The Relationship Between Recessions and Housing Starts

The latest airing of Marketplace included a segment titled “Making sense of housing market data.” The segment explained the five key housing data points that Marketplace uses to gauge the health of the housing market: housing starts, new home sales, existing home sales, pending home sales, and the Case-Shiller Home Price Index. In my monthly … Read more

Above the 40 (March 1, 2019) – A Small Nick in the Ever-Lengthening Overbought Period

AT40 = 76.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (25th overbought day)AT200 = 45.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 13.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The trading action on the major indices is practically a broken record. An extended overbought rally just grows older and … Read more

Above the 40 (February 27, 2019) – A Lingering Waiting Game As Overbought Period Reaches Important Threshold

AT40 = 80.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (23rd overbought day)AT200 = 45.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 14.7Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary And still the waiting game rolls along. News on the US-China trade front generated some excitement to start the week, … Read more

Above the 40 (February 22, 2019) – An Extended Overbought Rally Slowly Grinding Resistance Away

AT40 = 85.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (20th overbought day)AT200 = 47.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (4-month high which reverses the October, 2018 breakdown)VIX = 13.5Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The waiting game continues within a bullish cloak. An extended overbought rally … Read more

Housing Market Review (January, 2019) – A Pause In Deteriorating Data Long Enough to Rally Home Builders

Housing Market Intro/Summary The housing data were late and incomplete at the time of original publishing due to the previous U.S. government shutdown. The last update came with the new home sales data published on March 5, 2019. I look forward to everything getting back in sync! The lagging data have not discouraged investors from … Read more

Redfin Lowers Its Red Flag Warning On the Housing Market

Leading Signs of Housing Troubles I now look forward to the earnings calls from Redfin (RDFN). The company’s management provides direct and timely information on the health of the housing market. Recall that it was Redfin in mid-August 2018 that sounded an early alarm on the housing market at a time when many in the … Read more

Above the 40 (February 13, 2019) – Stock Indices Linger At 200DMAs As Individual Stocks Keep Breaking Out

AT40 = 85.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (14th overbought day)AT200 = 41.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (4-month high)VIX = 15.7Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary {Note some charts were saved right before final price updates. All chart descriptions reflect the actual close} The 200-day moving … Read more

Above the 40 (February 8, 2019) – Convenient Resistance Holds Market Back But Sellers Do Little Else

AT40 = 78.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (11th overbought day)AT200 = 35.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 15.7Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary In my last Above the 40 post, I noted the “convenience” test of 200DMA resistance for major indices. The S&P 500 and … Read more

Above the 40 (February 6, 2018) – An Overbought Stock Market Conveniently Taps Resistance

AT40 = 84.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (9th overbought day)AT200 = 37.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (3-month high)VIX = 15.4Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary In my last Above the 40 post, I described the contours of this overbought market in the context of the … Read more

Above the 40 (February 1, 2019) – An Overbought Stock Market Aspires to Test 200DMA Resistance

AT40 = 83.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (6th overbought day)AT200 = 34.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (near 2-month high)VIX = 16.1Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary Starting in November or so, I developed an expectation for a January sell-off based in anticipation of earnings warnings … Read more