New Display of Strength Dares Fed’s Hawkishness – The Market Breadth

display of strength (Credit: Boston Library on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: On a weekly basis, the stock market seems to flip its abiding theme. One week after I accused the stock market of sleepwalking, buyers roused the major indices out of their slumber with a new and sudden display of strength. A 13.9% post-earnings surge from Meta Platforms, Inc (META) seemed to set … Read more

Can A Market Be Both Complacent and Oversold? – The Market Breadth

complacent and oversold (Credit: sonstroem on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: Yes. The stock market can be both complacent and oversold. A week ago I described how stocks left regional banks behind. Last week, the overall market took comfort in the on-going, yet narrowing, strength in big cap tech stocks even as industrials and other economically sensitive stocks stumbled into weakness. The resulting … Read more

A Second Chance for the Path of Least Resistance – The Market Breadth

second chance (Credit: Escape from the light by Stig Nygaard from Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: Revisions to the report on GDP (gross domestic product) typically do not generate reactions in the financial markets, especially the third revision. So I completely look past the third revision to Q3 GDP when I concluded the path of least resistance offered a reprieve. The revision revealed economic conditions were even better … Read more

Santa Rally Denied: The Fed Stays Naughty – The Market Breadth

fed stays naughty (Credit: you're a mean one, mr. grinch... by Wicked Little Cake Company on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: A week ago, I cautioned that “the tenuous positioning is further weakened by a breakout of volatility and significant deterioration in the market breadth indicators.” The November CPI report showed the slightest surprise possible and faked out the stock market on the way to another hawkish statement from the Federal Reserve on … Read more

Another Bearish Failure At Overbought Levels – The Market Breadth

failure (credit: Good example of Crossfit Weight lifting - In Crossfit Always lift until you reach the point of Failure or you tear something by CrossfitPaleoDietFitnessClasses from Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: The people of China have now suffered three years of various draconian lockdowns meant to contain the spread of COVID-19. The latest lockdowns remind a suffering populace that there remains no end in sight for this extended kind of public health authoritarianism. Apparently, the frustrations are boiling over enough to motivate people … Read more