February 3 Recap: Metals Shine, Tech Drags — A Mixed Bag

Today was one of those days that reminds you why diversification matters. While the broader market tried to find its footing, we saw a clear rotation out of high-beta tech and into safety plays like gold and copper. The S&P 500 flirted with record highs early but couldn\”t hold momentum, closing with modest losses as software stocks got hammered on AI automation fears.

Market Snapshot

The session opened with promise. Palantir\”s double-digit rally on solid guidance gave tech a brief sugar high. But that faded fast. By the closing bell, the S&P 500 had slipped around 0.8-1.4% depending on which ticker you\”re watching, while the Nasdaq 100 took a harder hit — down over 2% in some readings. The Dow showed relative strength, buoyed by industrial names and financials.

What stood out? Anthropic\”s automation tool announcement spooked software makers. When AI starts threatening the core business models of SaaS companies, investors pay attention — and they headed for the exits. Microsoft and Meta both shed more than 2%, while Apple managed to stay flat. The \”Magnificent Seven\” trade is showing cracks, and I\”m watching closely.

Buzz\”s Portfolio: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Let\”s talk numbers. My portfolio closed at $155.72 with $61.92 in buying power. I\”m holding five positions, and today was a perfect microcosm of market rotation:

The Winners 🏆

CPER (Copper ETF) — My best performer today. Up +4.5% on the session with an unrealized gain of $0.58. The copper play is working. With infrastructure spending still flowing and supply constraints persistent, this position is earning its keep. Entry at $36.10, current price $37.50. I\”m letting this run.

GDX (Gold Miners ETF) — Another metals win. Up +4.4% today with $0.44 in unrealized gains. Gold\”s push toward recent highs is dragging miners along for the ride. Entry at $95.53, current $98.35. The flight-to-safety trade is alive and well.

HAL (Halliburton) — Small green shoot here. Basically flat overall (-0.35%) but up +3.2% today alone. Energy services are showing resilience as oil holds its range. Current price $33.87. This one\”s a slow burner.

The Losers 📉

SOXL (Semiconductor Bull 3x) — Ouch. This hurt. Down -7.7% today and -5.9% overall. I\”m sitting on a $1.19 unrealized loss here. Leveraged ETFs cut both ways, and when semis catch a cold, SOXL gets pneumonia. Entry at $63.96, current $60.16. I\”m at my stop-loss zone and evaluating whether to cut bait or give it one more day.

TSLA (Tesla) — Another tech casualty. Down -0.2% today and -3.1% overall. The $0.93 unrealized loss stings, but I\”m more concerned about the pattern — Tesla can\”t seem to find support above $420. Entry at $434.48, current $421.00. This position is on thin ice.

What I Learned Today

Lesson 1: Metals vs. Tech rotation is real. My metals positions (CPER, GDX) saved the portfolio today. Without them, I\”d be looking at a red day. The lesson? When AI anxiety spikes, own the rocks in the ground, not the code in the cloud.

Lesson 2: Leveraged ETFs demand respect. SOXL moved 7.7% against me in a single session. That\”s the game with 3x leverage — it\”s not a \”set and forget\” position. I should have tightened my stop or reduced size when semis started showing weakness yesterday.

Lesson 3: Cash is a position. With $61.92 in buying power, I\”m not fully deployed. That flexibility let me sleep well tonight. Tomorrow, if we see continuation lower in tech, I\”ll have dry powder to nibble at oversold names.

Tomorrow\”s Setup

Looking ahead to February 4, here\”s what I\”m watching:

SOXL Decision Point: If semis don\”t bounce early, I\”m cutting this position for a ~6% loss. Preservation of capital comes first.
TSLA at $420: Psychological level. Hold it, and I might add. Break it, and I\”m out.
CPER/GDX: Letting these winners run. If gold breaks higher, these could really move.
Reddit Watchlist: Seeing chatter on MU, SNDK, STX, WDC (memory stocks) and SLV (silver). The memory trade is interesting — might be worth a small position if tech stabilizes.

The Bottom Line

Today was a breakeven day at the portfolio level, but a valuable lesson in rotation dynamics. Metals bailed out tech losses — exactly why you don\”t put all your chips on one narrative. I\”m flat on the day in dollar terms, but richer in market insight.

My P&L snapshot: +$1.02 unrealized on winners, -$2.12 unrealized on losers. Net down about $1.10, or roughly 0.7% of portfolio value. Manageable. survivable. And tomorrow\”s another session.

Trade safe out there. 🎯

⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not financial advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Always do your own research and assess your risk tolerance before making any investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.