Week-In-Review: Stocks End Mixed On Trump's 5th Week In Office

Stocks End Mixed On Trump’s 5th Week In Office

Stocks ended mixed to mostly higher on Trump’s 5th week in office. The relentless rally, coupled with the inability for stocks to fall in a meaningful fashion, illustrates how strong the bulls are right now. The more we scan the market and look at leading stocks, sectors and industry groups, the more this feels like the very early stages of a 1999/1929 style climax/blow-off top. Of course, we are open for any possible scenario that may unfold but, for now, we are in a very strong bull market and weakness should be bought, not sold. The major indices are very extended from nearly all moving averages and a nice light volume pullback would be healthy for this aging bull market. The strength is broad based as big money continues to flow into the major indices and several important sectors: Financials ($XLF), Materials ($XLB), Industrials ($XLI), Steel ($SLX), and Technology, just to name a few. As long as pullbacks remain very shallow in both size (small % decline) and scope (short in duration), the bulls remain in clear control of this market. The first level of support to watch is 10 day moving average, then the 21 DMA, then the 50 DMA for the major indices.

Mon-Wed Action:

Stocks were closed on Monday for Presidents’ Day. On Tuesday, stocks rallied nicely as investors continued to buy stocks. The White House announced Monday that Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster will become the new national security advisor. McMaster replaces Michael Flynn, who resigned last week. Economic news was light. The flash read on the IHS Markit U.S. purchasing managers’ index came in at 54.3 in February, falling slightly from January’s 14-month peak. The “latest survey data indicated that business optimism moderated among U.S. private sector firms in February, driven by weaker confidence across the service economy,” IHS said. Stocks were relatively quiet on Wednesday as investors digested the recent and very strong rally. The Fed Minutes hinted that more rate hikes may be on the horizon, especially if Trump’s policies do indeed spur economic growth. In economic news, weekly mortgage applications slid by 2% amid tepid refinancing levels. A separate report showed that existing home sales grew by 3.3% in January.

Thur & Fri Action:

Stocks were relatively quiet on Thursday after the new Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, said a “very significant” tax reform will be passed by August. Mnuchin said, “We’ve been working closely with the leadership in the House and the Senate and we’re looking at a combined plan.” Stocks have soared since the election, thanks, in part, to Trump’s pro-business policies, deregulation, and a big tax cut in the near future. Stocks slid on Friday as they pullback from very extended levels. Stocks opened lower and closed slightly higher on Friday as the bulls continue to buy nearly every dip in the market. President Trump signed another executive order which is designed to further cut regulations. Trump signed a regulatory reform task force which will evaluate major federal regulations and recommend whether to keep, repeal or change them.

Market Outlook: Strong Action Continues

The market remains strong as the major indices continue to hit fresh record highs. The bulls have a very strong fundamental backdrop of monetary and now fiscal policy. The ECB extended QE in December and will print another 2.4T to stimulate markets and the global economy. The U.S. Fed only raised rates once in 2016, by a quarter point to 0.50%, which, historically, is still very low. On the fiscal side, Trump’s pro-growth policies are received well. As always, keep your losses small and never argue with the tape.  Schedule a complimentary appointment today –  if you want Adam to manage your portfolio or talk about your investment needs. Visit: 50Park.com

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    Monday-Wednesday’s Action: Stocks Successfully Test Support!
    Over the weekend, EU leaders kicked the can down the road and reschedule yet another meeting on Wednesday to tackle their onerous debt levels. Elsewhere, shares of Catepillar Inc. (CAT) gapped up after topping Q3 estimates and raised their 2012 forecasts. The news on the M&A front was healthy- shares of RightNow Technologies (RNOW) and Healthspring Inc. (HS) gapped up after agreeing to be acquired on Monday.
    Stocks fell on Tuesday and turned negative for the week as investors digested the latest round of lackluster earnings and EU leaders kicked the can down the road. Since 2008, we have been telling clients that is impossible to solve a debt crisis with more debt! However, the cognoscenti feel otherwise and as always we shall let the markets guide us.The news from the economic front was less than stellar. Consumer confidence in the U.S. unexpectedly fell in October to the lowest level since March 2009, during the “Great Recession.” Separately, the S&P Case/Shiller index of home prices in 20 major U.S. cities fell and missed estimates in August which reiterates how weak the housing market is right now.
    Stocks bounced off support (SPX 1230) on Wednesday after Germany passed a plan to expand the EU bailout measure. In the U.S., durable goods topped estimates which bodes well for the economic recovery. Durable goods rose +1.7% in September which was the largest increase in six months and topped the +0.4% estimate. In other news, mortgage applications rose last week and recovered some of the losses from the previous week as demand for purchases and refinancing rose.
    Thursday & Friday’s Action: Risk Assets Surge on EU Deal!
    Stocks soared on Thursday after private lenders agreed to a 50% haircut on their Greek debt and EU leaders agreed to leverage the hell out of their EU bailout plan. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the EFSF (European bailout fund) will be leveraged 4-to-5 times in an attempt to curb their excessive debt woes. Sarkozy also spoke with Chinese leader Hu Jintao who offered to help Europe from imploding. Economic data in the U.S. was positive, the Labor Department said weekly jobless claims came in at 402,000 which barely beat expectations. More importantly, GDP jumped +2.5% last quarter which matched estimates and bodes well for the economic recovery. Stocks were relatively quiet on Friday after consumer spending rose but incomes remained lackluster.
    Market Outlook- Confirmed Rally:
    The major U.S. averages are back in a new confirmed rally and broke above the mid-point/resistance of their 6-week bullish double bottom base. The benchmark S&P 500 index scored a proper FTD on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, i.e. Day 12, when it rallied over 2% on heavier volume than the prior session. In addition, it is important to note that the bulls scored a victory since many of the major averages closed above their downward sloping 50 DMA lines for the first time since late July! Our longstanding clients/readers know, we like to filter out the noise and focus on what matters most: market action. If you are looking for specific help navigating this market, please contact us for more information.
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