Bounce to Continue. Yellen, Draghi & Harvey
We have several crosscurrents to end the week. Before I get to them, while I believe that stocks remain in pullback mode, I do not think that the bounce I wrote about on Tuesday is over just yet. There should be some more upside left. I am slightly encouraged by the very short-term strength in the Russell 2000 although it is about to test the underside of its long-term trend, also known as the 200 day moving average. That could […]
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Date: August 25, 2017
Bounce Coming But Pullback Still Secure
While the short-term pullback continues, stocks are seesawing back and forth and are “supposed” to bounce here. For the past two trading days, the bears were unable to follow through from Thursday’s decline and fought the bulls to a draw. Unless we are looking at something bigger on the downside than I expect, we should see the bulls step up in a small way. It will be interesting and perhaps telling to see which of the major indices lead and […]
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Date: August 22, 2017
As Expected, Pullback Continues
All month I have been writing about a short-term pullback for stocks. Nothing huge. Just your garden variety 3-5% bout of weakness which could overshoot. This coming from someone who has been bullish all year on stocks. I won’t reanalyze what I have already written several times, but here are a few reasons. The Dow Industrials were off on their own island of strength while the mid and small caps were in decline. Dow Transports were even weaker. Sentiment surveys […]
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Date: August 18, 2017
Energy Collapse. An Opportunity?
Stocks continue to bounce after the tensions with North Korea have quieted for now. As I have written about before, I think the stock market used North Korea as its catalyst or excuse to pullback. The underpinnings were a little weak and a little decline was coming regardless. My thoughts remain the same that the pullback is not over and the major indices will need to step it up sooner than later to revisit the old highs. Every now and […]
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Date: August 17, 2017
Big Day for the Bulls But No All Clear Yet
Stocks bounced very strongly on Monday led by banks, semis and transports which just happen to be three out of four of my key sectors. That’s one for the bulls. The beaten down Russell 2000 index of small caps led the major indices higher and that’s another good sign for the bulls as the Dow Industrials definitely lagged the rally. While participation was decent, the number of stocks hitting new highs and new lows was not encouraging as they were […]
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Date: August 15, 2017
Stocks to Bounce But Pullback Not Over
In part II of the piece I started last Friday, I turn to the market evidence supporting the 3-5% pullback I have been discussing all month. While tensions with North Korea have quieted down over the weekend and global stocks are sharply higher, I do not believe the pullback is over. Now, if the five major indices scream right back to new highs and sector leadership is strong, I will clearly be wrong in this call, but I am willing […]
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Date: August 14, 2017
North Korea was the Excuse
While North Korea is now front and center in the mainstream news as well as the financial news and the financial markets are now fixated on North Korea, the stock market was already positioned to retreat for the past few weeks. It was just looking for a catalyst. I started writing about the likelihood of a pullback beginning in late July as you can read, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. As you know, I have been resoundingly bullish all year and […]
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Date: August 11, 2017
Short-Term Pullback in Motion
Over the past week or so, I have gone from a trading range view with perhaps a slightly upward bias to a mild pullback of 3-5%. That’s where I stand today. Stocks sold off very hard on a relative basis from noon to the close on Tuesday as the saber rattling between the U.S. and North Korea continued. President Trump kicked it up a notch. Regardless of the news, the markets were already in a position to pullback as I […]
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Date: August 9, 2017
Economy Good. Markets Less So.
On Friday, the Department of Labor reported that the economy created 209,000 new jobs, which was 26,000 better than expected. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, the lowest level in 16 years. This is just another statistic that supports my thesis that economy is in better shape than the masses realize. You wouldn’t conclude this if you spent your day watching TV. Reality over rhetoric. I don’t care if this is coincidental, Trump’s doing or lack of doing or Congress. […]
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Date: August 8, 2017
Growing Concerns
As the title suggests, I am more worried now than I have been in a while, however, it needs to be taken in context. I really haven’t worried at all lately and I absolutely do not believe the bull market is over or close to being over. I don’t even believe the stock market is starting a 10%+ correction. My theme of late has been that of a trading range environment, but I now think that it may morph into […]
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Date: August 3, 2017
