A Growing Bearish Divergence Has Yet to Spoil Rally In Stock Indices – Above the 40 (November 8, 2019)

AT40 = 57.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 54.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.1Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The stock market seems to be on a slow and steady march toward Christmas. The current bearish divergence and an exceptionally low volatility … 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

Still No (Trade War) Resolution In the Stock Market – Above the 40 (October 18, 2019)

AT40 = 56.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 49.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 14.3Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bearish Stock Market Commentary No Resolution The stock market did little to resolve my lingering skepticism over the meaningfulness of the “Phase One” or partial Trade … Read more

Buyers Quickly Shut the Window Of Opportunity for Stock Market Bears – Above the 40 (October 4, 2019)

AT40 = 48.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 47.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 17.0Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bearish Stock Market Commentary A Broad-Based Re-Entry The bull market remains very much alive. When AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day … Read more

Stock Market Slams Into October’s Average Drawdown In Two Days Flat – Above the 40 (October 2, 2019)

The S&P 500 (SPY) confirmed its 50DMA breakdown with a 1.8% loss, but also closed well below its lower Bollinger Band.

AT40 = 39.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (intraday low at 34.5%)AT200 = 45.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 20.6Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bearish (caveats below) Stock Market Commentary A Broad-Based Exit The selling today was so broad that even Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility … 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

Surging Oil Helps Nudge the Stock Market Into Overbought Conditions – Above the 40 (September 16, 2019)

The United States Oil Fund (USO) soared to a near 4-month high in the wake of a drone strike on Saudi oil facilities.

AT40 = 70.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (Day #1 overbought)AT200 = 59.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (13-month high)VIX = 14.7Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary Oil Soars When I wrote my last Above the 40 post, I knew about the drone strike on … Read more

A Home Depot and Lowe’s Companies Mismatch for the Holidays

Home Depot (HD) is on a relatively reliable uptrend of higher highs and higher lows on the way to all-time highs.

Valuation Gap Lowe’s Companies (LOW) gets a bad rap relative to Home Depot (HD) for being the weaker operator for the home improvement and do-it-yourself (DIY) crowd. Investors are willing to pay a trailing 36 P/E, forward 17 P/E, 1.2 price/sales, and 33.5 price/book for LOW. Investors are willing to pay a trailing 23 P/E, … Read more

Small Caps Answer the Call: Overbought Trading Conditions Now Approach – Above the 40 (September 10, 2019)

The iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund ETF (IWM) has surged through 200 and 50DMA resistance in a high-volume breakout move.

AT40 = 62.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 55.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (finished reversing all of August’s decline)VIX = 15.2Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary Role reversal While the S&P 500 (SPY) and the NASDAQ (COMPQX) continue to fail at confirming … Read more

An Obvious Stock Market Breakout Leaves Open Questions – Above the 40 (September 6, 2019)

AT40 = 49.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 48.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 15.0Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary One Obvious Pattern to Another The S&P 500 (SPY) and the NASDAQ (COMPQX) transitioned from an obvious trading range to an obvious … Read more