Materials Build On A Bearish Breakdown

This picture is exactly what I do not want to see as the stock market struggles to hold critical technical supports: a major index of economically-sensitive stocks confirming a breakdown of support at its 200-day moving average (DMA). The Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) lost 1.3% on a day when the S&P 500 (SPY) … Read more

Above the 40 (March 26, 2018) – Buyers Buoy the Stock Market

AT40 = 35.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (jumped from 25.6%) AT200 = 43.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (up from 2-year closing low at 37.5%) VIX = 21.0 Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary This is truly a market that is from another planet. In my … Read more

Financially Vulnerable: A Critical Test for Financial Stocks

This week, I blithely accumulated call options on Goldman Sachs (GS) ahead of and after the Federal Reserve’s latest declaration on monetary policy. I assumed that the Fed’s calming influence would remind market participants that the economy is fine and the prospects are good. Under that scenario financial stocks would do well as long-term interest … Read more

Above the 40 (March 19, 2018) – A Sharp Edge Cuts A Churning Stock Market

AT40 = 42.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (traded as low as 37.6%) AT200 = 47.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 19.0 (traded as high as 21.9) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary In my last Above the 40 post, I described how the stock … Read more