The S&P 500’s Latest Breakdown Echoes the Warning Signal From the August Angst

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on January 19, 2016. Click here to read the entire piece.) For a brief moment on January 15, 2016, the S&P 500 (SPY) looked ready to extend the sell-off that ended with the August Angst of 2015. At 1858, the index was … Read more

Rate Hike Relief Paves the Way for A Stronger Dollar And A December Bottom for Stocks

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on December 17, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) The Federal Reserve could not have asked for a better response to its first rate hike in 9 years and first move off zero interest rates in 7 years. The Fed … Read more

Getting Ready to Tip-Toe Around the Euro

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on December 2, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) The European Central Bank (ECB) next makes a statement on monetary policy on December 3, 2015. The market is apparently eagerly anticipating an announcement from ECB President Mario Draghi that delivers … Read more

A Policy Island for the Fed: The Bank of England and U.S. Economic Data Isolate the Fed

This past week was an important one for monetary policy. The Bank of England (BoE) made clear it is willing to put off rate hikes as long as necessary. Despite its words that suggest otherwise, the Bank is NOT biased for action. U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen made it clear that, all else being … Read more

The U.S. Dollar Is Ready For Lift-Off On Janet Yellen’s Latest Rate Hike Talk

The market is once gain gearing up for a December rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Today’s nudge came from Janet Yellen her first public commentary since last week’s decision on monetary policy. At that time, a simple and clever change in language convinced the market to pull in the month for a first … Read more