Acuity Brands: The Business Uncertainties from Tariff and Wage Inflation

I last mentioned Acuity Brands (AYI), a lighting and building management solutions company with $3.7B in net sales in 2018, three months ago. At that time, I described a good risk/reward setup to go long the stock post-earnings. AYI shot nearly straight up from there. The stock broke through resistance at its 200-day moving average … Read more

Toll Brothers: Examining the Mystery of the Stock’s Weakness

“Haters gonna hate.” That phrase was a great way for CNBC’s Jim Cramer to begin his monologue introducing his interview with Toll Brothers CEO Douglas C. Yearley. In 2018, investors have exhibited plenty of loathing for the stocks of home builders despite an on-going string of strong earnings results and the backdrop of a strong … Read more

Above the 40 (August 31, 2018) – A Pause for FOMO

AT40 = 57.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 57.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.9 Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary In my last Above the 40 post, I discussed the early signs of a potential run-up driven by the “fear of missing … Read more

Toll Brothers: Strong Financials, Buybacks…and Housing Jitters

Toll Brothers (TOL) is more than halfway through reversing a surprising post-earnings gap up a week and a half ago. The 13.8% post-earnings gain surprised me because the message from TOL was little different than its messages in the past two earnings reports that have coincided with an extended sell-off in the stock. Source: FreeStockCharts.com … Read more