Forex Critical: South African Rand Breaks Its U.S. Dollar Flag

With a Partial Phase One Trade Deal apparently at hand between the U.S. and China, emerging markets look more interesting than ever. I am scouring the charts for entry points in related currency pairs. The South African rand looks particularly interesting. Against the U.S. dollar, the rand (USD/ZAR) created a double top from September, 2018 … Read more

Stock Market Rides Out A Trade War Anti-Climax – Above the 40 (December 13, 2019)

AT40 = 56.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 55.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary It appears China and the U.S. finally agreed on a Partial, Phase One Trade Deal. The bare bones basics on the deal consist … Read more

Nike Kicks Into High Gear Relative to Amazon.com

In early November, I wrote about Nike (NKE) ending its partnership with Amazon.com (AMZN) in a post titled “Nike Kicks Amazon.com Into Bearish Territory.” I gave the bullish case for NKE, a bearish case for AMZN, and a wildcard case for the “innocent” bystander Footlocker (FL). Here is an update on what happened in the … Read more

Above the 40 (December 3, 2019) – A Quick U-Turn for Speculation in the Stock Market

AT40 = 48.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 50.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 16.0 (up 7.0% and went as high as 18.0)Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary It was fun for the short time it lasted. The speculative turn in the stock … Read more

Disney Plussed

Disney (DIS) is pulling back sharply from its 1-day surge on the heels of subscriber numbers for Disney +

From Underwhelmed to Overwhelmed Disney (DIS) finally officially jumped into the streaming wars with its introduction of Disney +. The service launched on November 12, 2019 with a press release announcing: ” Disney+, the highly anticipated streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, launched today in the U.S., Canada, and The Netherlands. With nearly 500 … Read more

Nike Kicks Amazon.com Into Bearish Territory

Amazon.com (AMZN) lost 1.4% on a drop below its 50DMA on the way toward a reversal of the post-earnings recovery.

A Failed Pilot “…with a direct partnership, Nike will be able to ‘elevate the way the brand is presented’ by gaining more control over how its products are marketed on the site…” Former Nike CEO Mark Parker quoted in CNN Business (June 29, 2017) In 2017, the Nike (NKE) pilot with Amazon.com (AMZN) held a … Read more

Housing Market Review (October, 2019) – Home Builders Wavering At the Edge of the Moment of Truth

Housing Market Intro/Summary The stocks of home builders are starting to fail their moment of truth. A Moment of Truth Looming Ever Larger On October 25th, the iShares Dow Jones Home Construction ETF (ITB) hit a 21-month high that coincided exactly with a major multi-year peak and post-recession high from January, 2018. The sellers showed … Read more

A Moment of Truth for Stocks of Homebuilders

The iShares Dow Jones Home Construction ETF (ITB) has backed off from 21-month highs.

This is a moment of truth for the stocks of homebuilders. The iShares Dow Jones Home Construction ETF (ITB) last week hit a 21-month high that exactly coincided with a climactic high in January, 2018. The subsequent selling this week seemed to unfold like clockwork. The selling was particularly notable given the S&P 500 (SPY) … 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

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