An Oversold Stock Market Is A Market Caring About Risk – Above the 40 (February 26, 2020)

AT40 = 18.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (oversold day #1)AT200 = 36.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (near 13-month low)VIX = 27.6Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Stock Market Commentary Oversold The action in the stock market continues to move fast. On Tuesday, I declared the … Read more

Suddenly Oversold: Stock Market Extremes Continue – Above the 40 (February 25, 2020)

AT40 (T2108) bounced perfectly off the oversold threshold and closed at 21.1%

AT40 = 21.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 39.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 27.9Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary Synchronized breakdowns below the 50-day moving average (DMA) looked like an extreme day of selling. The follow-up was even more spectacular. … Read more

M.D.C. Holdings Q4 2019 Earnings – Clinging to Housing Sentiment

Introduction When I wrote about the third quarter earnings for M.D.C. Holdings (MDC), I wondered aloud: “MDC’s next report on orders should deliver a very telling challenge to investor sentiment.” MDC seemed to deliver on orders in its Q4 earnings report, up 49% year-over-year and up 13% for the whole year. Investors were initially excited … Read more

A Failed Healing: Stock Market Further Confirms Topping Patterns – Above the 40 (January 31, 2020)

AT40 = 38.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 50.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 18.8Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bearish Stock Market Commentary Last week, I switched from neutral for the first time in, I believe, months. I downgraded to “cautiously bearish” because … Read more

Animal Spirits Rediscover Housing-Related Stocks

The iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction Index Fund ETF (ITB) is on a rare 6-day winning streak after confirming 50DMA support.

In recent weeks, the trade in the stocks of home builders provided timely reminders in the limited meaning in price action. The market periodically makes key “mistakes” that provide buying (or selling) opportunities. A Fresh Turning Point At the end of December, I described a “precarious divergence” between the stocks of home builders and the … Read more

Housing Market Review – Promising Start for 2020 Hits Market Pressures (January, 2020)

Housing Market Intro/Summary {Note a rough draft of this post was inadvertently posted on January 20, 2020} When I wrote the Housing Market Review for December, I described a “precarious” divergence between the performance of the iShares US Home Construction (ITB) and the S&P 500 (SPY). In late December, dour commentary from JP Morgan (JPM) about … Read more

Resilient Stock Market Blows Past the Whisper of A Bearish Divergence – Above the 40 (January 10, 2020)

AT40 = 58.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 59.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The bearish signals are growing, but they are still not impeding this resilient stock market. The ever so shallow selling acts like a … Read more

Housing Market Review (December, 2019) – A Precarious Divergence

Housing Market Intro/Summary When I wrote the Housing Market Review for November, the stocks of home builders were on the edge of conquering their moment of truth. The iShares US Home Construction (ITB) soon rolled over and confirmed a breakdown below support at its 50-day moving average (DMA). ITB is now in a precarious position where … Read more

Home Builders Withdraw As the Stock Market Celebrates

Since November, the performance of the iShares US Home Construction Index Fund ETF (ITB) has lagged that of the S&P 500 (SPY)

The seasonally strong period for home builders begins in November. For this period, home builders tend to outperform the S&P 500 (SPY) which is also in its own period of seasonal strength. So far, home builders have lagged significantly in what I continue to call the moment of truth for home builders. Since November, the … Read more

A Book-Ends Kind of Week for Stocks (Above the 40) – December 6, 2019

AT40 = 59.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 56.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 13.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary Looking for buying opportunities paid off. A week that started with selling into trade troubles ended with the celebration of an exceptionally strong … Read more