As Earnings Near, J.C. Penney Put/Call Ratio Plummets And Shorts Increase

I last wrote about J.C. Penney (JCP) in March right after an ominous breakdown below its 50-day moving average (DMA) (see “Put Buyers Rush Into J.C. Penney As The Stock Breaks Down“). I soon joined the surge of put volume that occurred around that time, and the trade ended well. JCP eventually erased all its … Read more

Post-Acquisition Enthusiasm Fades for Molycorp As Short Interest Continues to Climb

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 30, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) On March 8th, 2012, Molycorp (MCP) announced a critically important acquisition of Rare Earth Processor Neo Material Technologies. The next day, the market responded by sending MCP shares up 19%. Almost … Read more

It’s Official – The RBA Is Working the Australian Dollar Lower

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 30, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) It’s official – the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is trying to work the Australian dollar lower. In a surprise move, the RBA cut rates 50 basis points to 3.75%. Expectations … Read more

Austerity Under Fire: One of Several Economic Drags on the U.K. Versus the U.S.

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 30, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) As recession descends across Europe, fiscal policies have received extra scrutiny. Austerity measures have been promoted as keys for long-term economic stability but the necessary short-term pains have been understated. Without … Read more

Australian Dollar Holds Firm Ahead Of A Likely Rate Cut

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 29, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) One of my reasons for recently turning bearish on the Australian dollar (FXA) is what I see as the likelihood of additional rate cuts through the year. It seems the consensus … Read more

Calling An Audible On Amazon.com Post-Earnings Play: Buy the Dip, Not the Open

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 27, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) After Amazon.com’s (AMZN) last earnings at the end of January, I recommended buying the stock (or call options) right at the open based on historical trading patterns (see “Why Amazon.com Was … Read more

The Odds Deliver As Post-Earnings Apple Breaks April’s Downtrend

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 27, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Ahead of Apple’s (AAPL) earnings on Tuesday, April 24, I wrote the following {snip} I went on to demonstrate the strong relationship between Apple’s average price change two weeks ahead of … Read more

As First Solar Retrenches, Product Issues Receive A Fresh Spotlight

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on April 23, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Last week, First Solar (FSLR) cited a “…lack of legislative support for utility-scale solar projects in Europe” for a significant shutdown of manufacturing facilities in Europe and Malaysia. FSLR is also … Read more

T2108 Update – April 26, 2012 (Bullish Momentum Rebuilding)

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. 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 are posted on twitter using the #120trade hashtag) T2108 Status: 55% VIX Status: 16.2% … Read more