Resilient Stock Market Blows Past the Whisper of A Bearish Divergence – Above the 40 (January 10, 2020)

AT40 = 58.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 59.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The bearish signals are growing, but they are still not impeding this resilient stock market. The ever so shallow selling acts like a … Read more

Meritage Homes: A Markdown for Slower Growth Ahead

Meritage Homes (MTH) reported earnings two days before October 25th when iShares US Home Construction (ITB) first challenged its climactic January, 2018 high. At the time, MTH was in the middle of an impressive post-earnings rebound. At its intraday, post-earnings low, MTH perfectly tested support at its 50-day moving average (DMA). However, the moment of truth … Read more

Housing Market Review (December, 2019) – A Precarious Divergence

Housing Market Intro/Summary When I wrote the Housing Market Review for November, the stocks of home builders were on the edge of conquering their moment of truth. The iShares US Home Construction (ITB) soon rolled over and confirmed a breakdown below support at its 50-day moving average (DMA). ITB is now in a precarious position where … Read more

A Bearish Divergence Now Behind, Overbought Awaits for Stocks – Above the 40 (December 20, 2019)

AT40 (T2108) finally broke out of an extended 2-month trading range and looks ready to challenge the overbought threshold.

AT40 = 65.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 59.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (just under high for 2019 of 60.2%)VIX = 12.5Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The bearish divergence finally ended between a range-bound AT40 (T2108) and an S&P 500 (SPY) steadily … Read more

Stock Market Rides Out A Trade War Anti-Climax – Above the 40 (December 13, 2019)

AT40 = 56.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 55.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary It appears China and the U.S. finally agreed on a Partial, Phase One Trade Deal. The bare bones basics on the deal consist … Read more

Home Builders Withdraw As the Stock Market Celebrates

Since November, the performance of the iShares US Home Construction Index Fund ETF (ITB) has lagged that of the S&P 500 (SPY)

The seasonally strong period for home builders begins in November. For this period, home builders tend to outperform the S&P 500 (SPY) which is also in its own period of seasonal strength. So far, home builders have lagged significantly in what I continue to call the moment of truth for home builders. Since November, the … Read more

A Book-Ends Kind of Week for Stocks (Above the 40) – December 6, 2019

AT40 = 59.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 56.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 13.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary Looking for buying opportunities paid off. A week that started with selling into trade troubles ended with the celebration of an exceptionally strong … Read more

LGI Homes Revives Home Builders With Strong Closings Report

LGI Homes (LGIH) looks like it finally bottomed out of a post-earnings pullback and consolidation near and around 200DMA support.

During its earnings call, LGI Homes (LGIH) projected strong performance ahead. The company’s December home closings report delivered. LGI Homes closed 748 homes last month. The 49.6% year-over-year growth contributed to an 18.0% year-over-year overall growth rate in home closings for the first eleven months of 2019. The stock market responded positively by sending LGIH … Read more

Housing Market Review (November, 2019) – Home Builders Still Knocking at the Moment of Truth

Housing Market Intro/Summary When I wrote the Housing Market Review for October, the stocks of home builders were failing their moment of truth. The iShares US Home Construction (ITB) soon rebounded, including a near picture-perfect test of support at its 50-day moving average (DMA). Last week, ITB actually printed a fresh 21-month high before pulling back. … Read more

A More Speculative Turn in the Stock Market – Above the 40 (November 25, 2019)

The Invesco S&P 500 High Beta ETF (SPHB) broke out to a near 14-month high.

AT40 = 58.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 55.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 11.9Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary If “cautiously neutral” made sense, I would make that description my short-term trading call. Last week’s trading action motivated me to observe that … Read more