T2108 Update: May 11, 2011

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. To learn more about this technical indicator, see my T2108 Resource Page.) T2108 Status: 63% and Neutral – just fell from overbought General Trading Call: Hold. If no shorts in the portfolio initiate “some”, more aggressive on break of May low … Read more

Goldman Sachs at Two Year Lows….vs the S&P 500

Every now and then, I check in on the chart of Goldman Sachs (GS) as a potential indicator of the underlying health of the stock market. This year, I have been consistently surprised at Goldman’s persistent relative weakness compared to the general market. After recently refreshing my chart of the S&P 500 price in gold, … Read more

The Fed-Inspired S&P 500 Likely to Remain Overbought As Index Reaches for Previous Uptrend

With the S&P 500 hitting fresh 3-year highs this week, the index is poised to recapture the previous uptrend that was interrupted by March’s double calamities of the Japan earthquake and hostilities in Libya. The stock market is overbought with T2108, the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs), at a … Read more

Chart Review: S&P 500 Overbought Near 2011 Highs

The S&P 500 has rebounded sharply from its March lows with a 6% gain in a little over two weeks. The short-term uptrend has met very little resistance as buyers have interpreted the recent sell-off as an opportunity to accumulate shares. This move has also flipped T2108, the percentage of stocks trading above their 40-day … Read more

The S&P 500 Erases Its Post-Quake Losses Amid Worsening Headlines and Technical Resistance

The stock market is officially tired of worrying about the latest crises around the globe. On Friday, the S&P 500 essentially recovered all of its post-quake losses. The last three days of buying featured low volume (no news there), but the index was still able to hurtle over the presumed resistance at the 50-day moving … Read more

Following the Charts Instead of the Bad News: Some Lessons from the Past Two Weeks

One of the many interesting features of the stock market since it broke down on March 10th is that the news has often been a distraction to underlying developments in the market. Following the charts has been relatively more effective than following the news in creating a (short-term) trading strategy. T2108, the percentage of stocks … Read more

What A Day for a Fed Meeting (including S&P 500, USD/JPY chart reviews)

The Federal Reserve meets and decides monetary policy on Tuesday right in the middle of the most tumultuous time for global financial markets perhaps since the March, 2009 lows. As the Bank of Japan (BoJ) is furiously printing money to buttress its financial system and promote calm, I fully expect the Fed to issue a … Read more

Advantage Finally Goes to the Sellers in the Stock Market

The primary upward trend in the S&P 500 finally ended, and the advantage in trading finally goes to the sellers for the first time since August, 2010. For me, technically, the upward trend ended with the flattening of the 20DMA. I noted this important change yesterday. The confirmation of the end came today with the … Read more

Stock Market Wobbles But Remains Unbroken

The stock market has churned and gone nowhere for 10 trading days, a distinct break in the steady drip upward that saw traders, investors, and even trading-bots seizing upon nearly every dip as a buying opportunity. For six months a very basic equation has dominated: printing money = higher stock prices. For now, a conditional … Read more