A Triple Whammy Against the Canadian Dollar Spells Opportunity

triple whammy (Credit: peet-astn on Flickr https://flic.kr/p/2mHZyy5)

After Canada experienced a hot inflation print for the month of August (the Consumer Price Index (CPI)), I aggressively declared the Canadian dollar a buy, long Invesco CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust (FXC) and short USD/CAD. I ignored the technicals of support at an upward sloping 50-day moving average (DMA) (the red line below) on USD/CAD … Read more

A Stalemate Locks In the Pricing Action – The Market Breadth

stalemate (Credit: stalemate by ALEXMOFFAT1 on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary Last week was a time to avoid staring too hard at the day-to-day pricing action. The major indices were pretty much locked into a stalemate. Two breakouts were followed by two breakdowns. From a wider perspective, a stalemate has effectively been in place since mid-August. Despite my expectations, last month’s Jackson hole … Read more

The Summer of Loving Stocks Loses July’s Gains – The Market Breadth

loses Julys gains (Credit: Lost puppy at window by Martin Cooper on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary The summer of stocks looks like it is winding down as trading dynamics transition into the stock market’s most dangerous months. The complete reversal of July’s gains on the major indices represents the most ominous sign of the transition. Technology stocks in particular have flipped from rocketships to anchors weighing on the … Read more

Bulls Fail Again at the Overbought Threshold – The Market Breadth

overbought threshold (Credit: Frustration by Leo Laporte on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary The summer of loving stocks is staring down its second major test just two weeks after its first major test. Like the first test, the latest test is happening in the wake of the stock market’s failure to break through the overbought threshold on market breadth. Unlike the first test, the important … Read more

Is An Overbought Rally the Next Frontier for Bulls? – The Market Breadth

frontier (Credit: Angry Bull - Creative Commons 2009 high resolution by zoutedrop on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: Last week started strong with Goldman Sachs (GS). Analysts there looked beyond the coming Federal Reserve meeting and hiked their year-end price target for the S&P 500 to 4500. The index quickly moved half the remaining distance and opened the door for more price chasing by analysts before 2023 hits the halfway … Read more

A Bear Market Swan Song for the NASDAQ? – The Market Breadth

swan song (Credit: The Song of the Swan 2 by David Hoffman '41)

Stock Market Commentary: Flying on the wings of an AI (artificial intelligence) gold rush, the NASDAQ may have delivered the swan song for its bear market. The latest rush of buying, sent the NASDAQ above its bear market line for the first time since last August. The path to this breakthrough was fraught with yet … Read more

Stocks Wake Up With Key Breakouts – The Market Breadth

wake up with breakouts (Credit: My cat's waking up by jestersgrin on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: What was quiet in the prior week is now loud and clear. Led by the NASDAQ, the stock market is in breakout mode. While market breadth is not quite endorsing the move, key breakouts are showing up in the indices and individual stocks. The inability of sellers to take advantage of bad … Read more

The NASDAQ Quietly Tries to Wake Up A Sleepy Market – The Market Breadth

sleepy market (Credit: Stretch Cat by RafeB on Flickr)

Stock Market Commentary: The U.S.’s looming debt ceiling crisis is a manufactured emergency. The whole political wrangling could end in an instant with a very simple decision to keep budget negotiations in the budget process. Thus, the stock market’s relative calm about the political stalemate does not surprise me. Moreover, who are the motivated sellers … Read more

Apple Drags A Mixed-Up Market Higher – The Market Breadth

apple drags (Credit: astronomy_blog on Flickr)

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

Stocks Leave Regional Banks Behind – The Market Breadth

leave regional banks behind (Credit lisa nolan on Flickr)

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