Overbought Conditions a Next Step to Ease Topping Tension for Stocks – Above the 40 (December 27, 2019)

AT40 = 65.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 59.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (just under the high for 2019 of 60.2%)VIX = 13.4Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary A week after my last Above the 40 post, the volatility index (VIX) is my … Read more

A Bearish Divergence Now Behind, Overbought Awaits for Stocks – Above the 40 (December 20, 2019)

AT40 (T2108) finally broke out of an extended 2-month trading range and looks ready to challenge the overbought threshold.

AT40 = 65.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 59.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs (just under high for 2019 of 60.2%)VIX = 12.5Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The bearish divergence finally ended between a range-bound AT40 (T2108) and an S&P 500 (SPY) steadily … Read more

Stock Market Rides Out A Trade War Anti-Climax – Above the 40 (December 13, 2019)

AT40 = 56.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 55.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.6Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary It appears China and the U.S. finally agreed on a Partial, Phase One Trade Deal. The bare bones basics on the deal consist … 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

Above the 40 (December 3, 2019) – A Quick U-Turn for Speculation in the Stock Market

AT40 = 48.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 50.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 16.0 (up 7.0% and went as high as 18.0)Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary It was fun for the short time it lasted. The speculative turn in the stock … Read more

A More Speculative Turn in the Stock Market – Above the 40 (November 25, 2019)

The Invesco S&P 500 High Beta ETF (SPHB) broke out to a near 14-month high.

AT40 = 58.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 55.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 11.9Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary If “cautiously neutral” made sense, I would make that description my short-term trading call. Last week’s trading action motivated me to observe that … Read more

A Stock Market Content to Drift Higher No Matter What – Above the 40 (November 22, 2019)

AT40 = 53.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 52.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.3Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The S&P 500 (SPY) pulled back slightly last week as the stock market’s underlying bearish divergence finally proved too heavy. Yet, the pullback … Read more

Fresh Stock Market Breakout Finally Challenges the Bearish Divergence – Above the 40 (November 15, 2019)

AT40 = 60.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs)AT200 = 55.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAsVIX = 12.1Short-term Trading Call: neutral Stock Market Commentary The stock market’s slow and steady march toward Christmas continued last week. The S&P 500 (SPY) drifted slightly higher during the week until … Read more

Lessons from the 2019 Seasonal Trade on Home Builders

The iShares US Home Construction (ITB) annualized performance was very steady for 2019.

The ETF Performance The 2019 seasonal trade for home builders was a dramatic one that departed from the typical script. The iShares US Home Construction (ITB) suffered greatly in the late 2018 sell-off. The housing market softened as one of the most notable features of the sell-off in the stock market. Several home builders made … Read more