J-Pow Sprinkles Just Enough Fairy Dust on the Stock Market – The Market Breadth

Stock Market Commentary Say whatever you want, Jerome (Jay) Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, affectionately known as J-Pow, has become a master orchestrator of the stock market. Other Federal Reserve Board members peppered the airwaves with hawkish talk about tapering and inflation in the days preceding Powell’s address at this year’s Jackson Hole, … Read more

Follow-Through Trades: Another Bounce from “Oversold Enough”

The Follow-Through Intro The stock market followed a rare stumble with a broad-based rebound from “oversold enough” conditions. Stocks were generally up across the board as buyers rushed in to grab “bargains.” AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs), jumped from 37% to 46%. My favorite technical indicator … Read more

A Rare Stumble for the Stock Market As Oversold Conditions Loom – Above the 40 (June 18, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary The Federal Reserve seemed to change the rules of the game. To-date, easy money policies and stubborn dovishness in the face of rising inflation was a formula for higher asset prices, reflation and inflation-friendly trades, and even rising fears of an over-heating economy. Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell shifted the … Read more

The S&P 500 Broke Down Just As the Stock Market Hit Extremes – Above the 40 (May 12, 2021)

AT40 (T2108) plunged from 59.7% to 38.1% in 3 days for its lowest close in 6 months.

Stock Market Commentary The S&P 500 (SPY) finally broke down and succumbed to the selling pressure building up in the stock market. A “surprise” surge in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) delivered the headline catalyst for a day of broad-based selling. Given market breadth was already in the process of narrowing, … Read more

The Stock Market Continues to Digest Inflation Fears – Above the 40 (March 19, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary A great stock market divergence continued last week. However, the market overall is looking more and more resilient as it continues to digest inflation fears. Even the biggest victim of the great divergence, the NASDAQ (COMPQX), remains well above its lows for the month. A very dovish session with Federal Reserve Chair … Read more

High-Tech Stocks Break Down In Fallout from Fierce Bear-Bull Battle – Above the 40 (March 5, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary The stock market continued its streak of trickiness. Buyers and sellers played a fierce bear-bull battle starting with one of the biggest fake-out one-day rallies since last September 2nd’s near parabolic run-up. Fresh money flowed into funds to start the month of March to for gains of 2.4% on the S&P 500 … Read more

Tricky Trading Quickly Took Stocks from Strength to Weakness – Above the 40 (February 26, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary The stock market got quite tricky last week. A day after buyers re-established control, sellers returned with a sustained fury. The selling on Thursday reflected the stock market’s split personality while the follow-up selling on Friday seemed broader. The pressure on the the stock market looks like an ominous setup for March … Read more

Overbought Period Demonstrates Freshly Bullish Sentiment for Stocks – Above the 40 (January 8, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary What a week to start the year’s trading. It started with a definitively bearish end to extended overbought conditions. Overbought conditions bullishly resumed in the middle of the week despite an insurrection in Washington D.C. The week ended with a confirmation of the freshly bullish sentiment in the market. The trading action … Read more

A Close Call for Trading In the Extended Overbought Stock Market – Above the 40 (December 22, 2020)

AT40 (T2108) opened the day right on top of the 70% threshold for overbought conditions.

Stock Market Commentary The U.S. stock market quickly rebounded from the weekend’s jolt of pandemic news from Europe. The initial bout of selling created a close call for the extended overbought period. The comeback of buying picked the stock market off the threshold for overbought conditions but a sustained survival remains unsettled. While buyers convincingly … Read more

Key Overbought Threshold for the Stock Market In Time for the Holidays – Above the 40 (December 11, 2020)

Stock Market Commentary A week ago, the stock market stretched into an extended overbought rally. The stock market proceeded to relax from that stretch. Yet, the breadth indicators barely budged and allowed the overbought rally to reach a key overbought threshold and test of the extended overbought rally. The overbought period reached 20 days in … Read more