A Return to the Giddy Anticipation of Rate Cuts – Market Breadth

A Return to the Giddy Anticipation of Rate Cuts - Market Breadth (Credit: Reuters)

Stock Market Commentary The stock market poetically swung from the depths of despair with a seasonal September drawdown to a sharp rebound in giddy anticipation of rate cuts from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. The highly anticipated meeting has the potential to set the market’s tone for the remainder of the year. If Chair Jerome … Read more

Rate Cut Fears Spin Market Rotation Off the Road – The Market Breadth

Rate Cut Fears Spin Market Rotation Off the Road - The Market Breadth (Credit: Torrenegra https://flic.kr/p/d2eFsh)

Stock Market Commentary Welcome to the start of the stock market’s three most dangerous months of the year. A weak jobs report for July helped to send market sentiment into a sharp reversal. The bad economic news suddenly turned the prospect of rate cuts into something to fear. These rate cut fears spun the market … Read more

An Early Trigger on the 20% Rule for Buying EWZ (Brazil ETF)

An Early Trigger on the 20pct Rule for Buying EWZ (Brazil ETF) (Credit Ana Gaston - https://www.flickr.com/photos/26801385@N00/4960008406)

Earlier this week, the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) tested its October, 2023 low. This test of support stopped just short of a 20% correction from the last high set on December 19, 2023. At the closing low, EWZ reached an 18.3% pullback from that last high. I decided to pull an early trigger on … Read more

The Bank of Japan Finds Itself In A Currency Trap

currency trap (Credit: HelveticaFanatic at https://www.flickr.com/photos/27469320@N04/2657871668)

The year 2024 may be seen as the time the Bank of Japan’s “free lunch” came to an end. For decades, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) ran a zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) that even descended into negative rates in 2016. The BoJ eased and eased monetary policy (aka printed and printed) to buy Japanese … Read more

A Statement Week for Stocks – The Market Breadth

statement week for the stock market - the market breadth (Credit: Steampunk Fashion Statement by cobalt123 on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/66606673@N00/4668035266)

Stock Market Commentary Stocks quickly invalidated the latest topping signals and recorded a statement week. This regular routine was further boosted by a Federal Reserve that dished out stronger forecasts for the economy and inflation and yet, much to my bemusement, “promised” the stock market three rate cuts are still likely ahead for the year. … Read more