucial to giving strength to the rebound.

A consolidation phase is likely and could actually be preferable to a sharp trend reversal.

EQAL chart 5 anni

Macroeconomic Data and Key Events This Week

Monday, March 24

  • 2:45 PM CET: S&P Global Manufacturing PMI (March); forecast: 51.9 vs. 52.7 previous

  • 2:45 PM CET: S&P Global Services PMI (March); forecast: 51.5 vs. 51.0 in February

  • 3:10 PM CET: Speech by Fed Vice Chair for Supervision, Michael Barr

Tuesday, March 25

  • 2:00 PM CET: S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index (January)

  • 3:00 PM CET: New Home Sales (February)

  • 3:00 PM CET: Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index (March)

  • 3:00 PM CET: Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index (March)

Wednesday, March 26

  • 1:30 PM CET: Durable Goods Orders (February) – Key indicator of manufacturing sector strength and capital goods investment

  • 3:30 PM CET: EIA Crude Oil Inventories – Market-moving data for oil prices and energy sector outlook

Thursday, March 27

  • 1:30 PM CET: Q4 2024 Annualized GDP – Broad measure of U.S. economic activity

  • 1:30 PM CET: Weekly Initial Jobless Claims – Insight into the labor market

  • 3:00 PM CET: Pending Home Sales (February) – Indicator of housing market momentum

Friday, March 28

  • 1:30 PM CET: Core PCE Price Index (February) – Closely watched inflation measure by the Fed

  • 1:30 PM CET: Personal Spending (February) – Gauge of consumer demand and confidence

  • 3:00 PM CET: University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (March)

Sector Focus: Can We Not Talk About AI?

Artificial Intelligence continues to be the driving force of the U.S. equity markets in 2025.

After dominating 2024, the sector remains one of the most dynamic in this first quarter. NVIDIA recently surpassed a $2 trillion market cap, becoming the third-largest U.S. company.

But AI isn’t just NVIDIA.

The entire ecosystem is thriving thanks to the infrastructure arms race:

  • Microsoft and Google are pouring billions into data centers and proprietary LLMs.

  • AMD is chasing on the hardware side.

  • Companies like Palantir (PLTR), C3.ai (AI), and ServiceNow (NOW) are positioning as enterprise AI leaders.

Investor interest remains high in thematic ETFs like Global X Robotics & AI (BOTZ) and iShares Robotics and AI (IRBO).

On the macro front, a potentially lower interest rate environment could further support growth stocks tied to this trend.

This week, eyes are on NVIDIA’s GTC Conference, where new hardware announcements and strategic partnerships are expected.

Bottom line: AI is no longer hype — it’s a structural transformation. The risk? High valuations, though supported by strong growth. Opportunity and volatility go hand in hand.

Key Earnings This Week

Monday, March 24

  • KB Home (KBH) – after market close
    Focus: order trends, guidance, margins amid resilient demand but higher rates.

Tuesday, March 25

  • Core & Main (CNM) – before open
    Key player in water infrastructure. Watch for organic growth and margin sustainability.

  • Canadian Solar (CSIQ) – before open
    Facing margin pressure and oversupply. Eyes on utility-scale orders, pricing, and 2025 outlook.

  • GameStop (GME) – after market close
    Still a retail sentiment play. Focus on comparable sales and cash flow management.

Wednesday, March 26

  • Dollar Tree (DLTR)
    Discount retailer. Analysts eye comparable sales and restructuring progress at Family Dollar.

  • Dermira (DERM)
    Small-cap biotech in dermatology. High-risk, high-reward. Focus on pipeline, burn rate, and deals.

  • Chewy (CHWY)
    Pet e-commerce. Key metrics: user growth, autoship subscriptions, and margins.

  • Concentrix (CNXC)
    CX and BPO services firm post-Webhelp merger. Key: margins, synergies, and competitive edge.

Thursday, March 27

  • Lululemon Athletica (LULU)
    Premium activewear. Market watching digital sales, international expansion, and margin defense.

  • Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA)
    Amid takeover rumors. Focus on turnaround plan, margin trends, and potential strategic signals.

  • Worksport (WKSP)
    Speculative micro-cap. Monitoring U.S. plant progress and solar product validation.

Friday, March 28

  • Humacyte (HUMA)
    Biotech focused on vascular bioengineering. Key: HAV approval, clinical progress, and political interest.

Options Trading Recap – Last Week’s Setup

t was a quiet week in terms of actionable earnings plays.

Only one idea stood out, based on unusual options activity in Mizuho Financial Group (MFG), a major Japanese bank.

We explored speculative July call positions — still early days, and we’re watching patiently.

There was also unusual flow on CBRE — we’ll keep you posted with further analysis in the coming days.