Hawkish Yet Uncertain: A Toxic Elixir from the Fed for Stocks

There was a hopeful narrative going into the last week’s Federal Reserve meeting that Fed Chair Jerome Powell and company would emerge more dovish. The stock market’s sell-off this year could frighten the Fed into standing down from its earlier insistence about tightening monetary policy. Not only did Powell stride into the press conference unbowed … Read more

A Stock Market Resigned to Chopping and Churning – Above the 40 (May 21, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary Last week delivered another key test of support levels for the stock market. The major indices passed their individual tests, but the week ended with no resolution. Bulls and bears are battling between short-term ranges that are chopping and churning traders. With the stock market resigned to this kind of chop, patient … Read more

Buyers Follow Through On Latest Bullish Signals Despite Targeted Carnage – Above the 40 (March 26, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary Many stocks rebounded sharply from intraday lows on Thursday. The flurry left behind key bullish signals. Buyers did not disappoint on Friday. They delivered strong follow through on the latest bullish signals even as sections of the market suffered targeted carnage. Indeed, the ability to ignore the targeted carnage was itself another … Read more

High-Tech Stocks Break Down In Fallout from Fierce Bear-Bull Battle – Above the 40 (March 5, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary The stock market continued its streak of trickiness. Buyers and sellers played a fierce bear-bull battle starting with one of the biggest fake-out one-day rallies since last September 2nd’s near parabolic run-up. Fresh money flowed into funds to start the month of March to for gains of 2.4% on the S&P 500 … Read more

Tricky Trading Quickly Took Stocks from Strength to Weakness – Above the 40 (February 26, 2021)

Stock Market Commentary The stock market got quite tricky last week. A day after buyers re-established control, sellers returned with a sustained fury. The selling on Thursday reflected the stock market’s split personality while the follow-up selling on Friday seemed broader. The pressure on the the stock market looks like an ominous setup for March … Read more