Stock Market Blog -Nov 24th

The market closed at new all time highs again this week, with the DOW closing over 16,000 for the first time ever! Gold dropped again. We head into a shortened trading week for the Thanksgiving holiday, which marks another year for this non-stop market rally..

New all time highs:    AMZN, ABC, BIIB, CMCSA, CVS, CELG, CL, GILD, DIS, DAL, LMT, MMM, TWC, YUM, PG, UPS, and more...
All time lows:  ... 

Pops:   GMCR, LZB       Drops:  BBY, CPB, DLTR, GME, LOW, ROST

Next week:  Economic reports 

Earnings next week:   HPQ

Market Commentary

The rally continues... same comments as last week!   "Everyone has been expecting a correction, so maybe that's why we haven't seen one! Maybe next week -maybe not. For the trend traders, stick with the trend. For the contrarians, hang in there! Volatility is very low, so there are some potential Options opportunities in the VIX products, or in shorting the market indexes using Option spreads (SPY, SSO, IWM, etc).

5 year rally

This week's charts:

S&P 500 -all time high again!
10yr Interest Rates
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was mostly unchanged, closing near $94.84 -holding under $100
Natural Gas was up, closing near $3.77
Gold dropped again, closing at $1244
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $131.90
The US Dollar was mostly unchanged, closing near 80.74

NEWS:

S&P 500 ends above 1,800 for first time; healthcare leads
Dow 20,000 here we come: It’s different this time
U.S. Stocks Close to Scoring 'Perfect 10' for 2013
What you can learn from naysaying short sellers
Short sellers see once in a lifetime opportunity—if they can survive
Real Jobless Rate 11.8% Excluding Labor Force Exodus
 ETFs That Act Like Bonds, Not (Ugh) Bond Funds

Watch out, Apple! Here come Chinese smartphones
Boeing warns of engine risk on 747-8s, Dreamliners
J.C. Penney dropped from S&P 500 index
Bargain hunters get ready to buy gold
Maria Bartiromo to Leave CNBC for Fox Business

Stock Market Blog -Nov 17th

The market continued to rise to all time highs this week (DOW & S&P500). The DOW is approaching 16000, and the S&P500 is now just under1800. I expect we'll cross both of those levels next week. Gold regained some ground, while Oil dropped again.

CSCO dropped after reporting earnings. KSS dropped too.

New all time highs:    AMZN, BA, CRM, CVS, FDX, KORS, LOW, PG, MMM, NKE, STZ, and many more...
All time lows:  ... 

Pops:     Drops:  CSCO,

Next week: Economic reports 

 Earnings next week: Retailers reporting next week... HD, BBY, etc.

PG, DIS, and MMM -all time highs -are these growth stocks?

Market Commentary

The rally continues! Everyone has been expecting a correction, so maybe that's why we haven't seen one! Maybe next week -maybe not. For the trend traders, stick with the trend. For the contrarians, hang in there! Volatility is very low, so there are some potential Options opportunities in the VIX products, or in shorting the market indexes using Option srpeads (SPY, SSO, IWM, etc).

This week's charts:

S&P 500 -all time high!
10yr Interest Rates
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $93.84 -holding under $100
Natural Gas was up, closing near $3.66
Gold was up a bit, closing at $1287
The 30 year Bond was up, closing near $132.53
The US Dollar dropped, closing near 80.90

NEWS:

Dow and S&P end at record highs
Dow, S&P 500 rise for 6th consecutive week
The strangest bull market ever
When Bonds Call the Tune, It Could Get Ugly
Ride the bull for 2 more years: Strategist (video)
Strong quarter, falling stock: 11 disconnects to watch 

Unappreciated by Street, charts say buy
Exxon top energy gainer after Buffett takes stake
Will Google Docs kill off Microsoft Office?
Come On, Apple Fans, It's Time To Admit That The Company Is Blowing It
Is gold ready to turn a corner?
China unveils boldest reforms in decades, shows Xi in command

Stock Market Blog -Nov 10th

The market dropped, then rallied back up the next day on a better than expected Jobs report. The Unemployment rate rose slightly to 7.3%. GDP also came in better than expected at 2.8%.

Twitter dropped a bit after its IPO high. AAPL seems to be stuck around the $525 level, while FB is still dropping from its peak in October. TSLA had a baaad week.

Gold dropped below $1300 again, and Bonds dropped as well.

New all time highs:    AMP, ABC, ENDP, MMM, PRGO, STZ
All time lows:  ... 

Pops:     Drops:  ANF, SCTY, TSLA, WEN, WFM 

Next week: Economic reports 

 Earnings next week:

Mon - RAX

Tue - DNDN

Wed - CSCO,  NTAP

Thu - WMT, A

Fri - 

Mortgage REITs: Last Chance to Exit?

Market Commentary

The market started to show signs of a breakdown, then recovered after the monthly Jobs report and GDP numbers.  Still, the S&P500 seems to be stuck in the 1770 range for the past two weeks, and the Small Caps (IWM) haven't  recovered from their recent sell-off. Earnings season is pretty much over, so look for news to drive the market over the next few weeks. Some of the recent leaders have started selling off as well. I'm leaning to the short side.

\This week's charts:

S&P 500 -holding up so far...
10yr Interest Rates
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was mostly unchanged, closing near $94.60 -holding under $100
Natural Gas was mostly unchanged, closing near $3.56
Gold dropped, closing at $1284
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $131.75
The US Dollar was up, closing near 81.38

NEWS:

Stocks up on jobs; Dow ends at record high and S&P not far behind (video)
Bulls run to rescue the market — too late
Despite Mixed Headlines, Today’s Jobs Report is Still a Bummer
The odd October jobs report: The US government shutdown failed to shutdown the US economy
Economy grew 2.8% in the third quarter
Week ahead: Stocks ride tailwind, but watch for rising rates

Are we drowning in stocks?
Treasury vs. Fed: Who's right on the economy? (video)
PRECIOUS-Gold drops to 3-week low on ECB rate cut, US GDP
Gold Set to Plunge to Its Final Bottom

Stock Market Blog -Nov 3rd

We got a little pullback this week as AAPL and FB  sentiment seemed a little negative after reporting earnings. Crude, Oil, Gold, and the Euro all dropped, along with Bonds. More than half of the companies have reported earnings now, so that's becoming less significant for determining market direction.

AAPL, FB, and LNKD all had disappointing price reactions after reporting earnings. HPQ rallied on Friday. SNE and AVP sank.

New all time highs:    ABC, BA, CBS, CMCSA, DAL, FDX, NWSA, TJX, PRGO
All time lows:  ... 

Pops:     Drops:  AVP, CMI, SNE, SOHU

Next week: Economic reports   Monthly Jobs report on Friday
 Earnings next week:

Mon - 

Tue - TSLA

Wed - QCOM, WFM

Thu - DIS, PCLN

Fri - 

Market Commentary

MACD divergence and a weak RSI might point to further weakness in AAPL. The market in general could be setting up for a pause in the rally. The monthly Jobs report on Friday could move the market too. If this price channel pattern which started earlier this year continues, we should see another pullback over the next few weeks.

This week's charts:

S&P 500 -where next?
10yr Interest Rates
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped again, closing near $94.61 -holding under $100
Natural Gas dropped, closing near $3.51
Gold dropped, closing at $1313
The 30 year Bond was mostly unchanged, closing near $135.75
The US Dollar was up, closing near 80.81

NEWS:

Week ahead: Jobs report and a lot more (video)
Trading this week's jobs report (video)
The Dangers of a Stock Market Melt-Up
Fed’s Bubble Alarm Stuck on Snooze
Expect Debt Defaults to Go from a Trickle to a Torrent
Here's how Bill Gross is playing post-Fed market
Rich families hoarding cash: Citi
Are China’s Banks Next?

Stock Market Blog -Oct 27th

The market rally continued this week, with the S&P500 chart approaching the upper end of the price range. The delayed monthly jobs report again showed less jobs created than were expected. On the earnings front, AMZN, BA, F, MSFT, and NFLX all reported great numbers.  Gold rallied, Oil finally dropped under $100, Bonds were up, and the US Dollar dropped.

The debt clock (on the left) is now over the $17,000,000,000,000 mark!

New all time highs:    IWM, SPY -AXP, AMZN, BA,CMCSA , COP, DAL, DIS, CMG, FDX, GILD, GOOG, LOW, V, XLY, and more...
All time lows:  ... 

Pops:  AAP, AMZN, GLW, MSFT, ZNGA   Drops:  AKAM, CREE, CAT, NFLX,

Next week: Economic reports   Fed meeting!
 Earnings next week:

Mon - AAPL, BIIB, MRK

Tue - AET, BP, BIDU, PFE, LNKD

Wed - FB, GM, V

Thu - AAP, COP, SBUX, MA, NEM, XOM

Fri - CVX

Market Commentary

The rally continues, but we are approaching the high end of the range in this wide 'up-channel'. A flood of earnings reports will help fuel market direction, and possibly news from the Fed  meeting. AAPL reports earnings on Monday, and could move the NASDAQ as well. Look for FB on Wednesday too.

This week's charts:

S&P 500 -All time high!
10yr Interest Rates
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $97.85 -finally under $100!
Natural Gas dropped a bit, closing near $3.70
Gold rallied, closing at $1352
The 30 year Bond rallied, closing near $135.35
The US Dollar dropped, closing near 79.24

NEWS:

Wall Street Week Ahead: Focus on Facebook, Apple and the Fed
Stock-market bulls face hurdles in the week ahead
Apple is Monday’s stock to watch as results loom
Why the S&P 500 is beating the Dow
Five warning signs that stocks could be getting too bubbly

$3.5 trillion so far, and more ahead for buybacks
Amazon Stock May Be Up, but the Company Still Doesn’t Make Any Money
Oil rebounds as traditional fundamentals reassert themselves
iPad mini with Retina display nearly double the cost of Google Nexus 7

Stock Market Blog -Oct 20th

The market rallied this week after the Debt Ceiling and the Government shutdown issues were resolved (for now). A huge rally in GOOG helped the NASDAQ as well. Both the S&P500 and the small-cap Russell 2000 (IWM) closed at all time highs! Bonds and Gold rallied too -interesting! Oil dropped.

AMZN, BIDU, CMG, FB, GOOG, and NFLX  hit new all time highs. IBM and UNH dropped after reporting earnings  (This was the sixth quarterly decline in a row for IBM’s revenues ).

New all time highs:    IWM, SPY -AXP, AMZN, BIDU, CELG, COP, CMG, GILD, GOOG, FB, NFLX, SBUX, V and more...
All time lows:  JCP, 

Pops:  AAP, AMZN, GOG, CMG, SNDK   Drops:  ARIA -again, UNH

Next week: Economic reports   Tuesday -overdue monthly jobs report
 Earnings next week:

Mon -DFS, MCD, NFLX, TXN, VMW

Tue - AMGN, TRV, UTX, FCX

Wed - T, BA, CAT

Thu - AMZN, F, MSFT, MMM,

Fri - PG, UPS, SPG

Market Commentary

We got another big rally this week with the S&P500 now hitting all time highs. Next week will be another big week for earnings. As volatility drops back to the low end, maybe we'll see  a setup for another pullback, and a time to book some profits. Some of the DOW stocks are very richly valued too. The gold mining stocks started to lift from a long sell-off this week so keep an eye on them too (or the ETFs like GDX, GDXJ).

This week's charts:

S&P 500 -All time high!
10yr Interest Rates
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $100.81 -still over $100
Natural Gas dropped a bit, closing near $3.76
Gold rallied, closing at $1314
The 30 year Bond rallied, closing near $134.09
The US Dollar dropped, closing near 79.72

NEWS:

S&P breaks record, Google's stock tops $1,000 on earnings
Will Earnings Season Kill the Stock Market Rally?
Google tops $1,000 after blowout quarter
Apple's iPad problem: A 27% sales drop
Buckle up: Here come the economic data
JPMorgan close to $13 billion mortgage settlement

Is Nike A Decent Long-Term Buy?
Why Are Solar Stocks Taking Off?
Gas Prices Could Dip Below $3 by Year-End: Lutz
China logs best growth so far this year

Stock Market Blog -Oct 13th

This week we saw a 'V' reversal in the market -let's see if it holds up next week. Gold dropped below $1300 this week, and Oil looks like it wants to dip below $100 finally. The government shutdown continues, and the debt ceiling comes to a head this week. Stay alert!

New all time highs:    AMP, CTSH, COP, STZ, SAVE, WFM

All time lows:  

Pops:  --   Drops:  ARIA, CTXS, MU, YUM

Next week: Economic reports   -Options expiration on Friday -Debt ceiling issue?
 Earnings next week:

Mon -

Tue - C, INTC, KO, JNJ, YHOO

Wed - AXP, BAC, EBAY, IBM

Thu - GOOG, GS, LVS, UNH, VZ

Fri - GE, MS

Market Commentary

Lots of action next week -debt ceiling debacle, earnings reports, and option expiration. We will probably see more volatility. The market saw a strong rally over the past two days -we could see more, or the exact opposite. There really is no way to assess the next move from here, so use the high volatility to your advantage and maybe sell both sides of the market with Iron Condors.

This week's charts:

S&P 500 -what's next?
10yr Interest Rates 
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $101.84 -still over $100
Natural Gas rallied, closing near $3.83
Gold dropped below $1300, closing at $1270
The 30 year Bond was mostly unchanged, closing near $132.84
The US Dollar was up a bit, closing near 80.38

NEWS:
Which Stocks Look Ready to Surge or Sink After Earnings Next Week?
Is The Equity Market's Day Of Reckoning Beckoning?

What’s happening in the Treasury bill market today should terrify you

Stock Market Blog -Oct 6

The market was down slightly for the week, as the government shutdown continues. Bonds were mostly unchanged, so was Gold, while Oil rallied a bit. Looks like we're in wait & see mode.  FB is holding up above $50 so far.  TSLA dipped, but rallied back on Friday.  PCLN is holding up above $1000 per share.

DG and DLTR are at all time highs -a reflection of the economy?

New all time highs:    CELG, DG, DLTR, DAL, MYL, STZ, 
All time lows:  JCP

Pops:  --   Drops:  JCP

Next week: Economic reports   
Earnings:  AA kicks off earnings this week. Also COST, YUM, JPM and WFC.

Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Market Commentary

We're at a support level here in the S&P500 so we could bounce up from this recent sell-off. October could be a volatile month, especially with earnings around the corner, so be careful. The longer term trend is still up, and we're holding just above the 50MA on the S&P500.

Options Implied Volatility is on the rise, so it's a good time to sell options or option spreads.

This week's charts:

S&P 500 -rally up next, or breakdown?
10yr Interest Rates 
Labor Force Participation Rate (10yr chart)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up, closing near $103.84 -still over $100
Natural Gas dropped, closing near $3.50
Gold was down slightly, closing at $1310
The 30 year Bond was mostly unchanged, closing near $132.97
The US Dollar dropped a bit, closing near 80.22

NEWS:
Stocks bounce back after steep slide
Trading Radar: Prepare for Third Quarter Earnings Next Week!
Wall Street digs in for a debt default
Companies are stashing away billions overseas
Forget Apple, Google…this is Nasdaq 2.0
Five years after crisis, families are hoarding cash