Above the 40 (September 26, 2017) – Stocks Knock On Overbought’s Door

AT40 = 68.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (high of 69.4%) AT200 = 57.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.2 Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary In my last Above the 40 post, I noted how the stock market bent but stubbornly refused to … Read more

Above the 40 (September 22, 2017) – Apple Falls from the Tree, the Stock Market Bends Without Breaking

AT40 = 63.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 54.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.6 Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary The stock market stubbornly held onto its bullish positioning despite the tumble of one of its biggest stalwarts: Apple (AAPL). AAPL … Read more

U.S. Concrete: The GDP Rally Fully Reverses

Getting a second opportunity at a great set-up is rare in the stock market, but U.S. Concrete (USCR) may be offering just such a second chance. On September 3rd, I lamented missing an opportunity to buy USCR when it neatly tested support at the top of its last trading range. The headline reason for the … Read more

Above the 40 (September 11, 2017) – The S&P 500 Hits Fresh All-Time High On Tension Relief

AT40 = 53.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 51.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.7 (down 11.5%) Short-term Trading Call: neutral (see below for caveats) Commentary I had no idea that the previous tensions in the stock market fully priced in the … Read more

U.S. Concrete: A Missed Opportunity

When I described U.S. Concrete (USCR) as a strong play on the U.S. economy, I noted I would wait for a dip in the stock before picking a spot to buy. That opportunity came a lot faster than I expected as USCR dipped down on rising volume to the top of its previous trading range. … Read more

A Recharge for the Canadian Dollar Bull

A little over a week ago, I explained why I put the Mexican peso and the Canadian dollar (FXC) on shorter leashes. Canada’s extremely strong second quarter GDP report at the end of August just loosened that leash a little. Statistics Canada reported 2Q real GDP growth of 1.1%. The annualized growth rate of 4.5% … Read more

Speculators Add to Expectations for Higher Gold and Silver

The SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) accomplished a major milestone in the past week: it fully reversed its entire post-election loss in what looks like a major breakout. Source: StockCharts.com Speculators have been rushing back to gold likely in anticipation of these much higher prices. Source: Oanda’s CFTC’s Commitments of Traders Since 2008, here are the … Read more

Above the 40 (August 22, 2017) – The Stock Market Gets A Reflex Bounce

AT40 = 35.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 46.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.4 (14.0% decrease) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary Since last Thursday when I lasted posted Above the 40, AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their respective … Read more

U.S. Concrete: A Strong Play on the U.S. Economy (My Interview with CEO Bill Sandbrook)

On August 15, 2017, I had the privilege of interviewing Bill Sandbrook, President and CEO of U.S. Concrete (USCR), a producer of ready-mixed concrete and aggregate products for domestic construction projects. I am relatively new to this industry, so I prepared by listening to earlier interviews, reviewing USCR’s latest earnings results for Q2 2017, and … Read more

Above the 40 (August 15, 2017) – The Retail Wreck Runs Over Strong Data

AT40 = 39.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 50.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.0 Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary Urban Outfitters (URBN) notwithstanding with its 19.5% after hours surge, Tuesday, August 15, 2017 was a signature day for the weakness engulfing … Read more