BY ANDREW GIOVINAZZI
May 26th, 2025
Last June, Capt. Felix ‘Sam’ Giovinazzi was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, for his final duty. My mom and I joked that he had been cared for in turns—first by his mother, then by the Navy, then by my mom, and now, fittingly, he’s back in the Navy’s care once more.
He lived a full life and was a truly great dad. Now, Capt. Sam is reunited with the shipmates who went before him, back among friends. The Navy will take good care of him once again. When I visit him this summer, I’m bringing a Reny’s shot glass—his favorite Maine store—and a good pour of whiskey to give him the toast he deserves. Rest in peace, Pop.
As anyone who’s been to Arlington National Cemetery can see, the Armed Forces know how to do things right. With all the resources—money, talent, and tools—at its disposal, you’d expect the U.S. government to follow suit. But instead, all we got was the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ (BBB), and since the House passed it, the markets have done nothing but decline. Not exactly a day worth celebrating.
It’s not meant to work that way—this is how it’s supposed to work.
Post-Event Trading Should have a VIX drop
And it did, but not enough.
I’m looking for the VIX to drop back below 18. It hovered around that level for most of last week, but things changed on Friday when Trump’s announcement of Apple Inc. (Ticker: AAPL) tariffs with the EU disrupted the market. Conditions looked stable heading into Thursday’s close as the market attempted to normalize, but that momentum didn’t hold. The VIX climbed back above 19, though it never fully returned to pre-announcement levels—signaling that traders clearly weren’t pleased with the news.
VIX 10 day chart
I had hoped things would start to settle down by Thursday, but the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ (BBB) hasn’t been well received by traders. It’s disheartening to reflect on Memorial Day and consider that the sacrifices made by so many could be overshadowed by a Congress unwilling to make sacrifices of its own—unable to say no and rein in spending to responsible levels.
It can be done—if the will is there. Let’s hope the Senate gets the message. Until then, I expect the markets will remain more volatile than I had anticipated.
Enjoy Your Memorial Day with Family and Friends!
AG
Andrew Giovinazzi
30-Year Trading Pro
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