ONE-TWENTY TWO: Trading Financial Markets
Exploring the poetry in financial markets for students of money and economy since the year 2000.
Stock Market Commentary Even the Federal Reserve must sit back and marvel as the S&P 500 (SPY) refuses to rest for long. Post-Fed handwringing sent the stock market into a period of doubt over previous assumptions of inflation fears. The previous week even ended with oversold conditions looming. However, as is the case with so … Read more
Stock Market Commentary Last week delivered another key test of support levels for the stock market. The major indices passed their individual tests, but the week ended with no resolution. Bulls and bears are battling between short-term ranges that are chopping and churning traders. With the stock market resigned to this kind of chop, patient … Read more
Housing Market Intro and Summary Softening housing data pointed to more normalization in the housing market. Normalization is returning housing data to prior trends and in some cases suggesting important plateaus. Home builder stocks powered through the softening data to show strength in sharp rebounds and fresh all-time highs. The arrival of the Spring selling … Read more
Stock Market Commentary The Presidential inauguration is a hallowed American tradition. The stock market celebrated the incoming Biden and Harris administration with new all-time highs on good trading volume. The start of a new American administration is as good a time as any to back down from my recent short-term bearish call. While this overbought … Read more
Housing Market Intro and Summary A divergence in the housing market emerged between rangebound home builder stocks and strong housing data. In October, new home sales recorded a third straight month at the 1 million mark. Since new home sales hit the August peak, the stocks of home builders have also largely gone nowhere. A … Read more
Housing Market Intro and Summary A divergence in the housing market is emerging between slowing home builder stocks and strong housing data. The housing boom in the U.S. continued to make its mark in the middle of the pandemic-induced recession. While new home sales took a bit of a pause in October, housing starts, existing … Read more
This week’s housing data were impressive. The Housing Market Index (HMI) for October reported another all-time for home builder sentiment. Subsequently, starts for single-family homes hit a fresh 13-year high. Yet, the stock market yawned. Housing-related stocks demonstrated rare signs of weakness not seen in a long time. Several stocks suffered breakdowns below their respective … Read more
Housing Market Intro and Summary The pandemic recession ended for housing in July. August demonstrated that an all-out housing boom is underway. I was expecting the housing data to start normalizing. Instead, demand pushed ever higher and supply tightened further. Housing Stocks Toll Brothers (TOL) started last week with a preliminary report on net new … Read more
Stock Market Statistics AT40 = 60.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) (ended 7 overbought trading days)AT200 = 42.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 22.5Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bearish Stock Market Commentary AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages … Read more
Housing Market Intro and Summary The housing downturn ended almost as quickly as it began. V-shaped recoveries are evident across a spectrum of data, especially in home builder sentiment and new home sales. Home builders continue to describe extremely strong demand that, in many cases, goes beyond the release of buying power pent-up by the … Read more