Republican Tax Plan Does Not Worry KB Home

The angst may already be fading away. Last week, I chronicled the carnage across the stocks of home builders that erupted in response to the Republican plan for tax reform that includes a reduction in the cap on the mortgage interest deduction. The sell-off that likely had roots in the extreme displeasure emanating from the … 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

Lost in the Fire and Fury – Promising Earnings from ShotSpotter

As North Korean President Kim Jung Un and U.S. President Donald Trump shot barbs and threats at each other – threats which included Trump’s promises of fire and fury and perhaps more – ShotSpotter (SSTI), a gunfire detection and location technology company, reported earnings. I think the promising results were lost in the crossfire and … Read more

Allergan Signals Higher Prices Potentially Ahead for Teva Pharmaceuticals

Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) lost 24% last Thursday after reporting disappointing earnings. From the Seeking Alpha transcript of the conference call: “All of us at Teva understand the frustration and disappointment our shareholders are feeling… In our U.S. Generics business, we experienced accelerated price erosion and decreased volume, mainly due to customer consolidation, greater competition as … Read more

Above the 40 (July 26, 2017) – A Stock Market Floating Higher And Still On the Edge

AT40 = 63.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 60.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.6 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary The stock market had a relatively bland day that matched a relatively bland statement on monetary policy from the … Read more

Above the 40 (July 14, 2017) – S&P 500 Hits All-Time High Alongside Historic Volatility

AT40 = 63.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 59.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.5 (volatility index) (since 1990, only TWO days have been lower, both in December, 1993!) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary The volatility index, the VIX, closed at … Read more

Above the 40 (June 7, 2017) – A Disarming Calm Ahead of Trifecta Thursday

AT40 = 47.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 54.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.4 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary At the time of typing, financial markets are carefully stepping into “Trifecta Thursday” – or maybe not so carefully … Read more

Above the 40 (May 26, 2017) – The S&P 500 Hits More All-Time Highs Floating On Pillows of Caution

AT40 = 47.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 55.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.8 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary I should no longer be amazed, but I am still amazed: the inability of sellers to generate follow-through in … Read more

Above the 40 (May 11, 2017) – S&P 500 Snaps Back As SNAP, Well, Snapped

AT40 = 49.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 57.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.6 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary The week started with the volatility index, the VIX, plunging to a 14-year low. I held onto my put options … Read more