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December 2, 2025

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S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio

The S&P 500 ($SPX) just logged its fifth straight trading box breakout, which means that, of the five trading ranges the index has experienced since the April lows, all have been resolved to the upside.

How much longer can this last? That’s been the biggest question since the massive April 9 rally. Instead of assuming the market is due to roll over, it’s been more productive to track price action and watch for potential changes along the way. So far, drawdowns have been minimal, and breakouts keep occurring. Nothing in the price action hints at a lasting change — yet.

While some are calling this rally “historic,” we have a recent precedent. Recall that from late 2023 through early 2024, the index had a strong start and gave way to a consistent, steady trend.

From late October 2023 through March 2024, the S&P 500 logged seven consecutive trading box breakouts. That streak finally paused with a pullback from late March to early April, which, as we now know, was only a temporary hiccup. Once the bid returned, the S&P 500 went right back to carving new boxes and climbing higher.

New 52-Week Highs Finally Picking Up

If there’s been one gripe about this rally, it’s that the number of new highs within the index has lagged. As we’ve discussed before, among all the internal breadth indicators available, new highs almost always lag — that’s normal. What we really want to see is whether the number of new highs begins to exceed prior peaks as the market continues to rise, which it has, as shown by the blue line in the chart below.

As of Wednesday’s close, 100 S&P 500 stocks were either at new 52-week highs or within 3% of them. That’s a strong base. We expect this number to continue rising as the market climbs, especially if positive earnings reactions persist across sectors.

Even when we get that first day with 100+ S&P 500 stocks making new 52-week highs, though, it might not be the best time to initiate new longs.

The above chart shows that much needs to align for that many stocks to peak in unison, which has historically led to at least a short-term consolidation, if not deeper pullbacks — as highlighted in yellow. Every time is different, of course, but this is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Trend Check: GoNoGo Still “Go”

The GoNoGo Trend remains in bullish mode, with the recent countertrend signals having yet to trigger a greater pullback.

Active Bullish Patterns

We still have two live bullish upside targets of 6,555 and 6,745, which could be with us for a while going forward. For the S&P 500 to get there, it will need to form new, smaller versions of the trading boxes.

Failed Bearish Patterns

In the chart below, you can view a rising wedge pattern on the recent price action, the third since April. The prior two wedges broke down briefly and did not lead to a major downturn. The largest pullbacks in each case occurred after the S&P 500 dipped below the lower trendline of the pattern.

The deepest drawdown so far is 3.5%, which is not exactly a game-changer. Without downside follow-through, a classic bearish pattern simply can’t be formed, let alone be broken down from.

We’ll continue to monitor these formations as they develop because, at some point, that will change.

Humanoid Robotics: Key Trends to Watch and Investment Insights

Humanoid robotics is rapidly advancing.

Driven by the convergence of technological innovation, evolving labor market demands and growing investor interest, the humanoid robotics industry is expanding at a rapid rate. A handful of humanoid robotics companies have announced initial public offerings in 2025, such as China’s Unitree and Singapore’s Otsaw, with more predicted in 2026.

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood said in October that humanoid robots “will be the biggest of all” artificial intelligence (AI) opportunities, highlighting their potential in transportation, healthcare and productivity enhancement.

Samimi discussed the impact AI integration has had on the robotics industry, challenges such as labor shortages and supply chain disruptions and how the firm evaluates opportunities within this nascent yet promising market.

Key trends in humanoid robotics

According to Samimi, recent trends in robotics include enhanced automation in the industrial and logistics sectors.

“We’re seeing a lot of new trends on foundation models and control stacks within the robotic sector, as well as new sorts of electronic assemblies to put all of these components together,” he explained, pointing to companies like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), BMW (ETR:BMW,OTC Pink:BMWKY) and Mercedes-Benz Group (ETR:MBG,OTC Pink:MBGAF) as current adopters of humanoid robots in factories and warehouses.

Additionally, Samimi highlighted that recent battery advances have improved energy density, enabling longer robot operation for industrial and logistics tasks. Meanwhile, lighter, more efficient actuators enhance precision and energy use, supporting dynamic interaction and human collaboration.

Finally, advances in robotics control systems are powered by cutting-edge AI algorithms. Platforms like RideScan, a Humanoid Global portfolio company, harness continuous, independent AI-driven monitoring, risk scoring and anomaly detection to optimize robot performance. The company recently filed a patent in the UK for its core AI technology

Samimi added that safety and reliability remain critical focal points amid these technological advances.

Advances in algorithms, machine learning and operational intelligence systems are enabling comprehensive, scalable safety and maintenance solutions for robots deployed across different facilities, supported by digital twin technologies and a closed-loop data cycle for continuous improvement.

Addressing labor shortages via robotics

Labor shortages and constrained supply chains are accelerating innovation by prompting industrial sectors to adopt robotics to augment limited labor resources.

The 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report, a document that covers emerging disruptive technologies, confirms robotics is thriving amid labor shortages and rising complexity in logistics and manufacturing.

During the US-Saudi Investment Forum, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk made a bold prediction about the long-term effects of robotics and AI: work will become optional, and money will be obsolete.

“I don’t know what long term is — maybe it’s 10, 20 years or something like that,” Musk said, adding that there is still a lot of work to be done before society gets to that point.

In the meantime, the workforce will likely see more human-robot collaboration. Samimi said he has observed that humanoid robots and collaborative robots (cobots) are increasingly taking over repetitive manual tasks.

“Human labor now shifts to more, higher-value tasks, rather than moving a warehouse box or a palette from A to B. So we’re seeing somewhat of a shift (that’s) helping make labor more scalable and more productive, and really less dependent on that shrinking labor pool,” he said.

Resource-heavy and industrial sectors present strong opportunities for robotics, especially amid a limited labor pool. Areas like agriculture, mining, pharmaceuticals and lumber stand to benefit from automation and upskilling via robotics.

Robotics investment thesis and portfolio evaluation

Humanoid Global views its role not only as an investor, but also as an ecosystem builder, actively fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing across its portfolio companies.

By strategically connecting early stage innovators with mature industry players, Humanoid Global seeks to accelerate the global deployment and scale of humanoid robotics technologies.

The firm emphasizes balancing risk across a portfolio that includes both disruptive technology developers and companies closer to full commercial deployment, allowing for diversified exposure while driving integrated growth.

Companies are evaluated with a strong prioritization for teams with proven execution capabilities and sustainable technological moats, such as proprietary IP or unique data networks. Scalability and clear go-to-market strategies are equally important, as is a strong safety architecture embedded in the technology.

This approach highlights the importance of strategic relationships, market education and risk-managed growth in realizing the transformative potential of humanoid robotics.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Why SQM Says Social Dialogue is Key to Sustainable Lithium

As scrutiny continues to intensify across the battery metals supply chain, the conversation around sustainability has moved far beyond carbon footprints.

At this year’s Benchmark Week, Stefan Debruyne, director of external affairs at Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) (NYSE:SQM), made that point unmistakably clear: sustainability in lithium is as much about people, process and transparency as it is about emissions — and it must be learned, not imposed.

SQM, one of the world’s largest lithium producers, has long been at the center of debates about extraction in Chile’s Salar de Atacama. But for Debruyne, the company’s vision of leadership goes beyond scale.

“We approach leadership in a holistic way,” he said. “It’s not only about having trust to produce and being able to deliver the quality the market needs, but also doing it in a responsible way — dialogue, working closely with stakeholders and civil society. We work very hard on all components.”

Building social license

Much of Debruyne’s role over the past five years has centered on improving engagement with Indigenous communities, many of which have deep historical grievances tied to land, water and the impact of large-scale resource extraction.

“It’s really about being the best neighbor possible,” he said.

But getting there has required fundamental shifts in mindset and method. One of the clearest examples is what Debruyne called the principle of horizontality — a change born from early missteps.

A decade ago, when communities questioned the mine’s hydrological impacts, SQM responded the way many industrial operators would: it sent engineers to explain the technical data.

“You would think that’s a great thing to do,” Debruyne said. “But we learned that’s not the right way, because community members aren’t hydrologists. There’s a vertical difference.”

Instead, SQM now helps communities secure independent experts of their choosing, ensuring conversations happen “on a horizontal level.” This shift has been crucial to rebuilding trust.

Just as important, Debruyne said, is abandoning the western notion of time.

“Communities have a different concept of time. It’s about giving them the time they need — taking information back, returning, iterating. You may think you’re doing things the right way, but there’s always room for improvement.”

Why social investment reduces risk

For Oxfam policy advisor Andrew Bogrand, these types of changes are not just ethical — they’re also practical.

The expert, who also spoke on the panel, noted that since 2010, more than 800 protests or violent incidents have occurred around mine sites globally, including 300 since 2021 alone.

Each one carries real costs: slowdowns, legal expenses, rising insurance premiums — and, as Bogrand pointed out, the hidden cost of executive time diverted to crisis management.

“There is a win-win solution,” he told the Benchmark Week audience. “It’s engaging communities, making sure everyone’s on the same page. Sometimes the solutions are very simple.”

As an example, he pointed to mining projects where warning messages were sent in English to communities that do not speak the language, or where key safety information was delivered over SMS when what residents needed was a physical noticeboard in their own dialect.

Bogrand described companies that “step over a dollar to pick up a penny” — refusing modest community requests, only to face shutdowns costing tens of millions of dollars.

Transparency: A tool, not a threat

Debruyne described transparency as one of SQM’s most effective tools, even if it initially felt counterintuitive.

A few years ago, the company made all hydrological data from its government reporting publicly accessible online.

“I was bracing myself,” he said, expecting to receive dozens of questions about brine levels. But counter to his fears, transparency defused tension rather than fueling it. “I received complete silence,’ Debruyne noted.

It also created a foundation for future collaboration, including joint environmental monitoring programs with communities that had refused to speak with SQM for years.

Moving slow to move fast

The tension between rapid industry growth and slow, iterative sustainability processes often surfaces in investor discussions. For Bogrand, the answer is simple: “You have to move slow to move fast.”

Rushing early stage engagement almost always backfires, he argued, while early investment in community relationships pays dividends across the life of a mine.

Debruyne echoed this idea, noting that patience, consistency and presence — not promises — win trust. In one case, SQM organized a visit for Atacama Indigenous women leaders to electric vehicle and battery plants in Germany and Poland, allowing them to see firsthand where lithium fits in a finished product.

One participant, surprised that the metal formed only a thin coating on a cathode, admitted she had imagined an “Avatar-like” scenario where mines destroyed massive volumes of land for each battery.

“Because they don’t have visibility on the value chain, they make interpretations, which is human,” Debruyne told listeners. “Dialogue is so important.”

Both Debruyne and Bogrand agree that the lithium supply chain cannot scale without social acceptance, credible transparency and deep engagement with affected communities.

As Debruyne noted, “Ultimately, it’s about people.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Airbus says most of its recalled 6,000 A320 jets are now modified

PARIS — Airbus fleets were returning toward normal operations on Monday after the European plane maker pushed through abrupt software changes faster than expected, as it wrestled with safety headlines long focused on rival Boeing.

Dozens of airlines from Asia to the United States said they had carried out a snap software retrofit ordered by Airbus, and mandated by global regulators, after a vulnerability to solar flares emerged in a recent mid-air incident on a JetBlue A320.

Airbus said on Monday that the vast majority of around 6,000 of its A320-family fleet affected by the safety alert had been modified, with fewer than 100 jets still requiring work.

JetBlue Airbus A320 planes at LaGuardia Airport in New York City.Nicolas Economou / NurPhoto via Getty Images file

But some require a longer process and Colombia’s Avianca continued to halt bookings for dates until December 8.

Sources familiar with the matter said the unprecedented decision to recall about half the A320-family fleet was taken shortly after the possible but unproven link to a drop in altitude on the JetBlue jet emerged late last week.

Shares in Airbus were down 2.1% in early trading in Paris.

Following talks with regulators, Airbus issued its 8-page alert to hundreds of operators on Friday, effectively ordering a temporary grounding by ordering the repair before next flight.

“The thing hit us about 9 p.m. [Jeddah time] and I was back in here about 9:30. I was actually quite surprised how quickly we got through it: there are always complexities,” said Steven Greenway, CEO of Saudi budget carrier Flyadeal.

The instruction was seen as the broadest emergency recall in the company’s history and raised immediate concerns of travel disruption particularly during the busy U.S. Thanksgiving weekend.

The sweeping warning exposed the fact that Airbus does not have full real-time awareness of which software version is used given reporting lags, industry sources said.

At first airlines struggled to gauge the impact since the blanket alert lacked affected jets’ serial numbers. A Finnair passenger said a flight was delayed on the tarmac for checks.

Over 24 hours, engineers zeroed in on individual jets.

Several airlines revised down estimates of the number of jets impacted and time needed for the work, which Airbus initially pegged at three hours per plane.

“It has come down a lot,” an industry source said on Sunday, referring to the overall number of aircraft affected.

The fix involved reverting to an earlier version of software that handles the nose angle. It involves uploading the previous version via a cable from a device called a data loader, which is carried into the cockpit to prevent cyberattacks.

At least one major airline faced delays because it lacked enough data loaders to handle dozens of jets in such a short time, according to an executive speaking privately.

UK’s easyJet and Wizz Air said on Monday they had completed the updates over the weekend without cancelling any flights.

JetBlue said late Sunday it expected to have completed work to return to service 137 of 150 impacted aircraft by Monday and plans to cancel approximately 20 flights for Monday due to the issue.

Questions remain over a subset of generally older A320-family jets that will need a new computer rather than a mere software reset. The number of those involved has been reduced below initial estimates of 1,000, industry sources said.

Industry executives said the weekend furor highlighted changes in the industry’s playbook since the Boeing 737 MAX crisis, in which the U.S. plane maker was heavily criticized over its handling of fatal crashes blamed on a software design error.

It is the first time Airbus has had to deal with global safety attention on such a scale since that crisis. CEO Guillaume Faury publicly apologized in a deliberate shift of tone for an industry beset by lawsuits and conservative public relations. Boeing has also declared itself more open.

“Is Airbus acting with the Boeing MAX crisis in mind? Absolutely — every company in the aviation sector is,” said Ronn Torossian, chairman of New York-based 5W Public Relations.

“Boeing paid the reputational price for hesitation and opacity. Airbus clearly wants to show … a willingness to say, ‘We could have done better.’ That resonates with regulators, customers, and the flying public.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS