ONE-TWENTY TWO: Trading Financial Markets
Exploring the poetry in financial markets for students of money and economy since the year 2000.
Stock Market Commentary: In the previous week, the stock market put on a display of strength ahead of the Federal Reserve’s May decision on monetary policy. That bravado was temporarily undermined by the final blow to First Republic Bank (FRC). After a one-day pause, presumably to contemplate the implications of the lack of a coherent … Read more
Stock Market Commentary: On a weekly basis, the stock market seems to flip its abiding theme. One week after I accused the stock market of sleepwalking, buyers roused the major indices out of their slumber with a new and sudden display of strength. A 13.9% post-earnings surge from Meta Platforms, Inc (META) seemed to set … Read more
Stock Market Commentary: The no worries stock market is sleepwalking its way through April. The major indices are stuck in tight ranges near or at key technical resistance and support levels. Yet, market breadth remains relatively low as many of the big market leaders hold up the tent. Meandering economic data induces some of this … Read more
Stock Market Commentary: Just a week ago, the stock market was teasing oversold conditions. The lingering memories of the Panic of 2023 seemed likely to push the market deeper into oversold territory before sellers exhausted themselves into a market rebound. Buyers decided not to wait. A broad-based buying spree conspired to leave regional banks behind … Read more
Housing Market Intro and Summary Real estate is local. Regional banks often sit at the heart of local communities. So it seems odd writing about the relative strength in the housing market in the wake of the Panic of 2023 that featured the historic collapse of two regional banks, Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB) and Signature … Read more
Stock Market Commentary: The Federal Reserve was an anti-climactic headliner last week. The Fed proceeded with a 25 basis points rate hike couched in words that suggested that inflation remained the Fed’s biggest concern. In the Q&A portion of the press conference, Chair Jerome Powell essentially downgraded the Panic of 2023 to the Speed Bump … Read more
Stock Market Commentary: The Feds delivered on Sunday as Janet Yellen promised. The FDIC, the Treasury, and the Federal Reserve joined forces to offer emergency financial backing and reassurances for the banking system, a kind of “Project Calm” to project calm. The Federal Reserve even came up with a new acronym that looks like a … Read more
Housing Market Intro and Summary In my last Housing Market Review, I described a housing market that shows signs of stabilization. That stabilization continues despite a strong rebound in mortgage rates. Mortgage rates now look like a renewed risk to the housing market. However, the uptrend in most of the stocks of home builders are … Read more
Stock Market Commentary: Put all the headlines aside. Last week was all about the technicals. Picture-perfect support unfolded for the major indices and stopped bearish momentum dead in its tracks. Suddenly, the stock market went from the verge of confirming a short-term top from early February to looking ready to make a run at challenging … Read more
Stock Market Commentary: This stock market is one bullish bear market. A bear market perhaps cannot get more bullish than the current market. Since the October lows, the various indices have shown a general upside bias. As much time that I have spent the last several weeks looking for excuses to get bearish, the market … Read more