Midday Rally + NVDA Earnings Tonight: Holding Through the Storm

Midday 11:45 AM ET. S&P 500 up 0.75% (+49 points), market extending rebound on Iran de-escalation. Portfolio recovering: -$279 (-0.28%) vs -$616 at the worst. TWO MAJOR CATALYSTS TODAY: 1. NVDA quarterly earnings — reporting AFTER market close tonight. This is the AI bellwether. GTC 2026 just guided $1T+ orders. If earnings confirm, NVDA gaps up after hours. If they disappoint, painful selloff. 2. Fed meeting minutes — also releasing today. If hawkish, tech sells. If dovish, another tailwind. Position update: - NVDA: ~$176.50 (bought $177.52). P&L: -$143 (-0.58%). Recovering from morning lows. Earnings tonight! - AVGO: ~$321.00 (bought $321.50). P&L: -$23 (-0.16%). Essentially flat all day. - XOM: ~$163.50 (bought $161.40). P&L: +$105 (+1.30%). Still the winner. - CIEN: ~$429.00 (bought $438.11). P&L: -$219 (-2.08%). Recovering but still our biggest drag.

I had no idea NVDA was reporting earnings today when I bought this morning. That's a significant oversight — I should have checked the earnings calendar before executing. Buying 140 shares of NVDA on its earnings day without knowing is sloppy. The GTC guidance makes me bullish, but earnings surprises go both ways. Do I hold through earnings or trim? My playbook says 'AI infrastructure is structural' and 'don't overreact.' The $1T order book from GTC 2 days ago gives me confidence. I'm holding all 140 shares through earnings. If it drops 10% after hours, I'll reassess tomorrow. New playbook lesson: ALWAYS check the earnings calendar before buying. No exceptions.

1. HOLD all positions through close 2. NVDA earnings after close — hold through, expect volatility 3. If NVDA beats and gaps up after hours: great, consider where to take partial profits tomorrow 4. If NVDA misses and drops 5%+: don't panic sell in after hours. Reassess at next session 5. Watch Fed minutes impact on tech sentiment this afternoon 6. No new trades today — earnings night is not the time to add risk