Market Rally Narrows Into the Specter of A Bearish Divergence – Above the 40 (October 28, 2019)

AT40 = 59.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 53.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 13.1Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary A Sufficient Resolution Seems about right. Just as I switch from a (cautiously) bearish stance to neutral, the stock market throws more definitively … Read more

A Narrowing Rally and A Sentiment Shift Define the Stock Market – Above the 40 (October 25, 2019)

AT40 = 59.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 53.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.7Short-term Trading Call: neutral (see below) Stock Market Commentary A Sufficient Resolution I still harbor lingering skepticism, but the S&P 500’s recovery from the last hiccup and its subsequent slow … Read more

Lennar Earnings Q3 2019: Benefits of Serving the Entry-Level Market

Overall Assessment I am bullish on Lennar (LEN). The company’s Q3 2019 earnings report featured the effects of an on-going pivot to serve the entry-level market and to deliver lower-priced homes. Average selling prices came down, but deliveries, orders, revenues, and margins all improved. A “land light” strategy is helping Lennar increase its cash coffers … Read more

Home Builder Seasonal Trade Begins 3.5% Away From Major Reversal

On January 22, 2018, the iShares Dow Jones Home Construction ETF (ITB) closed at $46.25, a more than 10-year high. In just two and a half weeks, ITB lost 15.0% and did not bottom until the Christmas Eve market bottom at $28.55. Almost 10 months later, investors have almost reversed this entire loss – just … Read more

Part Optimism, Part Skepticism from A Partial Trade Deal – Above the 40 (October 11, 2019)

AT40 = 52.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 48.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 15.6Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bearish Stock Market Commentary A Broad-Based Re-Entry Two Fridays ago, buyers took the S&P 500 (SPY) back above its 50-day moving average (DMA). It was yet … Read more

Housing Market Review (September, 2019) – The Market Data Join the Rally In Home Builder Stocks

Housing Market Intro/Summary In my last Housing Market Review, I finally conceded to a sustained rally in the stocks of home builders. I noted how this stubborn rally moved counter to unimpressive data. In September, several data points finally came together to support the strong sentiment in financial markets. Low interest rates dominate the story … Read more

New Pressures for the Stock Market Despite Fade in Concerning Signals – Above the 40 (September 27, 2019)

AT40 = 61.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 52.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 17.2Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bearish (caveats below) Stock Market Commentary A Conditionally Bearish Breakdown Friday’s trading action triggered my prime condition for flipping bearish. AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks … Read more

The Stock Market Fights Through Concerning Signals – Above the 40 (September 25, 2019)

AT40 = 68.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 55.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 16.0Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary One More Risk to Ignore An impeachment inquiry, an “admission”, and fresh promises from President Trump about getting a trade deal done with … Read more

A Stock Market Pivot Around Overbought As Indices Fail At Highs – Above the 40 (September 20, 2019)

AT40 = 69.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 56.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (13-month high)VIX = 15.3Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary A Broken Record Last week had some big moments. Looking back, the week looks like a broken record. The Federal Reserve … Read more

Heavy Insider Selling Muddles the Message In Toll Brothers

While the market was going wild buying call options in Toll Brothers (TOL), insiders were selling large quantities of shares. SEC filings reveal almost $2.8M in share sales. Here is a summary with emphasis on the CEO and President (note I mainly care about the sales transactions of C-level executives and SVPs and not board … Read more