Fear is in the Air

Ross Givens
Ross Givens Ross Givens is a veteran trader with over 15 years of experi...
April 2, 2026 | 1 min read
Fear is in the Air

Retail investors are scared.

Fear is in the air.

Chart of the Day

Regular readers will recognize this as the results of the weekly sentiment poll conducted by the American Association of Individual Investors.

As of the middle of last week, 42.9% of polled retail investors are bearish – while only 33.3% are bullish.

Retail bears now outnumber the bulls in a dramatic reversal from the week prior.

This is the highest level of bearishness since November 2023.

And yet, the S&P 500 is still within spitting distance of its all-time high.

What’s going on?

I explain more below.

Insight of the Day

Volatility scares the masses – but their sentiment can flip in an instant.

It’s not just the volatility in the market…

But all the fear mongering around tariffs (among others) in the clickbait media.

That affects the average retail investor more than they realize…

And it’s reflected in how they feel about the market.

Plus, as you can see, retail sentiment can also flip drastically in a matter of days…

Which is why it can be such a contrarian indicator.

Remember, as traders, volatility is opportunity.

That’s why later this morning at 11 a.m. Eastern…

I’m going LIVE for a strategy session that will show you a new way to stay above the market fray and go after 2X, 4X, and 8X gains on repeat…

So you can take maximum advantage of the volatile market…

All while most retail investors are running scared.

If you haven’t already, click here to guarantee your spot for the live strategy session later…

And I’ll see you on the livestream at 11 a.m. ET.

The login details will be in your inbox shortly – login early if you can.

Customer Story of the Day

“Great service! It has a great education component, which is great for those just beginning in trading. I highly recommend them and I have done very well following their advice. A+++”

Ross Givens
Editor, Stock Surge Daily

Ross Givens

Written by

Ross Givens Chief Market Strategist

Ross Givens is a veteran trader with over 15 years of experience and a former VP at a major Wall Street investment bank. Specializing in small-cap stocks and momentum-driven plays, Ross identifies high-probability setups before they hit the mainstream. As Lead Strategist at Traders Agency, he has guided hundreds of successful trades and developed multiple flagship publications.

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