Weekly reversals tend to lead to FOMO
Key points
- The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have both staged weekly reversals, recovering from selloffs to trade near record highs.
- While these whiplash-inducing reversals historically trigger strong FOMO-driven buying and high win rates over the medium-to-long term, short-term volatility remains elevated.
- When both indices trigger this signal simultaneously amidst stretched valuations, historical analogs from the dot-com era warn of severe tactical drawdowns.
Triggering the Fear Of Missing Out
It would be unfair to blame investors for suffering whiplash after the last couple of weeks. That whiplash has a good chance of morphing into FOMO.
The S&P 500, the most benchmarked index in the world, fell more than -1.5% a week ago, then nearly made up that entire loss a week later. All while trading within spitting distance of a record high.

The chart below highlights historical dates for similar weekly reversal signals. Over the past two years, this specific setup has materialized six times, with every single instance propelling further upside growth in the near term.
