Polycom Wipes Out 18 Months of Gains

One month ago, Polycom (PLCM) dropped 10% seemingly out of nowhere on relatively high volume. On April 5, PLCM dropped 20% in the wake of an earnings warning in which the company stated their “…growth rate was below our overall expectations, driven primarily by shortfalls in Asia Pacific and North America.” On a GAAP basis, … Read more

Research In Motion Officially Acknowledges Its Retrenchment

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on March 29, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) {snip} This is the change in “guidance practices” and outlook that beleaguered mobile company Research In Motion (RIMM) announced in its latest earnings report today. It has all the trappings of … Read more

T2108 Update – March 14, 2012 (Surprise #1: Very Large Drop in T2108; Crying Over Apple)

(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-related trades and other trades are posted on twitter using the #120trade hashtag) T2108 Status: 63% VIX Status: 15.3% … Read more

(Quick) Chart Review: Apple Straight UP

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) is now up an incredible 36% for the year. Even more incredible, the stock has spent much of the year rallying in nearly straight lines, straight up. This rally has been so powerful that even the major bearish reversal in mid-February looks like a blip well-contained within a strong uptrend. The small … Read more

Chart Review: Everyone Has A Whole Apple Again – Bearish Reversal Invalidated

February 15 was a day noted around the world: Apple (AAPL) made a major bearish reversal that even non-technicians could appreciate for its fury. Here is the chart I produced on that fateful day: The tremendous surge in trading volume was a 13-month high and followed the S&P 500 down for the day – adding … Read more

T2108 Update – February 16, 2012 (Is the market topping or not?! Picking Apples)

(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-related trades and other trades are posted on twitter using the #120trade hashtag) T2108 Status: 83% (overbought day #32) … Read more

Chart Review: Apple Prints A Topping Pattern

Something happened along the way to infinity for Apple Inc. (AAPL): a big bearish engulfing pattern. A bearish engulfing pattern occurs when a stock opens above the close of the previous trading day and closes below the close of the previous trading day, especially in the midst of an uptrend. The larger the range of … Read more

Buy Amazon.com Post-Earnings and Right After Regular Trading Opens

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 1, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) Trading through the earnings of a highly volatile stock often feels like flipping a coin. A trader must try to predict the earnings results AND the market’s reaction to those results. … Read more

Chart Review: Stock Recoveries, Critical Resistance, and Emerging Breakouts

The current extended overbought period has produced many amazing chart patterns. In this chart review, I am highlighting some charts I find particularly interesting and compelling. There are impressive recoveries, stocks dancing with critical resistance, and emerging breakouts. Some charts are quite telling in that they completely contradict the presumed economic disaster from an imminent … Read more

Reflections on Eastman Kodak and the “Bankruptcy Trade”

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 22, 2012. Click here to read the entire piece.) So Eastman Kodak (EKDKQ.PK) was rearranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic after all. Late Wednesday night (January 18), Kodak announced that it will file a voluntary bankruptcy using an … Read more