Above the 40 (June 30, 2017) – A Simple Explanation for Stock Market Confusion

AT40 = 57.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 57.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.2 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary The cats were particularly frenetic in the last week of trading for the second quarter of 2017. The major … Read more

Above the 40 (June 27, 2017) – Tech Troubles Redux

AT40 = 53.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 56.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.1 (volatility index) (11.7% gain) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary Suddenly, tech stocks are in trouble all over again. On June 9, 2017, tech stocks suddenly swooned, … Read more

Above the 40 (June 20, 2017) – Buyers Fail to Follow-Through As the S&P 500 Goes On Notice

AT40 = 52.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 56.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.9 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary The Fed hikes short-term rates, and long-term rates go down. This relationship is not the expected one but is … Read more

Above the 40 (June 16, 2017) – A Post-Fed Market Still In Bullish Position

AT40 = 56.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 57.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.4 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary The Federal Reserve gave the permission to the stock market that I awaited…well, sort of. On Wednesday, June 14, … Read more

Above the 40 (June 2, 2017) – Breadth Returns to the Stock Market…Just In Time

AT40 = 55.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 56.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.8 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary In my last Above the 40 post, I noted how the trading action made it hard for me to … Read more

Trump Turmoil Takes 2017 Rate Hikes Down to Just June

I am surprised Fed futures traders still firmly expect a rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve in June. Source: CME FedWatch Tool After the stock market sell-off in the wake of more Trump turmoil, the market pegged the odds of a June rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve at 64.6%. Above 50% means … Read more

Above the 40 (April 11, 2017) – The Stock Market’s Persistent Yet Uncomfortable Bullish Divergence

AT40 = 54.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 64.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 15.1 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish (notable caveats explained below) Commentary The stock market has become incrementally more dangerous, yet buyers and bulls continue to succeed … Read more

Above the 40 (March 1, 2017) – The S&P 500 Coil Springs Into March Rate Hike Expectations

AT40 Status: 64.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 Status: 70.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX Status: 12.5 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary Two days ago, I titled my Above the 40 update “The S&P 500 Coiled In Anticipation.” I described the building … Read more

A Fresh Gold Versus Bonds Pairs Trade With the Dollar Playing Wildcard

It is hard to believe that just six weeks ago I proposed a pairs trade of gold versus bonds with the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) toying with resistance at its 50-day moving average (DMA) and the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond (TLT) doing the same. Now, GLD has already hit the next line of resistance … Read more

Housing Market Review – The Promise of Spring Awaits (February, 2017)

The last Housing Market Review covered data reported in January, 2017 for December, 2016. At that time, the iShares US Home Construction (ITB) was rebounding strongly from a brief pullback from an earnings-driven 6-month high. I described the setup as a coiled spring. The coiled spring did not release to great effect, but earnings from … Read more