Economic Reality: Unemployment and the Federal Reserve Balance Sheet

In early July, I rolled out an “economic reality” index to provide a sober summary of the economic trials and tribulations facing millions of Americans even as those of us with trades and investments in the stock market enjoy the largesse of monetary and fiscal stimulus. I am now putting the chart comparing continuing claims … Read more

Stock Market Risk and Reward from Rising VIX and End of Overbought Period

AT40 (T2108) closed at 68.7% and once again dropped out of overbought trading conditions.

The financial markets have presented numerous extremes during the coronavirus pandemic. I rely on the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs), aka AT40 (T2108), as a measure of oversold (below 20%) and overbought (above 70%) extremes in the stock market. In just three months, the stock market went from printing … Read more

How to Protect Gains After Surviving A Stock Market Sell-Off

The stock market crash in March was stomach-churning and generated a lot of panic. At its lowest point, the S&P 500 (SPY) was down 33.9% from its all-time high set just the previous month. The rebound from that stock market sell-off has been heroic with a 32.1% gain taking the index within another 14.6% rally … Read more

Tesla: A Great Time for A Bollinger Band Squeeze

Tesla (TSLA) ended the week with a 5.1% gain as it coils in the middle of a growing Bollinger Band (BB) squeeze.

Technically Speaking “…the most technical trade in almost any instrument has got to be Telsa stock….Investors love the company…there are some long-term and substantial holders…who are not inclined to sell…” – Michael Khouw, CNBC, May 8, 2020 The technicals are the main way I have come to understand and appreciate Tesla (TSLA). Once again, the … Read more

Stock Market Lessons from Cramer In Turmoil

As I scrambled to write my update on a “suddenly oversold” market stock market, I listened to Jim Cramer’s Mad Money. Cramer is naturally entertaining, and I particularly like hearing his take at key market moments like these. On Tuesday, February 25th, Cramer was firmly in the bearish camp on his Mad Money show. He … Read more

Above the 40 (November 7, 2018) – Exclamation Points for the End of Oversold Trading Conditions

AT40 = 40.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 37.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 16.4 Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary Financial markets made their votes very clear after the U.S. 2018 midterm election. via GIPHY Apparently, today’s rally in the S&P 500 … Read more

How to Get Free Stock (An Offer from Robinhood)

{Updated on July 4, 2020 with a new offer link!} Robinhood – the easy-to-use, zero-commission trading platform popular with Millennials and stock market beginners – went from a valuation of $1.3B in March, 2017 to $5.6B in May, 2018 partially thanks to a major funding round that brought another $363M to the company’s coffers. Robinhood … Read more

Eyeing the Stock Market Disconnect As Optimism Keeps Blocking Bears

Nice Save Bears have taken numerous shots yet the bulls have consistently blocked them all. The S&P 500 (SPY) is barely off its all-time highs and has survived all number of setbacks. These setbacks seem to get more and more shallow. Monday, April 3rd, 2017 delivered another classic example. The morning began with very convincing … Read more

A Stock Market Positioned to Win A Battle of Sentiments: Taxation Versus Economic Optimism

On August 20, 2015, I wrote “A Broad and Bearish Breakdown for the Stock Market” that described a converging set of indicators which flagged short-term bearish conditions in the stock market. The post happened to precede the August, 2015 flash crash by two trading days. It was one of those moments when the technicals worked … Read more

Contradictions Embedded In the Calmest Market in 75 Years

On Monday, August 15, 2016, Nightly Business Report (NBR) started its daily broadcast by noting another triple of all-time highs across the major indices – the S&P 500 (SPY), the NASDAQ (QQQ), and the Dow Jones Industrials (DIA). From there, NBR marveled at what it called the calmest market in 75 years. The reporting was … Read more