Above the 40 (March 26, 2018) – Buyers Buoy the Stock Market

AT40 = 35.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (jumped from 25.6%) AT200 = 43.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (up from 2-year closing low at 37.5%) VIX = 21.0 Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary This is truly a market that is from another planet. In my … Read more

Above the 40 (March 23, 2018) – A Stock Market From Another Planet: Yet Another Oversold Test Looms

AT40 = 25.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 37.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (2-year closing low) VIX = 24.9 Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary On Friday, President Trump characterized the pre-Trump stock market as something “from another planet.” Surely he meant the last … Read more

Financially Vulnerable: A Critical Test for Financial Stocks

This week, I blithely accumulated call options on Goldman Sachs (GS) ahead of and after the Federal Reserve’s latest declaration on monetary policy. I assumed that the Fed’s calming influence would remind market participants that the economy is fine and the prospects are good. Under that scenario financial stocks would do well as long-term interest … Read more

Above the 40 (March 2, 2018) – Trump Pulls the Trade War Tripwire

AT40 = 27.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 44.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 19.6 Short-term Trading Call: neutral (caveats below!) Commentary President Trump has been talking about taking unilateral trade actions since he was campaigning in 2016. The rhetoric heated up … Read more

Above the 40 (February 13, 2018) – Oversold Conditions End In the Face Of A Critical Test

AT40 = 20.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (ends 3-day oversold period) AT200 = 44.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 25.0 (smallest range since February 1, 2018) Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary It was a reluctant push, but AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks … Read more