Mapping the Market: Rebounding Nasdaq eyes record territory

The Nasdaq Composite has staged a significant comeback, surging over 3% in a single session and now sits just 2.7% below its all-time closing high.

The Nasdaq Composite — the index most closely associated with ​technology stocks — has staged an impressive comeback after ​a bruising stretch, and charts indicate that ‌the path ​of least resistance may now be pointing higher. Click here for a more detailed chart. The index closed Monday at 26,683.94, capping a surge of more than 3% ‌in a single session — its best one-day performance since March 31. That date was itself a turning point: the moment the Nasdaq emerged from a correction that had dragged it lower from October through March. On Tuesday, it gave back ‌just over 1% to end at 26,376.34, according to data supplied by LSEG. Still, the recovery has been swift ‌enough to put record highs within arm's reach. The Nasdaq now sits about 2.7% below its all-time closing high, set on June 2, and 3% below its peak intraday level from June 1. In market terms, that's close enough to reach in a relatively short period of ⁠trade.

The 50-day ​moving average — a closely ⁠watched measure of medium-term trend — has proven to be a reliable floor, with buyers stepping in near that level multiple times during the recent pullback. ⁠That kind of repeated defense of a support level is generally seen as a bullish signal. If the Nasdaq does push ​through to new highs, the next test for bulls would be channel resistance just below 28,000 — essentially a ceiling ⁠built into the chart's recent trading pattern. On the downside, the 20-day moving average near 26,350 offers the first layer of support, with the ⁠sturdier ​50-day average around 25,400 acting as a deeper safety net. A close below that 50-day line would be a warning sign worth heeding. For now, momentum appears to be on the bulls' side.

What the chart shows: (Daily markets commentary from Reuters analysts on the signals financial charts are sending - and what they might mean.)

(Terence Gabriel ‌is a ‌Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own. Editing ​by Burton Frierson and Jamie Freed)