Oversold Conditions Persist Even As Volatility Reverses

Until the ugly close on the stock market, Day #4 of this oversold period was as lackluster as I expected. T2108, the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs), nudged up a bit to 11.7%. For a while there, it seemed as if the latest dire headlines from Europe – this … Read more

“Collateral Damaged” Tackles America’s Addiction to Debt and Credit

“Collateral Damaged: The Marketing of Consumer Debt to America” by Charles R. Geisst is a detailed and captivating examination of the history and growth of consumer debt in America. The book scrutinizes the political, cultural, social, and financial forces that converged to inflate America’s tremendous bubble in consumer credit. Geisst reaches all the way back … Read more

As Unemployment Finally Appears to Crest, Monetary Policy Reaches A Critical Juncture

Good (or not as bad as expected) economic news has typically garnered selling in the U.S. dollar and buying in the stock market. On Friday, the good news that November’s monthly change in U.S. non-farm payrolls came in essentially flat sent the S&P 500 soaring as high as 1.7%. However, the dollar index also soared, … Read more