Above the 40 (November 3, 2017) – Strong Market Indices Still Fail to Move the Needle

AT40 = 52.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 55.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.1 (a new all-time low!) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary A week ago, I complained that AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their 40-day moving … Read more

Home Builders Buckle Under Tax Reform – Reviewing the Damage

In my last review of the housing market, I ran out of time to comment on an emphatic statement from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) regarding its failure to influence the Republican plan for tax reform. The tax plan coming out of the GOP side of the House of Representatives includes a provision … Read more

Above the 40 (October 25, 2017) – The S&P 500 Wavers Its Way Into A Close Call

AT40 = 57.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 56.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.2 (was as high as 13.2) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary It took three days for the volatility faders to show up again. Nerves in volatility trading … Read more

Forex Critical: The U.S. Dollar Vs. Mexican Peso Soars To An Important Level

Against the U.S. dollar, the Mexican peso, USD/MXN, has left its 15-month low in the dust. For the past month, USD/MXN has neatly followed its upper-Bollinger Bands (BBs) straight through a bullish confirmation of a 50DMA breakout and then a bullish breakout above its 200-day moving average (DMA). Source: FreeStockCharts.com Most importantly, USD/MXN has now … Read more

Ulta Beauty Gets Ultra Ugly

I first wrote about Ulta Beauty (ULTA) in early September, 2016 after it confirmed a bearish breakdown from support at its 50-day moving average (DMA). I never traded the stock and missed the entire recovery and 31% gain to the last peak and all-time high in early June, 2017. It took another bearish breakdown for … Read more

Above the 40 (October 6, 2017) – Stock Market Lift-Off

AT40 = 73.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) – overbought day #7 AT200 = 59.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.7 Short-term Trading Call: bullish Commentary This is what a lift-off for an extended overbought rally looks like. The S&P 500 (SPY) followed its … Read more

Housing Market Review – A Growing Rift Between the Data and the Stocks (September, 2017)

The last Housing Market Review covered data reported in August, 2017 for July, 2017. At the time, I described a change in tone that made me wary and even got me anticipating a larger pullback. The iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) was struggling below its 50-day moving average (DMA) since a 2-month period starting … Read more

Above the 40 (September 22, 2017) – Apple Falls from the Tree, the Stock Market Bends Without Breaking

AT40 = 63.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 54.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.6 Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary The stock market stubbornly held onto its bullish positioning despite the tumble of one of its biggest stalwarts: Apple (AAPL). AAPL … Read more

The British Pound and Carney Are Deja Vu All Over Again

“There’s already great speculation about the exact timing of the first rate hike and this decision is becoming more balanced. It could happen sooner than markets currently expect… …The need for internal balance – to use up wasteful spare capacity while achieving the inflation target – will likely require gradual and limited interest rate increases … Read more