Stock Market Blog -Dec 26th

The market inched up again this week on very light volume, while Bonds drifted down. The VIX continues to drift down as well, approaching the April low, as well as the 2008 low.

New unemployment claims for the week fell to 420,000 (chart).
This week, no banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Light trading week expected due to the holidays.

Market commentary: I expect we'll close out the year at right about the current level. After the 1st of January, we could see some volatility as traders position for the new year and for a new batch of earnings reports.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices continued to rise, closing just over $91 per barrel.
Natural Gas was mostly unchanged, closing near $4.00.
Gold dropped a bit, closing around $1375.
The 30 year Bond dropped again, closing near $120'16.
The US Dollar index was mostly flat, closing around 80.80.

News:
Stocks Keep Delivering in December
Three holiday indicators to bring you cheer
Bespoke: Bullish Sentiment Reaches Historical Extremes
17 Facts About China That Will Blow Your Mind
Outlook 2011: Is the Smart Money Right About China?
Investor bond retreat the fastest pace in 2 years
The Three Financial Trends That Will Define 2011

Stock Market Blog -Dec 19th

* * * Happy Holidays to all * * *

The market was mostly flat this week of Options expiration, though US Bonds sold off again. Meanwhile the financial problems in Europe continue to weigh on markets. In Washington the House and Senate passed the tax-cut extension, as well as a payroll tax reduction for 2011, all bullish news for the market.

ORCL popped after their earnings announcement, and has now more than doubled since the market low in March 2009.

BBY plunged after reporting earnings. BIDU sold off this week too.

V and MA plunged after the Federal Reserve announced a plan to cut debit card fees.

New all time highs:
ACN, APKT, CAT, COH, CTSH, DECK, ESRX, INTU, KMX, NKE, LULU, TCK, TIF

New unemployment claims for the week fell to 420,000 (chart).
This week, six more banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Short holiday week -markets will be closed on Friday.

Market commentary: I'm not looking for much action in the markets this week as we approach year end, though we could see a correction from the overbought condition, before earnings season begins again in January.

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices dropped a bit, closing near $88 per barrel.
Natural Gas dropped, closing near $4.00.
Gold dropped, closing around $1378.
The 30 year Bond dropped again, closing near $122'27.
The US Dollar index was up, closing around 80.75.

News:
U.S. stocks clock weekly gains after tepid session
Small Stocks Double Return of Big Caps in 2010
Hewlett-Packard: The biggest dog of the Dow
Whitney Tilson: Why We’re Short Netflix
A Response to Netflix Short Sellers
Fiscally Irresponsible Friday: Trading for Magic Beans

What the new tax bill means for you
2010 in Review
Ten money-making investment ideas for 2011
SLV and the Great Silver Shortage at COMEX
The Countrywide albatross at B of A
Two States Sue Bank of America Over Mortgages
Bernard Madoff's elder son dead in suicide
Don't Go to Brazil for a Deal on an iPad
Solar: Looking Forward to a Bullish 2011
When Gold Correction Ends, Uptrend Should Remain Intact

Stock Market Blog -Dec 12th

The market drifted higher this week, and looks poised to continue with a year end rally. The S&P500 is now at at two year high! This week we also saw a big drop in Bond prices (higher interest rates coming). Gold and Silver might be losing some strength too.

C and HD were up nicely.

All time highs: CAR, CAT, COH, CRM, CY, ESRX, FFIV, LULU, RAX, SINA, WLT

ALL TIME LOWS: FAZ, DXD, SDS, QID, TZA -leveraged market indexes!
Continue to avoid these things.


New unemployment claims for the week rose unexpectedly to 421,000 (chart).
This week, two more banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Also Friday, Options expiration for the month and the
quarter, and of course, year end.

We also get earnings reports from BBY, FDX, GIS, and ORCL.

Market commentary: This week the market continued to rally a bit. I'm looking for the year-end rally to continue, and for the S&P to move up to 1300 on this rally -probably in January sometime. The DOW is still playing catchup to the other indexes, with the small-cap Russell leading the way.

Also note that the QQQQ is now almost at a 3+ year resistance high from Sep '07.

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices dropped a bit, closing near $87.80 per barrel.
Natural Gas was up then pulled back, closing near $4.40.
Gold dropped, closing around $1384.
The 30 year Bond dropped sharply, closing near $123.
The US Dollar index was up, closing around 80.

Commodities topping? ...Bonds continue to drop...

News:
US Stocks Close Friday With Biggest Gains Of Quiet Week
U.S. Stocks Advance After Consumer Confidence Report, GE's Dividend Boost
Financial sector adds to gains
Treasuries Drop, S&P 500 Gains as Economic Data Top Forecasts
U.S. Home Values to Drop by $1.7 Trillion This Year, Zillow Says
U.S. trade deficit narrows to $38.7 billion
National Deficit Grows on Higher Government Spending

Programmer Convicted of Stealing Trade Secrets from Goldman Sachs
Consumer sentiment rises in December
Shares of A&P plunge on bankruptcy talk
China's Inflation Tops 5%, Adding Pressure for Wen to Raise Interest Rates

Stock Market Blog -Dec 5th

December kicked off with a bang, with the market gapping up on Wednesday. Friday had some disappointing job numbers for November though.

All time highs: ABX, AEM, CAT, CEF, CMI, CY, DRI, FDO, FFIV, GLD, KMX, LTD, MCD, RAX, SINA, SLW, SLV, TCK, TIF, UNP, WIN, WLT, XRT (retailers!)

ALL TIME LOWS: SDS, QID, TZA -leveraged market indexes! Avoid these things.

25 High Growth Stock Being Chased by the Smart Money

New unemployment claims for the week rose unexpectedly to 436,000 (chart).
This week, no banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Consumer spending reports and Consumer sentiment...

Market commentary: This week the market rallied to a resistance level near 1227 on the S&P500 and 2593 on the NASDAQ. Next week will tell us whether the market will bounce off this level, or continue to go higher. I'm looking for a year-end rally maybe.

The RSI indicator suggests some divergence though. Volume is also low.


Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were up again, closing near $89 per barrel.
Natural Gas was mostly unchanged, closing near $4.40.
Gold was up near its all time high, and closed around $1414.
The 30 year Bond was down as stocks rallied, closing near $125'20.
The US Dollar index was down, closing around 79.20.

News:
Stocks pull higher after payrolls data questioned
A Joyless Jobless Report
Loss of jobless benefits could be serious blow to U.S. economy
Dow transports gain, industrials to follow
Bernanke on '60 Minutes': Grim outlook for jobs

China’s Gold Imports Soar Almost Fivefold on Inflation Concern
Gold’s a veteran performer; other metals are rising stars
Top Seven Most Profitable Gold Stocks
Investing in Silver in 2011
Only one of the PIIGS matters. S is for Spain.

Stock Market Blog -Nov 28th

This was a slow, directionless week in the market, though we also got a good Unemployment claims number on Wednesday. In commodities, Oil and Natural Gas were up, and so was the US Dollar!

CRM continued to hit all time highs!
Other all time highs: AAP, AZO, APKT, CAT, CMG, DECK, DLM, DLTR, FFIV, NFLX, ROST

10 Super-Fast Growth Stocks With Explosive Returns


New unemployment claims for the week dropped to 407,000 (chart).
This week, three banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).
...Whitney sees 5,000 bank branches closing

Next week: (Economic reports link). The big monthly jobs report will be released on Friday.

Market commentary: Not much action last week, but we could see some movement next week as we approach year end. Of the major indexes, the QQQQ and IWM seem to have a positive bias. The SPY and DIA appear to be consolidating, and could follow the QQQQ and IWM upward. Of course the consolidation could also break to the down side. The long term trend is still to the 'up' side however.


Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were up, closing just under $84 per barrel.
Natural Gas rallied again, closing near $4.40.
Gold was up a bit, and closed around $1362.
The 30 year Bond was mostly unchanged, closing near $127'17.
The US Dollar index was up again, closing around 80.40.

News:
Stocks end with a bang after jobless claims drop
Too much borrowing puts U.S. at risk: Bair
Irish bailout $112.5 billion

Stock Market Blog -Nov 21st

The market recovered some of its losses after the GM IPO on Wednesday night.

CRM surged on a good earnings report.

New unemployment claims for the week dropped to 439,000 (chart).
This week, three banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Short holiday week -Happy Thanksgiving!
Among companies reporting earnings next week: HPQ

Market commentary: The market dropped, then recovered on the GM IPO hype. There is a good chance that the market continues to move up from here, as it bounced off a support level. If you take long positions, keep your stops in place in case the rally fades back down.

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices dropped, closing near $81.50 per barrel.
Natural Gas rallied, closing at $4.15.
Gold dropped, and closed around $1352.
The 30 year Bond was down, closing near $127'07.
The US Dollar index was up slightly, closing around 78.60.

News:
Street ekes out weekly gain
GM debut weak, but analysts say that’s good
Municipal Funds Fall Most in Two Years as Bonds Drop, Borrowing Costs Rise
Inflation at lowest level since 1957
Signs that the Economy Is Better Than You Think
Ireland requests tens of billions in loans from EU
After Ireland, spotlight on Portugal, Spain

Stock Market Blog -Nov 14th

This week we saw a drop in the market, giving back all the gains from the prior week. Concerns about China, and weak earnings from CSCO were among the concerns of investors -and of course, the market was very overbought and due for a pullback. My comment from last week "...this rally is very extended right now, so I expect a small pullback".

We saw a huge drop in Gold & Silver on Friday, along with a few other commodities.

New unemployment claims for the week dropped to 435,000 (chart).
This week, three banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). CPI report next week (inflation?).
Also Options expiration!
Earnings season continues, with the following companies among those reporting:

Mon	LOW
Tue	HD, WMT,
Wed	TGT, AMAT, NTAP
Thu	CRM, DELL, MRVL, SHLD,
Fri

Market commentary: The pullback this week was no surprise to most traders. The S&P500 had a non-stop rally from September 1st, closed over the April high, then promptly pulled back!
I don't expect much upside action this week, because of Options expiration on Friday, and the overly bullish sentiment of most investors (until last week anyway). I think we could see some of the popular names pull back even more this week, as the dollar continues to rally.

Commodities (charts): -commodities fell this week!
Oil prices dropped, closing near $85 per barrel.
Natural Gas pulled back, closing at $3.80.
Gold closed above $1400 for the first time ever, then dropped sharply back to $1365.
The 30 year Bond was down (in spite of QE2), closing near $127'30.
The US Dollar index was up (in spite of QE2), closing around 78.

News:
U.S. stocks drop on China rate fears
Intel approves 15% dividend hike
Cisco Delivers Unexpected Pain
GM reports $2B 3Q profit ahead of stock offering
In charts: Jobless claims, China CPI, deficit targets

Dollar pares gains after hitting 1-month high
Fed to Buy $105 Billion of Securities Through December
Ireland Urged to Take Aid by Officials Amid Debt Crisis
Margin boost, other woes hammer Irish bonds

Stock Market Blog -Nov 7th

The market reacted well to the elections, QE2 from the Fed, and a good monthly jobs report (unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.6%). The market has been on a non-stop rally since it bottomed for the year back in July. It's likely that we'll see the trend continue to the end of the year, maybe after a small pullback (this rally is very extended right now, so I expect a small pullback).

Silver and Gold also continue to rally (new all time high for Gold), as well as most other commodities (oil, sugar, coffee, cotton, corn, soybeans, copper, to name a few!)

Even the 10 year Bond, and the Dollar were up this week!
Something has to give of course... all asset classes don't normally rally at the same time. Maybe we'll find out which one loses next week.

PETM and XEL hit an all time high this week (among many others).


New unemployment claims for the week were higher, rising to 457,000 (chart).
This week, four banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Market indexes are all now higher than the April high...
April earnings disappointments caused a selloff...
But we've been moving higher since the July earnings reports.

Next week: (Economic reports link). Earnings season continues, with the following companies among those reporting:

Mon	PCLN, PAAS, SLW, RAX, LDK, VVUS
Tue	JASO, GOLD, SOLF
Wed	AAP, DRYS, CSCO
Thu	ANF, NVDA, DIS
Fri	PBR

Market commentary: Well, we got a big news week, and a big rally. The market is saying that it wants to go higher. The S&P500 took out the 1220 level (April high) that I mentioned in last week's post. Longer term I expect more up-side action, though we may get a brief pullback first.

Commodities (charts): -commodities rallied this week!
Oil prices were up, closing near $87 per barrel.
Natural Gas was mostly unchanged, closing just under $4.00.
Gold soared close to $1400, closing around $1397.
The 30 year Bond was down slightly, closing near $130'22.
The US Dollar index was down a bit after the Fed's QE2 announcement, closing around 77.

News:
Stocks end strong week at two-year highs
Federal Reserve to buy $600 billion in bonds
Bernanke: Not trying to increase inflation
Employers Add 151K Jobs
Bank stocks rally on dividend hopes
Starbucks Profit Rises 86% on Higher Store Traffic, Via Sales

Fannie Mae asks for $2.5 billion in new US aid
AIG cleans house; posts $2.4B loss for 3Q
GM to sell over $13 billion of shares

Avoid 'leveraged' ETFs which are in a 'down' trend!
Imagine 'compounding' your losses every day...

Stock Market Blog -Oct 31st

The market was mostly flat this week, though some 'hot' stocks continued to perform well -CMG, FFIV, IBM, PCLN, SLW, etc. October now makes two months of strong gains in the market. The GDP report on Friday however showed that we are still going nowhere in the economy.

New all time highs: AAP, AZO Auto parts! AGN, BVN, BWA, DECK, DTV, FFIV, IBM, INTU, KMX, MO, ORLY

All time low (inverse market index): QID

Highest-Yielding S&P 500 Stocks

New unemployment claims for the week dropped again, to 434,000 (chart).
This week, no banks were shut down by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Big week -Elections on Tuesday, Fed on Wednesday! Earnings season continues, with the following companies among those reporting:

Mon	BHI, GLW
Tue	ADM, BP, CLX, COCO, MA, NEM, PRGO, PFE, TEVA,
Wed	QCOM,
Thu	DTV, KFT, SBUX,
Fri	AMT, DISH, TM

Market commentary: The market is stalled until after the elections and the Fed meeting next week. The direction of the market won't be known until we get past those events. We could see a move in the US Dollar which will affect both the equity and the commodity markets.

The S&P500 could move up to the prior April high of around 1220.

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were mostly unchanged, closing near $81 per barrel.
Natural Gas popped, closing around $4.00.
Gold recovered some losses, closing around $1357.
The US Dollar index was mostly unchanged, closing around 77.45.
The 30 year Bond was down slightly, closing near $131.

News:
Stocks Flat With Elections, Fed on Tap Next Week
Next Week’s Must See Earnings On Deck
Biggest Week of Year for Markets Could Bring More Volatility
Stocks, Commodities Gain in October as Treasuries Decline, Dollar Weakens
GDP rises 2% in third quarter on consumer spending
Record-low mortgage rates will be gone in 2011: MBA

QE2 a ‘Ponzi scheme’, says Pimco’s Gross
JPMorgan, HSBC Accused of Manipulating Silver Futures
Gold Will Outlive Dollar Once Slaughter Comes: John Hathaway
The Fed is fuelling the catastrophe of fast rising raw material prices
We're All Currency Traders Now

Stock Market Blog -Oct 24th

The market was mostly flat this week, as companies began to report earnings for the 3rd quarter. AAPL, IBM, VMW, and ISRG dropped a bit. AMZN, BIDU, EBAY, NFLX, GS, KO, and MCD, moved up. CMG was a big winner, BAC was the big loser.

The US Dollar gave back some of its earlier gains. Watch for possible action in the dollar after this weekend's G-20 summit.

New all time highs: AMZN, BIDU, MCD, MO
PCLN hit a new 2 year high.
New all time lows: Same as before! The leveraged index ETFs.

New weekly unemployment claims dropped to 452,000 (chart).
This week, seven more banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). GDP is among the economic reports due next week. Also, earnings season continues, with the following companies among those reporting:

Mon	AMGN, TXN
Tue	CMI, DD, F, X, BRCM, FFIV,
Wed	COP, DB, ODP, ESRX, GG, PG, V
Thu	ABX, MMM, XOM, EGO, MSFT
Fri	CVX, MRK,

Market commentary: No change in the market's upward trend. I continue to believe the market will probably turn down when the US dollar starts to rebound, which could be soon.

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were mostly unchanged, closing near $81 per barrel.
Natural Gas dropped again, closing at a new low around $3.33. No bottom yet!
Gold dropped and broke its upward trend, closing around $1328.
The US Dollar index was up a bit, closing around 77.60.
The 30 year Bond was up slightly, closing near $132.

News:
Stocks end day mixed, slightly higher for week
China hikes interest rates
Yields on 30-Year Treasuries Rise Most in 14 Months on Inflation Prospects
Earnings to take spotlight next week
Foreclosures: Next shoe to drop for banks?
AIA’s IPO pricing boosts AIG turnaround plan
Mortgage Mess: Shredding the Dream
How the Foreclosure Fiasco Threatens the Economy

The amazing Amazon stock bubble
Gold-miner ETF fails to break 2008 peak
Coca-Cola 3Q net income rises 8.4 percent
Wells Fargo earnings top expectations
Bank of America Reports $7.3 Billion Loss, Citing Charges
The nation tires of Wall Street ‘justice’
The dollar disaster in one picture

Stock Market Blog -Oct 17th

This was another 'up' week for the market. After reporting earnings, INTC, JPM, and APOL sold off, but GOOG rocketed up $60! Financials were weak on concerns regarding foreclosures (BAC, COF, etc).

New all time highs: AAPL, AMZN, AAP, CTSH, MCD & YUM, MO, GLD & SLV & SLW
New all time lows: QID, SDS, TZA -leveraged market indexes!

New weekly unemployment claims rose to 462,000 (chart).
This week, three more banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Earnings season gets in to full swing, with the following companies among those reporting: (expect market volatality)

Mon	AAPL, IBM, C, HAL, PBR, VMW
Tue	BAC, KO, GS, JNJ, EMC, ISRG, YHOO
Wed	BA, BLK, MO, NFLX, UTX, WFC
Thu	AMZN, AXP, BIDU, CAT, MCD, MS, FCX, T, TRV, UPS,
Fri	F, VZ

All eyes are on AAPL, due to report on Monday.

Market commentary: The market continues to rally, so stay with the trend until it shows a definite turn. This will probably come when the US dollar reverses its decline. Maybe this week?


Of the major indexes, the 'technology laden' Nasdaq 100 (QQQQ) is the only one that has taken out the April top (see chart below).


Commodities (charts):
Oil prices dropped, closing near $81 per barrel. We may be at a top here.
Natural Gas dropped again, closing at a new low around $3.50. We may be at a bottom.
Gold hit all time highs once again, closing around $1371. Getting close to a top!
The US Dollar index was down, closing around 77.25. Getting close to a bottom!
The 30 year Bond dropped, as stocks went up, closing just over $131.

Silver prices also rocketed up this week.
Commodity prices continue to rise as the US Dollar falls.

News:
U.S. stocks end mostly up after Google earnings
Google tops $600 a share
Core prices lowest in decades as CPI edges up
Apple earnings expected to blow out on iPhone

Mozilo settles Countrywide fraud case at $67.5 million
Fixed-rate mortgages fall to record low
In charts: Foreclosures, inflation and more
49-year core inflation low
Deficit tops $1 trillion second year in a row
Social Security benefits won’t rise in 2011
Know when to dump a losing fund

Stock Market Blog -Oct 10th

The market rallied again this week, though some tech stocks saw surprising declines (EQIX, VMW, CTXS, CRM, FFIV, etc.).

The much anticipated jobs report on Friday was a disappointment, but the market held up, with the DOW closing just over 11,000. The unemployment rate remained at 9.6%. Meanwhile, the US dollar continued to slide.

The Yen and the Euro continue to gain against the US dollar.

New all time highs: IBM, MO, NKE, YUM
All time lows: DXD, SDS, TZA, QID -leveraged market indexes!

New unemployment claims fell to 445,000 (chart).
This week, no banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). Earnings season kicks off once again with the following companies reporting: INTC, GOOG, JPM, GE

Market commentary: The market continues to rally, though many traders continue to try to put on short positions. Until we see a real turn on the charts, the 'long' traders will win out over those that are short! Maybe after options expiration this week?

The US dollar decline has been driving some of this rally, and is becoming extended on the down-side. Keep your eye on the dollar; also keep your eye on bonds, which have been rising with stocks -this is the opposite of the normal correlation.


Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were up, closing near $83 per barrel.
Natural Gas dropped again, closing around $3.60.
Gold hit all time highs again, closing around $1344.
The US Dollar index continued down, closing around 77.50.
The 30 year Bond was up, closing just over $134.

News:
U.S. stocks rally; Dow closes above 11,000
Jobs Drop by 95,000 in September, Unemployment Rate Unchanged
Unemployment claims drop for 4th time in 5 weeks
Consumer bankruptcy filings climb 11%
Equinix Stock Obliterated
Intel, AMD to kick off ‘choppy’ earnings season
Google seen reporting sharp profit, sales gains
It's official: Android is now the most popular smartphone OS
Gold hits new record after Japan cuts rates
Corn rallies to two-year high after crop forecast

Stock Market Blog -Oct 3rd

This week the market was flat, though we closed out the month of September with huge gains. Most people were expecting September to be a losing month. The US Dollar continued its decline, while Gold continued to rally. Oil was up as well.

GMCR and SAY prices plummeted this week!

New all time highs: GLD & SLV! Also CMI, CTSH, GDX, IBM, SLW, TTM, YUM.


New unemployment claims fell to 453,000 (chart).
This week, two more banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). On Friday we'll get the all important monthly jobs report. Also earnings season kicks off once again with Alcoa reporting on Thursday.

Market commentary: The market seems to be stalling at these levels. Next week we start off a potentially volatile month and another round of quarterly earnings. We got a nice rally with the last round of earnings in July. Maybe we'll see a repeat performance. We've broken the downtrend channel that started in May, and it's possible we are now starting a new uptrend channel.

Options expiration in 2 weeks. The market could stay up and foil the bears again!

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices rocketed up, closing near $81.50 per barrel.
Natural Gas was mostly flat, closing just under $4.00.
Gold closed at an all time high again, around $1316.
The US Dollar index continued down, closing just over 78.
The 30 year Bond was up, closing just over $133.

Silver is at 30 year highs!

News:
Dollar Continues 4-Month Slide, Hits 6-Month Low Against Euro
Biggest Surprises This Quarter: Priceline Up 97%
Get ready for an epic bull market
How one automated trade led to stock market flash crash
Rates on fixed-rate mortgages fall
Corporations leveraging up at record pace
Banks Keep Failing, No End in Sight
Gold is the final refuge against universal currency debasement

Stock Market Blog -Sep 26th

We closed out the week with a big rally on Friday. September looks like it will be a good month after all (seems like the bears lost this round). This week felt like 1999 again, as we saw big rallies in tech stocks like AAPL, AMZN, BIDU, NFLX, PCLN, and QCOM.

New all time highs: AAPL, CMG, DTV, FFIV, NFLX, AMZN, BIDU, MO, MVL, NKE, PRGO,RAX SLW, and GLD & SLV, ANV!

All time lows: QID

Shares in ADBE plummeted this week.
Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Commodities are still rallying!


New unemployment claims were up this week to 4650,000 (chart).
This week, two more banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). On Friday we get the all import monthly jobs report. This week's reports also include a GDP number.

Market commentary: Looks like we did get a continuation of the recent rally that I mentioned in last week's post. We've been in rally mode almost non-stop since September 1st, so I expect a pullback at sometime, probably after we close out September next week.

Looking for high yield? Take a look at: PFF, HYG, JNK, maybe NLY?

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were up, closing near $76.50 per barrel.
Natural Gas was mostly flat, closing just under $4.00.
Gold closed at an all time high again, around $1296.
The US Dollar index was down, closing under 80!
The 30 year Bond saw little net change, closing just under $132.

News:
U.S. stocks rally to score fourth week of gains
Longest U.S. Slump Since '30s Ended in June '09, Group Says
Apple clobbers the competition
Blockbuster files for Chapter 11
How Netflix (and Blockbuster) Killed Blockbuster
Gold ends at record high, taps $1,300
U.S. retirement income deficit: $6.6 trillion

Stock Market Blog -Sep 19th

The market rallied a bit higher this week. We made it to the 1130 top on the S&P500 (see blog posts on Sep 5th, 12th). Now its decision time -will the market continue to go up, or reverse like it did the last time it hit 1130? No one really knows. The NASDAQ is already a little higher than its previous high, but not by much. Gold closed at an all time high this week.

ORCL continued a nice run up on high volume after reporting earnings; RIMM was also up after earnings.

New all time highs: CEO, CMI, DTV, FFIV, INTU, SAN, YUM, and GLD, SLW

Commodities continue to rally in the background!


New unemployment claims fell again this week to 450,000 (chart).
This week, six more banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: (Economic reports link). There is a Fed meeting on Tuesday, along with several housing reports during the week (All eyes on housing this week). ADBE, GIS, and NKE report earnings next week.

Market commentary: This week may tell us the next trend in the market, now that the S&P is at the prior high of 1130. September also marks the end of the 3rd quarter, and the year end for many mutual funds, so really the market action for the next two weeks is anyone's guess. I'm leaning toward a continuation of the recent rallly, perhaps after a small pullback.

Want to invest in a market that's going up? Take a look at EWM...

Want high yield? look at:

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were down, closing just under $74 per barrel.
Natural Gas was mostly flat, closing near $4.00.
Gold closed at an all time high, around $1276.
The US Dollar index was mostly unchanged, closing around 82.
The 30 year Bond saw little net change, closing just under $131 1/2.

News:
Wall Street ends week up, awaits Fed meeting
U.S. Stock Market Could Go Either Direction, Depending On Earnings Reports
3 Bears Threatening the New Goldilocks Economy
Americans struggle to regain their shrunken wealth
U.S. Home Seizures Reach Record for Third Time in Five Months

Japan Intervenes in Forex Market for First Time in 6 Years
Bank of Japan Intervention: What Happened Last Time? What's Next?
China's consumer price index jump 3.5%
Gold prices set record high on economic worries
Will Silver Now Take the Lead?
iPad Cannibalizing Half of Best Buy's Laptop Sales?

Stock Market Blog -Sep 12th

The market rallied a little further this week, though on light volume. Kind of a boring week.

New all time highs: BIDU, DTV, GMCR, NFLX, MO, YUM

...and the debt clock just passed the $13.5 trillion mark!


New unemployment claims fell again this week to 451,000 (chart).
This week, another bank was shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: Economic reports list. Friday marks options expiration for the 3rd quarter. Reporting earnings next week are ORCL and RIMM.

Market commentary: Looks like we 'are' heading back up to the previous swing high of 1130 on the S&P500 (see last week's commentary). This is options expiration week, also for the 3rd quarter, so expect anything. I believe the rally will continue. Bonds continued to fall.

Want to invest in a market that's going up? Take a look at EWM...

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were up, closing near $76.50 per barrel.
Natural Gas was mostly flat, closing just under $4.00.
Gold lost some ground, closing around $1246. We could see a new high next week.
The US Dollar index was mostly unchanged, closing around 82.
The 30 year Bond fell again, closing just under $130.

News:
El-Erian Says Bond Inflows Bad Sign for Economy
The long road to deflation for stocks
Subprime 2.0 Is Coming Soon to a Suburb Near You
How GM Made $30 Billion Appear Out of Thin Air
Central Banks Leading New Gold Rush

Stock Market Blog -Sep 5th

We got an unexpected rally in the market this week, as some of the economic reports were better than expected. Unemployment however moved up to 9.6%

Commodities also rallied this week -Coffee, Corn, Soybeans, Sugar, and Silver

New all time highs: AAP, AZO, AGG, CMI, CRM, DLTR, ED, FFIV, MCD, SLW.


New unemployment claims fell to 472,000 (chart).
This week, no banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: Economic reports list. It is a short week, with the Labor Day holiday on Monday.
9 Option Trades for Labor Day

Market commentary: We never made it all the way down to the July low on the indexes (except for the Russelll 2000 -IWM). Instead, the market rallied three days in a row this week, breaking the short term down-trend, and starting September off with a bang.

Lets see if it continues through the month; we didn't get much volume on this rally. There is a good chance we will now head back up to the previous swing high of 1130 on the S&P500.

Gold & silver continue to move up.
Bonds sold off (chart below).


Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were mostly unchanged, closing near $75 per barrel.
Natural Gas recovered as I expected, closing just under $4.00.
Gold rallied, closing around $1249. We could see a new high next week.
The US Dollar index dropped, closing around 82.
The 30 year Bond fell as equities rallied, closing just under $133.

News:
The September Rally Continues!
Will the Stock Market Rally This Fall?
Stocks have worst August since 2001
Back to the Future for Dividend and Bond Yields
Could investors fleeing stocks become a lost generation?
Why the U.S. economy is weak
Seven lean years: No recovery till 2016
The Lost Decade Has Passed Us

SEC Declines to Sue Moody's Over Inflated Ratings
FDIC: 829 problematic banks in second quarter
Gold, silver forge ahead, post solid monthly gains
Gold Stocks - the Long-Term Perspective
Silver settles at two-year high; gold ends lower
J.P. Morgan To Shut Prop Trading Desks
Goldman to Close Prop-Trading Unit
Obama Marks Formal End of U.S. Combat in Iraq
Israel's Huge Oil and Gas Discovery

Stock Market Blog -Aug 29th

The DOW closed below 10,000 on Thursday this week, but recovered on Friday. The market is still in a downtrend, with all sectors down for the month (see chart below).

New all time highs: DLTR, MCD, PAR, INTU, CRM, EGO, SLW,

New unemployment claims fell back below the 500,000 level to 473,000 (chart).
This week, no banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: We get the usual Economic reports, along with the widely watched, monthly jobs report on Friday (week ahead)

Market commentary: Looks like we could still drop down to test the early July low, though we saw a nice rally on Friday. We'll need to see some follow-through to get bullish again. The jobs report on Friday could finally help push the market into a new trend.

Bonds continue to rally!

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices were up, closing near $75 per barrel.
Natural Gas plunged, closing under $3.70; we could see a bounce next week.
Gold rallied, closing around $1237.
The US Dollar index was mostly unchanged, closing around 83.
The 30 year Bond rallied again, but dropped back down to around $134.

News:
U.S. economic growth slows to 1.6% in second quarter
Debt crisis just beginning, Morgan Stanley says
Intel cuts sales forecast citing weaker consumer PC market
Foreclosures drop, but new delinquencies rise
Existing-home sales plunge 27.2%
New-Home Sales Plunge 12.4% to All-Time Low in July
Housing's new nightmare

Fed ready to take 'unconventional measures'
Big investors go for gold, bonds
The Looming Battle for the Future of Mobile Devices

Stock Market Blog -Aug 22

Another down week in the market, as weekly jobless claims came in higher than expected, now back at 500,000! Energy and Financials led the way down this week, while Bonds rallied again.

Earnings season is pretty much over now, and so is the summer! September is just around the corner and so we'll see what's in store for the fall.

CRM, INTU, and MRVL surged this week.
MFE and POT also surged on takeover news.

New all time highs: AAP, AZO, BIDU, CRM, FDO, INTU, MCD, MO, PCLN
Also AGG, LQD (bonds), and AZK, EGO (gold)

ISRG and SHLD dropped.

New unemployment claims were up again, coming in at 500,000 (chart).
This week, eight more banks were shutdown by the FDIC! (list).

Next week: We get the usual Economic reports, including GDP and Consumer sentiment. Companies reporting earnings next week include BHP, JDSU, MDT,and NOVL. More Bond sales next week too.

Market commentary: We could continue to see more selling all the way back down to the early July low. There is still no clear direction at this point. If I were to guess, I think we might get an oversold bounce next week.

Bonds continue to rally!

Commodities (charts):
Oil prices dropped, closing near $74 per barrel.
Natural Gas dropped again, closing around $4.1.
Gold rallied, closing around $1227.
The US Dollar index was mostly unchanged, closing around 83.
The 30 year Bond rallied again, closing around $134.

News:
Dow and S&P Down for Second Week, NASDAQ Up
Weekly Jobless Claims Post Surprise Jump, Hit 500,000
It's doom and gloom all over again
US Says Bankruptcies Reach Nearly 5-Year High
A roster of dividend-paying stocks to consider

401(k) withdrawals spike
The age of no more tears investing (Bonds)
Treasury yields reach new lows on flight to safety
China Cuts Long-Term Treasuries By Most Ever as Yields Drop
China Passes Japan as Second-Largest Economy