Above the 40 (March 31, 2017) – Synched Junctures In Financial Markets As A Bullish Divergence Tries to Shine

AT40 = 49.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 63.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.4 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish (see caveats below) Commentary On Thursday, March 30 (2017), the S&P 500 (SPY) closed above its downtrending 20-day moving average … Read more

Above the 40 (March 24, 2017) – Small Caps Fight for the Bulls, Euro Presses Higher

AT40 = 37.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 57.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 13.0 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: bearish Commentary In my last “Above the 40“, I noted how the stock market took a pause in deference to the growing … Read more

Above the 40 (March 15, 2017) – Stock Market Rate Hike Celebration Forgot the Financials

AT40 = 47.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 62.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.6 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The U.S. Federal Reserve hiked its interest rate as expected by 0.25%. The accompanying statement was remarkable only for being … Read more

Above the 40 (March 10, 2017) – A Stock Market Redressing Itself for A Meeting with the Fed

AT40 = 42.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 59.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.7 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The February U.S. jobs report catalyzed the next swing in the stock market’s bear-bull knife fight. I noted in my … Read more

Above the 40 (March 8, 2017) – A Quiet Pre-Fed Breakdown for the Stock Market

AT40 = 43.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 60.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.9 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary Times like these really put AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs), to … Read more

Above the 40 (March 3, 2017) – The S&P 500 Marches Confidently Toward the Next Rate Hike

AT40 = 57.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 67.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.0 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary So March it is then! In reaction to U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s speech at The Executives’ Club of … Read more

Above the 40 (March 2, 2017) – An S&P 500 Attitude Adjustment and A SNAP Judgement

AT40 = 58.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 68.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.8 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary And this is why I appreciate hedging…and using Caterpillar (CAT) as my most common hedge was particularly fortuitous today. On … Read more

A Fresh Gold Versus Bonds Pairs Trade With the Dollar Playing Wildcard

It is hard to believe that just six weeks ago I proposed a pairs trade of gold versus bonds with the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) toying with resistance at its 50-day moving average (DMA) and the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond (TLT) doing the same. Now, GLD has already hit the next line of resistance … Read more

The U.S. Dollar Fails To Benefit From Expectations for An Earlier Fed Rate Hike

Perhaps the shift was not large enough. Perhaps it was the magnetism of the 50-day moving average (DMA). After the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its last meeting on monetary policy, the U.S. dollar index (DXY0) promptly weakened. The dollar closed the day marginally lower after trading for a small gain in the morning. … Read more

U.S. Dollar Weakness Dominating the Canadian Dollar Trade

The U.S. dollar index (DXY0) has started 2017 on a notable losing streak. The index’s clean close today below 100 is the latest confirmation of that weakness. The U.S. dollar index continued its dribbling down the lower part of Bollinger Bands (BBs) that define the current downtrend. Source: StockCharts.com This extension of weakness has complicated … Read more