• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
NewslettersBull Sheet

Goldman Sachs thinks a big correction is coming. So far, investors aren’t buying it

By
Bernhard Warner
Bernhard Warner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Bernhard Warner
Bernhard Warner
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 12, 2020, 5:00 AM ET

This is the web version of the Bull Sheet, Fortune’s no-BS daily newsletter on the markets. Sign up to receive it in your inbox here.

Good morning. Equities are trading sideways as mixed data on the recovery gives investors pause. Goldman Sachs, meanwhile, thinks we’re headed for a correction.

Let’s check in on the action.

Markets update

Asia

  • The major indices are in the red. Japan’s Nikkei is down 0.1%.
  • “No V-shaped rebound” for China. That’s the prognosis of one analyst after disappointing PPI numbers showing China’s factories are suffering from weak domestic and international demand.
  • Saudi Aramco, the world’s most profitable company, reported a Q1 profit of $16.7 billion this morning, that’s a 25% y-o-y drop. Even with rock-bottom oil prices it’s committed to pay out $18.75 billion in dividends for Q1.

Europe

  • European bourses opened slightly lower, before climbing in the first hour of trade. London and Milan were leading the way.
  • The fight over state aid for airlines could get ugly. Budget flyer Ryanair is suing to stop the French government bailing out Air France-KLM.
  • “Could it be peak oil? Possibly. Possibly. I would not write that off.” That’s BP CEO Bernard Looney who is still unsure whether demand for crude will ever return to pre-pandemic levels.

U.S.

  • The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures are pointing to a negative open but are gaining some ground.
  • The Nasdaq extended gains into a second week on Monday, pushing the index above 2% YTD.
  • Long expected, today the Fed begins buying corporate debt—including eligible ETFs—from investors. What will it buy? U.S. investment-grade corporate bonds as well as U.S. high-yield corporate bonds.

Elsewhere

  • Gold and the dollar were up early, but once investors jumped back into equities the two fell.
  • Crude is higher. WTI and Brent are climbing again today after Saudi Arabia yesterday announced it would cut production by a further 1 million barrels per day.

The FOMO rally

The Nasdaq rally stands at six straight days. But you have to look at the S&P 500 to best understand these markets. Yesterday, the benchmark closed up a whisker, 0.02% higher. Inside that pipsqueak of a fraction reveals a world of investors’ hopes and fears.

Healthcare and IT took off yesterday while utilities, financials and energy sunk. Again. Bloomberg’s Jonathan Ferro captured the disconnect in this Tweet just after the market closed.

The S&P is so weighted to the big 5 tech stocks—everyone together now: Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook and Microsoft—that the Fab 5 are enough to keep the index above water even on days when the other components sink. The rally in the S&P is as much about a rally in Big Tech as any other factor. The Fed too plays a big role in this bull run.

The S&P 500 is up 31% since its March 23 bottom. Goldman Sachs, for one, is unconvinced the rally is sustainable. With mutual funds underperforming, investors are piling into the big names in the index, it says. “The ‘fear of missing out’ best describes the thought process,” Goldman’s David Kostin writes in the report, according to Bloomberg.

Goldman thinks a correction is in the cards. (The markets fell shortly after the Goldman report came out, but recovered in late trading yesterday). It believes the S&P could sink to 2,400—nearly a 20% drop from yesterday’s close—before rebounding to 3,000 later in the year.

That would be one heck of a “W-shaped” markets rebound. Hold on to your hat.

***

Have a nice day everyone. I’ll see you here tomorrow.

Bernhard Warner
@BernhardWarner
Bernhard.Warner@Fortune.com

Looking for more detail on coronavirus? Fortune’s Outbreak newsletter will keep you up to date on the latest news surrounding the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on business and commerce globally. Sign up here.

And, you can write to bullsheet@fortune.com or reply to this email with suggestions and feedback.

Today's reads

WFH is working. Work-from-home has proven so successful for Nationwide that the privately held insurer will make it a permanent feature for employees after the pandemic passes. CEO Kirt Walker participated in a revealing Q&A with Fortune's Lee Clifford explaining how the company made the transition on the fly—and now it's not looking back.

The big short. We've seen some weird things in the markets recently. One of them is the army of retail investors using their zero-cost trading platforms—think Robinhood and E*Trade—to short the markets. It hasn't gone so well, says Derek Horstmeyer, an associate professor of finance at the George Mason University School of Business. "Many retail investors are losing money hand over fist in volatile and opaque markets they don’t fully understand," he writes, with some eye-popping data to back up his assertions.

In which I start talking about economic growth... and end up at happiness. Fortune's Devin Hance interviewed me for the Fortune Explains video series. The assignment: How far will GDP fall?, the trillion dollar question. I enjoyed our Q&A. The video was mercifully edited down to a few minutes. Take a look.

(Some of these stories require a subscription to access. To enjoy unlimited access, subscribe today. Thank you for supporting our journalism.)

Market candy

2800+

International Holdings Co. PJSC is killing it this year. Last year too. It's up more than 2800% over the past year, after climbing an additional 9.2% yesterday on its home exchange in in Abu Dhabi, making it the best performing stock of the year. Beyond its off-the-charts performance, market observers are puzzled by what's the big deal about International Holdings.

About the Author
By Bernhard Warner
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

Jenn Hyman reflects on the highs and lows of running Rent the Runway for almost two decades
NewslettersMPW Daily
Jenn Hyman reflects on the highs and lows of running Rent the Runway for almost two decades
By Emma HinchliffeMay 15, 2026
2 days ago
Andrew Feldman, co-founder of Cerebras
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Cerebras soars almost 70% by market close in a true blockbuster IPO
By Allie GarfinkleMay 15, 2026
2 days ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (left) and Apple CEO Tim Cook in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 4, 2025. (Photo: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
OpenAI may take legal action against Apple over Siri’s ChatGPT integration
By Andrew NuscaMay 15, 2026
2 days ago
State Farm CEO is betting big on AI—and contemplating the company’s future in California
NewslettersCEO Daily
State Farm CEO is betting big on AI—and contemplating the company’s future in California
By Diane BradyMay 15, 2026
2 days ago
The AI boom sidelined sustainability. Two researchers want to change that
NewslettersEye on AI
The AI boom sidelined sustainability. Two researchers want to change that
By Sharon GoldmanMay 14, 2026
3 days ago
‘Be delusional enough to call yourself something the world hasn’t called you yet’: What powerful women told the class of 2026
NewslettersMPW Daily
‘Be delusional enough to call yourself something the world hasn’t called you yet’: What powerful women told the class of 2026
By Sydney LakeMay 14, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
23 hours ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
13 hours ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
23 hours ago
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
Energy
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.