Doc's note: Are tech stocks already in a mania? That's the question on a lot of traders' minds.
Today, Brett Eversole – editor of DailyWealth – looks at a contrarian signal that shows tech stocks can still move higher from here...
It probably feels like we're living in a frothy market...
SpaceX (SPCX) went public at a $1.8 trillion valuation. That's about 100 times last year's sales. But that massive valuation didn't stop the stock from jumping more than 50% in its first few days of trading.
You'd expect to only see this in a market mania, right?
Well, not quite.
SpaceX might be a great mania example of speculative enthusiasm. But it doesn't represent the entire market.
If we look at tech stocks as a whole, we see the opposite of froth. Futures traders haven't been this bearish on tech since 2020. And according to history, that negativity is setting up another big move higher.
Let me explain...
The Contrarian Signal Pointing to Further Upside
You can get a read on sentiment by asking investors how they feel. But that'll only get you so far. People lie. They often hide their true feelings... Or they might believe one thing but do another.
As author and hedge-fund manager Nassim Taleb famously said, "Don't tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio."
The best way to gauge sentiment is to track what people are actually doing with their money. That's why we often look at the futures market and the Commitment of Traders ("COT") report.
This weekly report shows how futures traders are positioned. It's also a useful contrarian indicator... because when these folks all agree, they're usually wrong.
Right now, futures traders are betting against the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index at nearly the highest rate in history. Take a look...
Futures traders were wildly bullish on the Nasdaq 100 in late 2025. But sentiment has collapsed since then. Today, they're more bearish than at any point besides the 2020 market panic.
That's a powerful contrarian signal. And history shows that tech stocks could keep moving higher from here.
To see why, I looked at each new 52-week low in the Nasdaq 100's COT report. We've seen 11 other instances since the data begins in mid-2010. And each sentiment low was a powerful buying opportunity. Take a look...
The post-financial-crisis boom in technology has been one for the record books. The Nasdaq 100 is up 18.9% a year since mid-2010. But investors who bought when futures traders were the most bearish did even better...
Those setups led to gains of 8.2% in three months, 12% in six months, and 23.9% in a year. Plus, the Nasdaq 100 was higher a year later 100% of the time.
Sure, it's easy to find crazy behavior in today's market. But a few wild anecdotes don't explain the big picture.
As surprising as it might be, futures traders are darn bearish on tech right now. From a contrarian perspective, that's exactly the kind of skepticism that can fuel the next leg higher.
This market won't peak until everyone is "all in." We're not there yet... which means this bull market can still move much higher.
Good investing,
Brett Eversole
Editor's note: The biggest story in tech this year is the continuing AI boom. This Thursday, Luke Lango (from our corporate affiliate InvestorPlace) will host the 2026 AI Megadeal Event where he will reveal the secretive opportunity that lets you profit off the biggest AI breakthroughs in the world... Without touching a single volatile AI stock.
