Week-In-Review: Stocks Bounce As Investors Wait For A Tax Cut

Stocks Bounce As Bulls Quell Bearish Pressure- For Now

Stocks rallied last week after the narrative in D.C. shifted toward a tax cut. Technically, as long as Monday’s low holds, this appears to be another short-term and shallow pullback. The major indices are tracing out a new early entry (downward trendline) and a break above that level will trigger a new technical buy signal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average & the benchmark S&P 500 snapped a two-week losing streak as investors grew hopeful that the White House will be able to cut taxes. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite and the Small-Cap Russell 2000 both snapped a 4-week losing streak as buyers showed up and quelled the bearish pressure. Finally, the Dow Jones Transportation Index continues to woefully under-perform its peers and is flirting with major support (recent lows). The fact that the transports continues to under-perform bodes poorly for both Wall Street and Main Street.

Mon-Wed Action:

Monday was a near term low for stocks as the market opened lower but closed higher. Whenever that happens, after a few week decline, that usually means the market is ready to turn higher. Thankfully, the political rhetoric eased considerably and investors turned their focus to a tax cut which is a net positive for the economy. Separately, President Donald Trump presented a strategy for the war in Afghanistan and possible engagement in South Asia. The U.S. and South Korea also engaged in war games on Monday in a strategy to deter North Korea. Stocks soared nearly 200 points on Tuesday after buyers showed up and short sellers covered their shorts. The primary catalyst for the strong rally was renewed hope that the White House will be able to cut taxes. Stocks slid on Wednesday after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite rallied into their respective 50 day moving average lines – which was near term resistance.

Thur & Fri Action:

Stocks edged higher on Thursday as investors waited to hear from global central banks at their annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Economic news was light, initial jobless claims rose by 2k to 234k just below the Street’s estimate for 238k. Stocks were quiet on Friday as the market waited to hear what the Central Banks had to say from the Jackson Hole meeting.

Market Outlook: Pull-back Mode

So far, it appears a near term low was placed on Monday. Going forward, as long as stocks trade above Monday’s low, this appears to be another nice shallow pullback. As always, keep your losses small and never argue with the tape. Get Our Free e-Book: Learn How To Buy Leading Stocks…EARLY. Get It Here…

Similar Posts

  • Stocks Slide on On Libya Woes

    Market Action- Confirmed Rally; Week 26 Ends
    It was encouraging to see the bulls show up and defend the major averages’ respective 50 DMA lines in November as this market proves resilient and simply refuses to go down. From our point of view, the market remains in a confirmed rally until those levels are breached. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite and small-cap Russell 2000 indexes continue to lead evidenced by their shallow correction and strong recovery. However, it is important to note that stocks are a bit extended here and a pullback of some sort (back to the 50 DMA lines) would do wonders to restore the health of this bull market. If you are looking for specific high ranked ideas, please contact us for more information.
    Are You Looking For Someone To Manage Your Money?
    Our Private Wealth Management Services Can Help You!

  • Day 11: Stocks Consolidate Recent Move

    Looking at the market, Friday marked day 11 of a new rally attempt which means that as long as the February 5th lows are not breached the window remains open for a new follow-through day (FTD) to emerge. A new follow-through day will confirm the current rally attempt and will be produced when one of the major averages rallies at least +1.7% on higher volume than the prior session as a new batch of leaders break out of fresh bases. However, if the February 5, 2010 lows are breached then the day count will be reset and a steeper correction may unfold. So far, the market’s reaction has been tepid at best to the latest round of economic and earnings data which remains a concern. Remember that the market remains in a correction until a new new follow-through day emerges. Until then, patience is king.

  • Stocks End Week Mixed As Earnings Season Officially Begins

    Friday, July 13, 2012 Stock Market Commentary: Stocks and a slew of other “risk-on” assets spent most of the week in the red before staging a strong rally on Friday to help send them into positive territory. The big catalyst for the week was stronger-than-expected earnings reports from US companies, especially JP Morgan (JPM) and Wells…

  • Stocks Down; Dollar Up

    Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Market Commentary: The major averages, US Treasuries, the euro and a slew of commodities pulled back as the dollar advanced after Portugal’s debt was downgraded by Fitch.The volume total on the NYSE was about even compared to Monday’s totals, while volume was reported slightly higher on the Nasdaq exchange. Decliners led advancers by more than…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *