The S&P 500 Erases Its Post-Quake Losses Amid Worsening Headlines and Technical Resistance

The stock market is officially tired of worrying about the latest crises around the globe. On Friday, the S&P 500 essentially recovered all of its post-quake losses. The last three days of buying featured low volume (no news there), but the index was still able to hurtle over the presumed resistance at the 50-day moving … Read more

No Watershed Quite Yet for Solar Stocks

Last week, I suggested that the nuclear power crisis in Japan could usher in a watershed moment for solar energy and its constituent stocks. For all of two days, most solar stocks soared. For example, First Solar (FSLR) gained 14%. However, March 15th marked a sort of peak in the market’s concern over Japan’s nuclear … Read more

Following the Charts Instead of the Bad News: Some Lessons from the Past Two Weeks

One of the many interesting features of the stock market since it broke down on March 10th is that the news has often been a distraction to underlying developments in the market. Following the charts has been relatively more effective than following the news in creating a (short-term) trading strategy. T2108, the percentage of stocks … Read more

Chart Review: From Promise to Letdown – Finisar, JDSU, F5 Networks

A week ago I used F5 Networks (FFIV) as a model to suggest that Finisar (FNSR) and JDS Uniphase (JDSU) showed some promise to bounce from critical support levels. I drew out the specific price points at which buys made sense and included some stops. The promise quickly led to a letdown as both FNSR … Read more

The Yen and Franc Break the Dollar’s Back – Can the BoJ Save It?

NOW things get even more interesting for the U.S. dollar. In dramatic fashion, a tremendous surge in buying in the Swiss franc and the Japanese yen shortly after the close of the U.S. market on Wednesday set the dollar hurtling through its long-term support line. This break was long in the making and something I … Read more