More Positive Milestones for the Residential Housing Market

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 30, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) The residential housing industry received more positive data on August 29, 2012. First, the latest Federal Reserve’s beige book further confirmed the stronger price trends shown in the Federal Housing Finance … Read more

The Farm Economy Is So Healthy, Government Subsidies Are Going to Millionaires

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 28, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) In “Why Taxpayers Pay For Farmers’ Insurance“, Planet Money recently took on the sensitive subject of subsidies to farmers. My sense has always been that these subsidies are more controversial amongst … Read more

T2108 Update (September 7, 2012) – New Bullish Phase Brings New Trading Strategy

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are highly likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades … Read more

T2108 Update (September 6, 2012) – Bearish Undertones Brushed Away In A Single Swipe

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are highly likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades … Read more

T2108 Update (September 4, 2012) – Stalemate, Part 2…But Warning Signals Keep Multiplying

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are highly likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades … Read more

T2108 Update (August 31, 2012) – Stalemate

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are highly likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades … Read more

Chart Review: Gold Finally Breaks Out, TLT Cracks Resistance

While writing about the attractive price of Pan American Silver (PAAS) and the seemingly imminent breakoout for silver (SLV), I neglected to note that SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) has already broken out from its extended downtrend. This move is of course inspired by Ben Bernanke’s Jackson Hole speech. At the same time the market anticipates … Read more

Latest Housing Price Data Confirm Housing Bottom Underway

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 26, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) The last earnings reports from homebuilders like Toll Brothers (TOL) and KB Home (KBH) have delivered very positive outlooks on the current housing market: see “A Swell Of Pent Up Demand … Read more

A Swell Of Pent-Up Demand Supports the Surge in Toll Brothers

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 24, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} TOL reported earnings the morning of August 22nd. The tone of the conference call was bullish and the market responded by pushing TOL to fresh 5 1/2 year highs. TOL’s … Read more

Yelp.com Rally Creates Good Risk/Reward for Playing Persistently Large Options Skew

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 30, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) When I wrote “Wide Options Skew Heightens Risks Of Trading Yelp.com Lockup Expiration,” my main point was that Yelp.com (YELP) put options seemed too expensive to take the risk of playing … Read more