Above the 40 (March 6, 2017) – SNAP to Reality

AT40 = 52.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 65.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.2 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary Here we go again. Divergence is rearing its head again and bringing a dose of reality to the setup for … Read more

Above the 40 (March 3, 2017) – The S&P 500 Marches Confidently Toward the Next Rate Hike

AT40 = 57.7% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 67.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.0 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary So March it is then! In reaction to U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s speech at The Executives’ Club of … Read more

Above the 40 (March 2, 2017) – An S&P 500 Attitude Adjustment and A SNAP Judgement

AT40 = 58.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 = 68.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX = 11.8 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary And this is why I appreciate hedging…and using Caterpillar (CAT) as my most common hedge was particularly fortuitous today. On … Read more

Above the 40 (February 27, 2017) – The S&P 500 Coiled In Anticipation

AT40 Status: 63.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 Status: 70.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX Status: 12.1 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary In my last “Above the 40” post, I noted that the rejection of AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading … Read more

Above the 40 (February 22, 2017) – The S&P 500 Still Finds Overbought Elusive

AT40 Status: 65.6% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 Status: 70.2% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX Status: 11.7 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The struggle for the overbought threshold continues. AT40 (T2108), the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages … Read more

Above the 40 (February 17, 2017) – The S&P 500’s Stubborn Determination

AT40 Status: 64.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 Status: 70.0% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX Status: 11.5 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The S&P 500 (SPY) stumbled out the gate and struggled in slightly negative territory for much of the day. A … Read more

Above the 40 (February 15, 2017) – The S&P 500 Keeps Stretching Toward Overbought Status

AT40 Status: 67.3% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 Status: 70.8% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX Status: 12.0 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary The S&P 500 (SPY) printed a positive gain for the 7th straight trading day and the 10th of the last … Read more

Above the 40 (February 13, 2017) – S&P 500 Follow-Through Finally Ends Bearish Divergence

AT40 Status: 66.4% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 Status: 69.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX Status: 11.1 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary For the first time since December, the S&P 500 (SPY) has displayed strong follow-through to a break out to fresh … Read more

The Surprising Implications of Periods of Extremely Low Volatility

The volatility index, the VIX, has closed below 11 for 2 straight days, 3 of the last 6, and 6 of the last 13 days. Source: FreeStockCharts.com These low levels of the VIX seem dangerously low, and I have labelled them as such in my recent “Above the 40” posts. Yet, I have discovered the … Read more

Above the 40 (February 9, 2017) – The S&P 500 Celebrates “Phenomenal” Tax News

AT40 Status: 58.9% of stocks are trading above their respective 40-day moving averages (DMAs) AT200 Status: 68.5% of stocks are trading above their respective 200DMAs VIX Status: 10.9 (volatility index) Short-term Trading Call: neutral Commentary “We’re way ahead of schedule, I believe. And we’ll be announcing something, I believe, in the next two or three … Read more