T2108 Update – August 8, 2011 (Stay In the Game)

(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 Status: 6.5% (Day #3 of the current oversold period). VIX Status: 48. General (Short-term) Trading Call: Close most … Read more

“Commodities Crash” Triggers First Trades – ANR and EWZ

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha. Click here to read the entire piece.) In July, I used ideas from Jeremy Grantham to lay out a case for taking advantage of a coming “commodities crash” to invest in and prepare for a future resource-constrained world: “Preparing for Profits in … Read more

Seagate Is Not Likely to Find “Ruthenium-Like” Relief from Soaring Rare Earth Prices

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha. Click here to read the entire piece.) Last week (July 22) I summarized Seagate’s earnings commentary partially blaming a “bubble” in rare earth prices for causing a margin squeeze for the company. Seagate management claimed that the soaring prices of rare earth … Read more

AK Steel Suffers Largest One-Day Loss In Three Years on Poor Earnings

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha. Click here to read the entire piece.) The shorts finally nailed AK Steel (AKS) (shorts are about 17% of AKS’s float). On July 26, AKS reported it will be squeezed by lower steel prices and higher input costs – especially iron ore. … Read more

Alix Steel: Gold’s Next Move Is Locked Independent of U.S. Debt Deal

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha. Click here to read the entire piece.) Alix Steel, a reporter for thestreet.com, discussed gold on Nightly Business Report, July 26. She claimed that gold’s low volume, summer rally is being fueled by fears of a default on U.S. debt. Nevermind that … Read more