Above the 40 (May 19, 2017) – The Nut Job Stock Market: Nutty By Nature

AT40 = 42.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 54.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.0 (volatility index) – a 17.9% decrease Short-term Trading Call: neutral (bullish only after the latest Trump Turmoil reverses OR oversold conditions, potentially bearish upon a retest of … Read more

Trading Panic: Rushing Past the Exit from Brazil

Another Presidential-level scandal has engulfed Brazil. On the morning of Thursday, May 18th, news hit the wires that Brazilian President Michel Temer was accused of bribery. The crisis deepened after Brazil’s Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for an investigation into the bribery allegations From Reuters: “Brazil’s President Michel Temer on Thursday defiantly said he would … Read more

The Brazil ETF Continues Adding to A Tremendous 2016 Rally

Almost two months ago, I explained my decision to sell my position in iShares MSCI Brazil Capped (EWZ). I also pointed to a 20% correction as the next time I will consider buying again. Since then, EWZ rallied, dipped slightly to a lower low, and then resumed its current rally. That rally accelerated a bit … Read more

Key Lessons from the Brazil ETF Trade

Back in October, 2009 When Brazil won the 2016 Summer Olympics, I heralded the news as an opportunity to invest in a country that promised to grow faster than the United States. The iShares MSCI Brazil Capped (EWZ) never quite matched its peak from 2008 but managed to ride the wave of a post-recession, commodity … Read more

Finally Stepping In to Start Buying iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on October 27, 2014. Click here to read the entire piece.) The iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF (EWZ) has fallen rapidly from a 16-month high to a retest of 2014 lows in just seven weeks. The 27% loss over this timespan represents … Read more

Chart Review: the Brazil Index Fund (EWZ) Triggers the 20% Rule Again

This post is a very belated acknowledgement that EWZ (iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund ETF) triggered the 20% rule again. As a reminder, (with a few exceptions) I have been buying EWZ whenever it trades 20% of its recent highs. For example, this rule triggered a purchase in early August; see “Commodities Crash’ Triggers First … Read more

A Review of the Commodities Crash Playbook As Another Phase of Selling Ends

This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha. Click here to read the entire piece.) Commodities across the board have suffered mightily during the stock market’s recent correction. In the first phase of the sell-off (from late July to early August), a few commodity-related stocks triggered buys by erasing all … Read more

Despite Bullish Outlook from Joy Global, the “Commodity Crash” Playbook Stays Active

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha. Click here to read the entire piece.) While the stock market was oversold, I focused on accumulating beaten-down, commodity-related stocks as part of my “commodities crash” playbook as explained in “Profiting from Physical Assets in a Resource-Constrained World – Rules and Picks.” … Read more

Commodities Crash: Stocks that Have Erased QE2 gains

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha. Click here to read the entire piece.) In Tuesday’s statement on monetary policy, the Federal Reserve decided to reassure markets that interest rates are likely to stay at “exceptionally low levels” at least through the middle of 2013…{snip}…This dramatic change in the … Read more

T2108 Update – August 8, 2011 (Stay In the Game)

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag.) T2108 Status: 6.5% (Day #3 of the current oversold period). VIX Status: 48. General (Short-term) Trading Call: Close most … Read more