Above the 40 (October 23, 2018) – A Classic Oversold Bounce Leaves Behind Critical Breakdowns

AT40 = 13.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) – 5th day of oversold period following 4-day oversold period (as low as 10.6%) AT200 = 30.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (as low as 26.7%) VIX = 20.7 (as high as 24.7) Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary … Read more

Above the 40 (October 19, 2018) – Swirling Signals from 200DMA Drama And Bearish Breakdowns

AT40 = 16.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) – 3rd day of oversold period following 4-day oversold period AT200 = 33.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 19.9 Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary Friday was a day with a head-spinning mix of reassuring and ominous … Read more

Above the 40 (October 12, 2018) – Confidence and A Conditional Reprieve Amid Oversold Lows

AT40 = 11.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (hit an intraday low of 9.4%, oversold day #3) AT200 = 32.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (intraday low of 30.0%) VIX = 21.3 (a decrease of 14.7%) Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary AT40 (T2108), the percentage of … Read more

Above the 40 (October 10, 2018) – The Stock Market Cascades Down to Oversold Territory

AT40 = 16.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (a drop of 14.2 percentage points to an 8-month low and the first day of an oversold period) AT200 = 38.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (a drop of 7.6 percentage points to a 6-month low) VIX = … Read more

Housing Market Review (September, 2018) – Data Weigh Heavy On A Breakdown for Home Builders

I saw a flicker of hope for home builders in the May Housing Market Review. Traders decided to snuff that flicker out very quickly afterward. When I wrote June’s housing market review and described a “struggling flicker,” the iShares US Home Construction ETF (ITB) was once again bouncing off the bottom of 2018’s trading range. … Read more

Above the 40 (October 4, 2018) – Extremes Prime Prospects for Market Bounce But Oversold Conditions Loom

AT40 = 33.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (was as low 31.9%) AT200 = 47.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 14.0 (was as high as 15.8) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The S&P 500 is only 1.0% off its all-time high, yet extremes and … Read more

Book Value Home Builders Belie The Stock Market’s Stellar Q3

The S&P 500 (SPY) printed its best quarter since the fourth quarter of 2013. While the index gained 7.2% for the third quarter of 2018, home builders went in the exact opposite direction. The iShares US Home Construction ETF (ITB) tumbled 7.4% for Q3 and is now down a whopping 20.9% year-to-date. The selling accelerated … Read more

Above the 40 (September 21, 2018) – A Suspect Breakout for the S&P 500

AT40 = 52.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 56.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.8 Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The stock market is not quite out the (short-term) woods yet. Last Wednesday I pointed out why the latest bearish divergence forced … 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 (September 7, 2018) – A Shaky and Stretched Stock Market Redux

AT40 = 48.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 53.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 14.9 Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary Almost a month ago, the stock market was in a similar technical position to the one it is in now. At … Read more