Suddenly, the VIX Looks Like It Matters Again – The Market Breadth

surprise (Credit: Surprise!!! 4/365 by Benson Kua from Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary While I watch the tense trading unfold in NVDA, the VIX, the volatility index, has suddenly returned to my radar as an indicator of interest. Thursday’s stock market setback came with a surging VIX that closed at a new high of the year. The regular programming of the volatility faders actually failed … Read more

Market Breadth Ends Q1 with An Important Breakout – The Market Breadth

Market Breadth Ends Q1 with An Important Breakout - The Market Breadth (Credit: I Get Up and Nothing Gets Me Down! JUMP!, by Guian Bolisay https://www.flickr.com/photos/44312356@N04/6187257947)

Stock Market Commentary The stock market put an exclamation point on the end of the previous week’s statement performance. Market breadth made an important breakout to a 2-month high and almost looks ready to return to overbought conditions. Such a milestone would finally align my favorite technical indicator with the relentless strength in the stock … Read more

A Statement Week for Stocks – The Market Breadth

statement week for the stock market - the market breadth (Credit: Steampunk Fashion Statement by cobalt123 on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/66606673@N00/4668035266)

Stock Market Commentary Stocks quickly invalidated the latest topping signals and recorded a statement week. This regular routine was further boosted by a Federal Reserve that dished out stronger forecasts for the economy and inflation and yet, much to my bemusement, “promised” the stock market three rate cuts are still likely ahead for the year. … Read more

Is the Latest Topping Pattern Another Tease for the Bears? – The Market Breadth

Is the Latest Topping Pattern Another Tease for the Bears - The Market Breadth

Stock Market Commentary Is another tease for the bears underway? The current bullish rally has included so many temporary bearish signals that I had to stop using baseball metaphors to call strikes. Now, the latest bearish signal looks like the most ominous yet. In the wake of February’s job report, price action delivered a wicked … Read more

The Magic of All-Time Highs – The Market Breadth

The Magic of All-Time Highs - The Market Breadth

Stock Market Commentary Last week delivered the magic of all-time highs. Another all-time high for the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ’s entry into the all-time high club provided a benign feel to the stock market. Financial markets even look like a safe haven from all the turmoil and trouble in the world. Investors and traders … Read more

All Hail NVIDIA and A New Market Call – The Market Breadth

All Hail NVIDIA

Stock Market Commentary There is a deepening irony in my on-going bearishness on the stock market. The sector most visibly responsible for the anti-bearish animal spirits leaning against poor market breadth is the same sector I remain unapologetically bullish about: Artificial Intelligence (AI). The ironic contrast was in full display last week as the bullish … Read more

More Red Flags After the Stock Market Moves in Chunks – The Market Breadth

More Red Flags After the Stock Market Moves in Chunks

Stock Market Commentary I hate to be one of THOSE bears, but this current wild stock market has turned me into the classic broken record of bearishness. Last week’s red flags consisted of mind-boggling price changes in certain stocks both up and down. Stocks should not move in big chunks at a time, sometimes for … Read more

A BE READY Kind of Day in the Stock Market – The Market Breadth

A Be Ready Kind of Day in the Stock Market

Stock Market Commentary Right after the stock market tempted me to flip from bearish to neutral, January’s CPI (consumer price index) turned brought the bears rushing back to the scene. Inflation’s fizzle turned to sizzle, and the technical picture of the stock market almost flipped on its head. The charts say it all – the … Read more

Bullish Truths Invite Small Cap Stocks to the Party – The Market Breadth

Bullish Truths Invite Small Cap Stocks to the Party

Stock Market Commentary Last week repeated a familiar story. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ closed up for the week. Since the October lows, each index has only suffered one down week. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF was part of the party until the calendar flipped to 2024. The ETF of small caps lost altitude … Read more

Has the Builder Seasonal Trade Topped Out? – Housing Market Review

Has the Builder Seasonal Trade Topped Out - Housing Market Review

Housing Market Intro and Summary In recent months, the housing market experienced several impacts from declining mortgage rates. An accelerating improvement in consumer and builder sentiment point the path toward a strong spring selling season despite on-going issues of affordability and inventory availability (in the existing home market). While housing starts pulled back from November’s … Read more