T2108 Update (July 31, 2015) – A Surprising Bullish Divergence

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades are … Read more

The Correct Narrative On U.S. Wage Growth for the Second Quarter: The Dollar Recovers

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 2, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) It seems odd to fear that wage growth is slumping in the U.S. with increasing momentum supporting minimum wage hikes across the country and through many industries. Yet, wage data on … Read more

Trading Lessons from the Elections In Turkey

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on June 14, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) Turkey held national elections on June 7th. The events were well-covered given Turkey’s central location amid a set of geopolitical hotspots and its (former) place as a fast-growing emerging market. Source: … Read more

A Busted Stock Trader In China: Real Life Pain

On July 29, 2015, Nightly Business Report included a poignant segment featuring the painful story of a busted stock trader in China. The path from hope (greed?) to despair sounds like a classic with a twist. At least this particular trader took too many cues from the Chinese government, a government whose policies have clearly … Read more

T2108 Update (July 28, 2015) – An Important Stock Market Turnaround

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades are … Read more

The Commodities Crash Accelerates: Scenarios for Trading Oil

Several authors have pointed out the difficulties in fashioning trades to take advantage of the movement in oil prices (for a recent example, see “Is Gasoline The Smart Oil Play? UGA Vs. USO“). Analyses counting off the bullish and bearish arguments on oil can fill many tomes. For example, there is fear of a drop … Read more

The Only Remaining China-Based Trade I Like

The Shanghai Composite Index (SSEC) plunged 8.5% to start trading for the week. The ripple effects were wide and far-reaching even as arguments continue floating that the collapse in China’s stock market matters little outside of China and does not truly reflect on economic conditions in the country. Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook summed up … Read more

T2108 Update (July 24, 2015) – Bearish Signs Accumulate Just Above Oversold Conditions

(T2108 measures the percentage of stocks trading above their respective 40-day moving averages [DMAs]. It helps to identify extremes in market sentiment that are likely to reverse. To learn more about it, see my T2108 Resource Page. You can follow real-time T2108 commentary on twitter using the #T2108 hashtag. T2108-related trades and other trades are … Read more

Illinois Flood Disaster Does Not Prevent Corn from Rejoining the Collapse in Commodities

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declare a disaster in areas of the state hit hard by flooding. He should have asked for disaster relief on behalf of all the nation’s corn. Illinois was the nation’s #2 producer of corn in 2014, but the potential damage from on-going flooding in … Read more

The U.S. Dollar Regains Momentum Against the Turkish Lira As Regional Tensions Escalate

The U.S. dollar index (UUP) failed this week (so far) to break out of its short-term downtrend. However, it is picking up momentum against select currencies. One case in point is the Turkish lira (USD/TRY). Source: FreeStockCharts.com Note that the 50-day moving average (DMA) flattened out a bit after the TUrkish elections but it never … Read more