An Obvious Stock Market Breakout Leaves Open Questions – Above the 40 (September 6, 2019)

AT40 = 49.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 48.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 15.0Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary One Obvious Pattern to Another The S&P 500 (SPY) and the NASDAQ (COMPQX) transitioned from an obvious trading range to an obvious … Read more

The 401K Stock Market Loses Some Faith As Divergence Flips – Above the 40 (August 27, 2019)

AT40 (T2108) closed below Friday's precipitous low, making my favorite technical indicator look finally ready to drop to oversold trading conditions.

AT40 = 28.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 39.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (2-month low)VIX = 20.3Short-term Trading Call: neutral (from cautiously bullish) Stock Market Commentary The 401K stock market’s ugly sandwich just got a bit soggy. My premise for clinging to a … Read more

A Manic Stock Market Leaves Behind An Extreme August Drawdown – Above the 40 (August 9, 2019)

Much ado about nothing? The 15-minute chart of the S&P 500 (SPY) shows the gory details of a manic swoon to a near flat close for the week.

AT40 = 37.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 46.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 18.0Short-term Trading Call: neutral (caveats below!) Stock Market Commentary The S&P 500 (SPY) ended the week almost where it started. In between the bookends, the market gyrated wildly … Read more

Fed Waffling and Trade War Expansion Reject Market from Overbought – Above the 40 (August 1, 2019)

The S&P 500 (SPY) lost 3.1% for the week. Buyers just barely pushed the index off its intraday low to on Friday to close above 50DMA support.

AT40 = 41.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 49.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 17.6 (high of 20.1)Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary A Pause of Recognition I am writing about financial markets at a time when there is renewed pain … Read more

Iron Ore Related Trades Are Looking Toppy All Over Again

The threat of Chinese resistance to sky high iron prices was just enough to put a halt to a parabolic run-up in prices. After a sharp drop, iron ore prices quickly rebounded and have remained relatively flat for about two weeks. The stocks of related iron-ore companies turned around after an initial sharp sell-off. Last … Read more

Iron Ore Stocks, Australian Dollar Fall After Chinese Steel Mills Resist

Iron Ore Resistance Iron ore prices have been on a tear this year, and China’s steel mills are not going to take it anymore. According to Reuters: “…eight steel mills will create an investigation group, led by Baowu and assisted by the others, to look into the pricing methodology of imported iron ore, to coordinate … Read more

From Loitering to Breakout: Stocks Look for Bad News Worthy of Rate Cuts – Above the 40 (June 21, 2019)

AT40 = 53.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 50.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 15.4Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The stock market is officially in bizarro world. The stock market is breathlessly rallying in anticipation of rate cuts that will come … Read more

Rate Cut Promises Rescued A Stock Market Near Oversold – Above the 40 (June 7, 2019)

AT40 = 38.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 44.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 18.9Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Stock Market Commentary From opening at the edge of oversold trading conditions to closing on near panic buying, last week was a wild week! … Read more

Stock Market Indices Break South On Expanded Border Tensions – Above the 40 (May 31, 2019)

AT40 = 23.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (hit a low of 20.7%)AT200 = 36.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (2 1/2 month low)VIX = 18.7Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary So much for the potential for follow-through on bullish divergence! Perhaps the failure is … Read more

Above the 40 (May 15, 2019) – Stock Market Flips from Bullish Support to Bearish Resistance As Signals Compete

AT40 = 43.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 47.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 16.4Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary Over the weekend, I wrote about a “constructive stock market” as a reference to the stock market’s consistently positive responses to U.S. vs … Read more