The Bulls Converge on the December CPI Report – The Market Breadth

bulls converge (Credit: Bulls by Creative Ignition from Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: After celebrating slightly weak economic data last Friday, stock market buyers and bulls have trained their eyes on the December CPI (Consumer Price Index) report. The bullish trading action for the last two days suggests market participants are expecting weaker than expected inflation data. In turn, such a report would strengthen hopes … Read more

Soft Economic News Sparks Late New Year’s Cheer – The Market Breadth

new years cheer (Credit: Happy New Year! Cheers! by włodi from Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: It took a mixed jobs report and soft economic data to spark late New Year’s cheer in the stock market. The December jobs report refreshed the message of a strong labor market whose unemployment rate has stayed between 3.5% and 3.7% the entire time the Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates. Yet, … Read more

The Fed Said No in 2022 – The Market Breadth

Fed Says No (Credit: Brookings Webinar)

Stock Market Commentary: The Fed said “no” in 2022. The Fed said no to inflation, no to easy money, no to the housing market, and pointedly said no to a stock market pleading for relief from an accelerated cycle for normalizing monetary policy. Instead of the typical routine rushing to the rescue of a plunging … Read more

Rolling Crypto Crises Test the Google Trends Momentum Check

crypto crises (Credit: Bitcoin broken in half on white background by wuestenigel on Flickr)

I will remember 2022 as the year of rolling crypto crises. One disaster after another undermined confidence in the ecosystem and forced changes in the bullish narratives for crypto. Through it all, the Google Trends Momentum Check (GTMC) stepped up to the test as a technical signal for short-term bottoms in Bitcoin. These crises did … Read more

A Second Chance for the Path of Least Resistance – The Market Breadth

second chance (Credit: Escape from the light by Stig Nygaard from Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: Revisions to the report on GDP (gross domestic product) typically do not generate reactions in the financial markets, especially the third revision. So I completely look past the third revision to Q3 GDP when I concluded the path of least resistance offered a reprieve. The revision revealed economic conditions were even better … Read more