Week (February 24 - 28) in Review: Financial Leaders
The week of February 24-28, 2025, was marked by significant market volatility influenced by geopolitical tensions and economic policy shifts. U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of impending tariffs—25% on Mexican and Canadian goods and an additional 10% on Chinese imports—set to commence on March 4, led to widespread market reactions. These tariffs not only affected traditional financial markets but also had a pronounced impact on cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin experiencing a sharp decline of over 7%, falling below the $80,000 mark.
In response to the announced tariffs, global markets experienced heightened volatility. Inverse (short) ETFs saw notable gains as investors sought protective measures against anticipated market downturns. The ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) rose by 15.75%, the Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3X ETF (SPXS) increased by 7.93%, and the ProShares UltraPro Short S&P500 (SPXU) climbed by 7.87%. Conversely, major cryptocurrencies faced significant losses; Bitcoin (BTC) dropped by 15.80%, Ethereum (ETH) decreased by 19.77%, and XRP fell by 20.39%.
The financial sector demonstrated resilience amid the turbulence, with the iShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF (EUFN) gaining 2.55%. The real estate sector also showed positive movement; the Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund (RQI) increased by 1.94%, and the Invesco KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT ETF (KBWY) rose by 1.87%. In contrast, the technology sector faced challenges, as evidenced by declines in the First Trust NASDAQ-100-Tech Sector ETF (QTEC) by 6.44%, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) by 8.36%, and the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) by 9.32%.
European markets remained relatively stable during this period. The JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF (BBEU) experienced a marginal increase of 0.05%, while the WisdomTree Europe Hedged Equity ETF (HEDJ) and the iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF (IEUR) saw slight declines of 0.06% and 0.07%, respectively. In contrast, Latin American markets faced more pronounced downturns; the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) decreased by 2.98%, and the VanEck Brazil Small-Cap ETF (BRF) fell by 5.69%. North American markets were not immune to the volatility, with the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) declining by 4.91%.
Summary
The financial landscape during the week of February 24-28, 2025, was characterized by significant fluctuations driven by geopolitical developments and economic policy announcements. While certain sectors and regions demonstrated resilience, the overarching trend was one of caution and market correction. Investors are advised to stay informed and consider diversification strategies to navigate the ongoing volatility.
Contributor
Serhii Bondarenko is an AI-focused trading strategist and financial markets analyst specializing in the development and application of AI trading bots and autonomous trading agents. His work combines technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and quantitative research to identify market patterns, forecast price movements, and analyze liquidity, volatility, and correlations across global stock markets. Serhii actively publishes market insights, forecasts, and trading frameworks on platforms such as Investing.com and Finextra, with a strong focus on AI-driven decision-making and next-generation algorithmic trading. His research aims to bridge the gap between traditional trading methodologies and advanced artificial intelligence, helping traders and investors navigate complex and rapidly evolving market conditions.
Momentum Indicator for SQQQ turns negative, indicating new downward trend
SQQQ saw its Momentum Indicator move below the 0 level on September 17, 2026. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new downward move. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 87 similar instances where the indicator turned negative. In 80 of the 87 cases, the stock moved further down in the following days. The odds of a decline are at 90%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for SQQQ turned negative on September 21, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 44 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 40 of the 44 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 90%.
SQQQ moved below its 50-day moving average on September 17, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SQQQ declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 90%.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Oscillator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where SQQQ's RSI Oscillator exited the oversold zone, 42 of 47 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 89%.
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. 58 of 65 cases where SQQQ's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 89%.
Following a +4.84% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where SQQQ advanced for three days, in 224 of 257 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 87%.
SQQQ may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 129 of 143 cases where SQQQ Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 90%.
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