Stocks and a slew of other “riskon” assets bounced from deeply oversold levels as hope spread that another round of global monetary easing will curb the economic slowdown across the globe. In early May, all the major averages sliced below their respective 50 DMA lines which prompted us to label this market “in a correction.” For the past few weeks, we have written about the importance of being defensive especially because the action in the major averages and a slew of leading stocks deteriorated. After the sharp fall, the bulls showed up and are doing their best to defend the longer term 200 DMA lines for the major averages. If that level is “broken” on a closing basis- then we have to expect another leg lower to begin.
Stocks rallied on Monday erasing earlier losses and marked Day 1 of a new rally attempt. Stocks looked passed a lackluster non-manufacturing PMI reading from China and were hopeful that the EU crisis was not deteriorating further. The CRB Commodity Index managed to snap a four day losing streak which also helped stocks rally. The euro, which is a great barometer for “riskon” assets, also rallied from deeply oversold levels which paved the way for a “riskon” day.
Stocks rallied on Tuesday after the latest round of economic data was mixed. European retail sales slid but non-manufacturing PMI improved marginally. Finance ministers from the G7 held an emergency teleconference but failed to come up with any ground breaking solutions. The latest ISM Services Index rose to 53.7 in May from 53.5 in April. Moody’s one of the popular rating agencies, slashed the ratings on several European banks.
Stocks extended their gains on Wednesday after the ECB held rates steady at 1% and optimism spread. The ECB held its key interest rate unchanged at 1% which matched expectations. ECB President Mario Draghi said the central bank will do its best to curb inflation but added that inflation pressures remain subdued. Draghi also said the ECB expects inflation should remain above 2% for the rest of 2012 and then fall to 1-2% in 2013.
Thursday & Friday’s Action- Stocks Slide As Enthusiasm Wanes:
Before Thursday’s open, China lowered their interest rates by 25 basis points to 6.31% to help boost their “sagging economy.” The PBC move was not expected and helped send a slew of risk assets higher. Janet Yellen, the vice chair of the Fed, gave a speech in Boston where she made a case for another round of monetary easing to protect and stimulate the US economy from the impact of the euro zone debt crisis. After the open, Bernanke testified before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee and reiterated his recent stance regarding continued “downside” risks to the economy and capital markets. In European news, Spain has not yet requested assistance from the ECB and has resisted being placed under international supervision. However, Reuters reported that both German and European Union officials are urgently searching for solutions to their onerous debt problems. Stocks sold off in the final hour after the U.S. Fed boosted capital requirements for several of the country’s largest banks. Stocks rallied on Friday as enthusiasm regarding the global economy improved.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010 Market Commentary: Stocks scored a follow-through day (FTD) on the fourth day of their latest rally attempt as volume, a critical component of institutional sponsorship, topped Tuesday’s levels. Advancers trumped decliners by over a 5-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and over a 3-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq exchange. However, there were only 7 high-ranked…
Market Tests Major Support Ahead of Short Holiday Week Friday was the last trading day for the month and quarter. After the dust settled the market ended mixed for the month and slightly higher for the quarter. The big theme for Q2 was a bifurcated market whereby we saw strength in the Small Cap Russell…
Bulls Back In The Driver’s Seat The stock market remains exceptionally strong. Once again, the latest pullback was another strong buying opportunity. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq Composite, and benchmark S&P 500 are all back above near-term support and, once again, flirting with new highs. This was another shallow/healthy pullback in both size (small…
Thursday, March 31, 2011 Stock Market Commentary: Stocks were quiet on Thursday as the major averages enjoyed their best Q1 since 1999 and traders awaited Friday’s much anticpated jobs report. It was encouraging to see a slew of leading stocks and the benchmark S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq composite, and small cap Russell 2000…
Market Outlook- Rally Under Pressure!
The major averages confirmed their latest rally attempt on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 which was the 11th day of their latest rally attempt. However, since then, they have gone virtually “no where” which puts the current rally under pressure. It is important to note that all major rallies in history began with a FTD however not every FTD leads to a new rally (i.e. several FTDs fail). In addition, it is important to note that the major averages still are under pressure as they are all trading below their longer and shorter term moving averages (50 and 200 DMA lines) and are all still negative year-to-date. Our longstanding clients/readers know, we like to filter out the noise and focus on what matters most: market action. This rally will fail if/when August’s lows are breached. Until then, the bulls deserve the benefit of the doubt. If you are looking for specific help navigating this market, please contact us for more information.
The Tape Is Weak In a normal, non easy money world, we would say the market is tracing out a classic topping pattern and the days are numbered for this bull market. Last week we saw several major global central banks become “less dovish.” That doesn’t mean they won’t announce more easy money if markets…
