Quick note for readers: Waiting for the Fed’s “permission”

This is a quick note for readers. I am on hiatus through June 15th. Over this time, the Fed will issue its next proclamation on monetary policy on June 13th. The tone should be a key tell as to whether the current dip in tech should be bought aggressively and now or whether it should … Read more

Above the 40 (June 9, 2017) – A Surprisingly Bullish Rotation Out of Tech Stocks

AT40 = 58.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 58.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.7 (volatility index) (intraday high of 12.11) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary It seemed poetic. The Golden State Warriors, hailing from the tech heavy San Francisco Bay … Read more

Above the 40 (June 8, 2017) – The Market’s Bullish Push Through Thursday’s Trifecta

AT40 = 52.1% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 55.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.2 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary One out of three. The last event of Thursday’s Trifecta had the only notable impact on financial markets. With … Read more

Above the 40 (June 7, 2017) – A Disarming Calm Ahead of Trifecta Thursday

AT40 = 47.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 54.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.4 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary At the time of typing, financial markets are carefully stepping into “Trifecta Thursday” – or maybe not so carefully … Read more

Above the 40 (June 2, 2017) – Breadth Returns to the Stock Market…Just In Time

AT40 = 55.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 56.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.8 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary In my last Above the 40 post, I noted how the trading action made it hard for me to … Read more

Above the 40 (May 31, 2017) – The S&P 500 Makes A Signature Close to May Trading

AT40 = 43.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 52.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 10.4 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary And just like that, the stock market made it even harder for me to keep a bullish bias on … Read more

The Surprising Implications of Periods of Extremely Low Volatility – A Follow-Up

The volatility index, the VIX, has closed below 11 for 5 straight days and 22 of the last 25. These stretches of extremely low volatility (I will now shorten it to ELV for convenience) include a 14-year low for the VIX. The interruption in this streak of ELV included an abrupt wake-up call where the … Read more

Above the 40 (May 26, 2017) – The S&P 500 Hits More All-Time Highs Floating On Pillows of Caution

AT40 = 47.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 55.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 9.8 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: cautiously bullish Commentary I should no longer be amazed, but I am still amazed: the inability of sellers to generate follow-through in … Read more

IHS Markit Jumps On News It Will Join the S&P 500 Index

Sometimes an uptrend tells traders everything they need to know. On May 22, 2017, I reviewed the results from my scan for stocks with relative strength during times of weakness in the S&P 500 (SPY). I lamented how last week’s flash of selling did not provide any good buying opportunities. So I indicated my plan … Read more

Above the 40 (May 19, 2017) – The Nut Job Stock Market: Nutty By Nature

AT40 = 42.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 54.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 12.0 (volatility index) – a 17.9% decrease Short-term Trading Call: neutral (bullish only after the latest Trump Turmoil reverses OR oversold conditions, potentially bearish upon a retest of … Read more