Fades and Breakdowns Contradict The Calm of the S&P 500 – Above the 40 (May 7, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary The stock market is a cauldron of contradictions and divergences. Breakdowns below key support levels abound. Stocks suffer post-earnings fades even after companies report strong results, especially in both beaten up growth stocks and resilient big cap tech. Yet, the S&P 500 just rises above the steady erosion of market breadth with … Read more

Stock Buyers Break Important Downtrend Only to Get Stymied Again – Above the 40 (April 30, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary Last week featured an intense barrage of earnings reports. The collective response on the major indices was a major yawn. The S&P 500 finished flat for the week. The NASDAQ and the iShares Trust Russell 2000 Index ETF both softened by 0.4%. Financials were a notable exception as the Financial Select Sector … Read more

Stock Buyers Snapped Back But Failed to Crack An Important Downtrend – Above the 40 (April 23, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary The week began with two straight days of selling for the stock market. Almost everything was in place for a real pullback. Although the S&P 500 (SPY) was less than 2% off its all-time high, my favorite measure of breadth in the stock market, AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above … Read more

As the Growth Tantrum Calms, the Stock Market Extends Bullish Signals – Above the 40 (April 1, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary All March long the stock market wrestled with inflation fears. After the S&P 500 (SPY) successfully rallied away from its 50-day moving average (DMA) (red line in the chart below) in early March, I recognized signs that the stock market’s churn was a sign of digestion of these fears. Yet, so-called growth … Read more

Music Streaming: Hard for Artists, Good for The Stocks

A month ago I mused about the business of music streaming and wondered how music artists make any money from their music. A recent episode of Marketplace provided the simple answer: the transition from buying music by the unit to paying a flat monthly fee has been unprofitable for the vast majority of music artists. … Read more