Happy Monday Zingernation! The market turned on a dime Friday, closing down around 1.5% as traders appeared to pivot from the “buy the dip” mentality that powered the market for most of the month to date. Speaking of pivots, here are some that live rent free in my mind:

• When Michael Jordan pivoted from basketball to baseball to basketball again.
  

• When Netflix pivoted from DVD-shipping to streaming — potentially the most successful business pivot of all time.
  

• When I switched my major for the eighth time, ultimately landing on my “how to lose money option trading” degree.

Plus, trying to play gold’s new all-time highs? Check out today’s partner, Pasofino Gold.

And, crypto is so back. Billions of dollars are flowing into the new Bitcoin ETFs, driving prices to near all-time highs. Join thousands of engaged readers of Future Finance - our FREE digital assets newsletter.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Last Week: Big banks got crushed on Friday despite reporting pretty strong earnings overall, and the market had no time to recover. All major indices closed red for the week.

On Our Radar: We’re back in earnings season! We got more financial earnings out this morning with Goldman Sachs and Charles Schwab. Later in the week, we will hear from other major companies like Netflix and United Healthcare.

TOP STORY

Bitcoin's Next Move: 'More Likely' To Hit Up To 75K On Short Liquidations, Analyst Says

Briefly: Prominent cryptocurrency analyst Willy Woo suggests a potential Bitcoin BTC/USD could take the apex crypto to between $71,000 and $75,000 due to short liquidations.

What Happened: According to Woo, Bitcoin is currently teetering on a critical support level at $58,900. A drop below this threshold could signal the beginning of a bear market.

That Said: However, Woo remains optimistic, citing the Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) — a metric that tracks net buying and selling pressures — which indicates that sell-off pressures have peaked and an upward trend may be next.

Quoted: “CVD sell-off has peaked, so a phase of ‘up’ next,” Woo tweeted, highlighting a possible recovery phase.

Why It Matters: Woo's analysis points to the Bitcoin halving event scheduled for next week as a significant catalyst that could influence market conditions.

Click here to read more.

PRESENTED BY PASOFINO GOLD LIMITED

Is Liberia The Next Frontier For Gold Mining?

When it comes to gold mining, the major players are China, followed by countries like Australia, Russia, the United States, Canada, and South Africa. However, Pasofino Gold is hoping to bring Liberia and West Africa into the gold mining conversation, seeing it as a strong candidate due to its favorable mining environment and government support. Liberia's mining laws provide stability and clarity for the industry, and mining already contributes approximately 10% to Liberia's economic growth.

Pasofino Gold has recently announced progress in their Dugbe gold project, specifically in the Bukon Jedeh target area, which has shown promising results in rock samples. Pasofino Gold believes that developing Liberia's gold industry could make it a significant economic force in West Africa, given its strong relationships with the local community and Liberia's dedication to economic growth and development.

Click here to keep reading!

FIVE ZINGERS

Deal Or No Deal: Goldman Sachs reported some strong earnings this morning, powered by increased investment banking deals compared to last year.

Lay Off To Pay Off? Tesla will reportedly lay off more than 10% of its staff as the company commits to cost-cutting measures to appease investors.

Down Goes The Trial Balloon: Salesforce is rumored to acquire Informatica and market says… don’t do it!

Snapped Up: Snap One’s stock soared higher this morning on news that Resideo Technologies is looking to acquire the company.

No Man’s Land: The old Fear & Greed index is hanging out in the neutral range, but that could change very soon.

ONE FOR THE ROAD

Retail Sales Rises More Than Expected In March, Indicate Strong Consumer Spending

Briefly: The pace of retail sales growth increased more than expected last month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s advance estimates.

So Basically: Retail and food services sales for March increased by 4% year-over-year, higher than the previous year-over-year growth rate of 2.1%, marking the strongest reading since December 2023.

So Then: Retail sales rose to $709.6 billion, up 0.7% month-on-month, decelerating from the previous month’s 0.9% rate, but topping expectations of 0.3% growth.

But Still: Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and book stores witnessed a 1.8% monthly drop in sales, followed by clothing & clothing accessories stores, down 1.6%.

So What? A wave of hotter-than-expected inflation may have tempered the market’s expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, but it doesn’t appear to be making a major dent in consumer spending — at least not yet.

Click here to read more.

PRESENTED BY PASOFINO GOLD LIMITED

Is Liberia The Next Frontier For Gold Mining?

When it comes to gold mining, the major players are China, followed by countries like Australia, Russia, the United States, Canada, and South Africa. However, Pasofino Gold is hoping to bring Liberia and West Africa into the gold mining conversation, seeing it as a strong candidate due to its favorable mining environment and government support. Liberia's mining laws provide stability and clarity for the industry, and mining already contributes approximately 10% to Liberia's economic growth.

Pasofino Gold has recently announced progress in their Dugbe gold project, specifically in the Bukon Jedeh target area, which has shown promising results in rock samples. Pasofino Gold believes that developing Liberia's gold industry could make it a significant economic force in West Africa, given its strong relationships with the local community and Liberia's dedication to economic growth and development.

Click here to keep reading!