SPX Day 1 Of a New Rally Attempt Friday, November 16, 2012 Stock Market Commentary:
The major averages ended the week lower as they continue tracing out their 9-week downtrend (series of lower highs and lower lows) helping the bears remain in clear control of this market. It is important to note that the market is “oversold” and due for a bounce. Keep in mind that oversold markets can get a lot more oversold before they bounce. Friday marked Day 1 of a New Rally Attempt which means that the earliest a possible follow-through day could occur, to confirm this rally attempt, will be Wednesday, providing that Friday’s lows are not breached. If the lows are taken out, then odds favor lower, not higher prices, will follow and the day count will be reset. The path of least resistance is down until the major averages confirm their latest rally attempt. The pullback has now officially turned into a correction evidenced by the fact that several major averages are now more than 10% below their recent highs. So far, the reaction to earnings has been outright awful which suggests investors are not happy with the results or the implications for the future. To be clear, we expect a solution to the fiscal cliff and most likely stocks will rally on that news. If they don’t, that will be extremely bearish. Once that rally occurs we can analyze the rally but shall remain patient to see if a new uptrend emerges or if the stubborn two month downtrend continues.
On Monday, stocks opened higher but quickly turned negative as investors continued to wait for Washington D.C. to resolve the looming fiscal cliff. News from overseas was mixed to slightly better than expected. Japan said its economy contracted by -0.9% in Q3 which sparked concern that the Japanese economy will join Europe and fall into a recession in the near future. Meanwhile, China said its trade surplus topped estimates in October which was a welcomed sign. Concerns from Europe eased a bit after Greece approved its 2013 budget which was the next step for the debt-laden country to receive the next round of bailout funds. The big headline in the US occurred after Jefferies Group (JEF) agreed to be acquired by Leucadia National (LUK) for $3.7 billion. Leucadia National is a smaller version of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKA) and nicknamed “Baby Berkshire.”
Stocks opened lower but closed higher on Tuesday as optimism spread that the Fiscal Cliff will be resolved sooner rather than later. Overnight, futures were down sharply after concern spread regarding Greece’s ability to meet its debt obligations and Germany’s economy edged lower. The German ZEW economic expectations index missed estimates (for a decline of -10) and fell -15.7 in November which was worse than October’s already low reading of -11.5. Germany is the strongest economy in Europe and any weakness from them bodes poorly for the Eurozone’s ability to get out of its recession and return to growth. In other news, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF and Jean-Claude Juncker, Chair of the Eurogroup, disagreed publicly over the deadline for Greece to lower its debt levels.
Stocks fell hard on Wednesday after President Obama held his first press conference since the election and made it clear that he wants to resolve the fiscal cliff but I felt there was not enough “urgency” in his stance. That said, I do feel as we get closer to the deadline D.C. will put together a last minute solution of some kind. Until then, uncertainty reigns supreme. October retail sales fell by -0.3% which just missed the Street’s estimate for -0.2% decline. The producer price index slid by -0.2% which was lower than the Street’s estimate for a gain of 0.1%. This bodes well for anyone that is concerned about inflation. Finally, the FOMC released the minutes of their latest meeting which showed continued concern regarding US economic growth and the jobs market.
Thursday & Friday’s Action- Stocks Continue To Slide
Before Thursday’s open, the Labor Department said weekly initial jobless claims soared to 439k which was sharply higher than the Street’s expectation for 388k. The sharp increase was due to Superstorm Sandy. The Consumer price index rose by +0.1% which matched estimates. The Empire Manufacturing Survey fell to -5.2 in November which was slightly better than October’s reading of -6.2. The Philly Fed Factory index fell to -10.7 in November which missed estimates and was lower than October’s reading of 5.7. A report from Europe showed that the eurozone fell into a second recession in three years. Stocks ended higher on Friday as investors were hopeful that D.C. will resolve the Fiscal Cliff before the deadline.
Market Outlook- Downtrend:
From our perspective, the market is in a clear downtrend and has now entered correction territory as the major averages continue to fall. On October 9, we said “the rally was under pressure” and then said the “rally was over” on Oct 19. Since then, stocks have gone straight down and a lot of technical damage has occurred. We will turn more bullish once the major averages confirm a new rally attempt and then trade back above their respective down trendlines and 50 DMA lines. As always, keep your losses small and never argue with the tape.
STOCK MARKET COMMENTARY: FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013 For the second straight week the bulls defend three important areas of support for the major averages: 50 DMA line, 6-month upward trendline, & April’s high. So far, every pullback this year continues to be very shallow in both size (% decline) and scope (relatively short) which bodes…
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Market Commentary: US stocks ended higher on the tenth anniversary of the 2000 dot-com bubble. Volume, a critical gauge of institutional demand, was reported mixed compared to the prior session; higher on the Nasdaq exchange and lower on the NYSE. Advancers led decliners by a 2-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by nearly a 2-to-1 margin on the Nasdaq exchange. There were 50 high-ranked…
Market Outlook- In A Correction:
The major U.S. averages are back in a “correction” as they continue to flirt and in some cases hit fresh 2011 lows. Allow us to be clear: If all the major averages break below their 2011 lows, then we will likely see another leg down. Please, trade accordingly! Several high ranked leaders violated their respective 50 DMA lines in late September which bodes poorly for the bulls and suggests the bears are getting stronger. The latest follow-through day (FTD) which began on August 23, 2011 has officially ended which means we will begin “counting” days before a new rally can be confirmed. In addition, it is important to note that the bears remain in control of this market until the major averages trade above their longer and shorter term moving averages (50 & 200 DMA lines). 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.
Save Over 50%!
Limited-Time Offer!
www.FindLeadingStocks.com
The market is currently in a correction which, according to historical precedent, suggests 3 out of 4 stocks will follow the market lower until a new follow-through day emerges. That said, taking the appropriate action on a case-by-case basis with your stocks prompts investors to raise cash when any holdings start getting in trouble. It is also important to note that the major averages have experienced multiple “corrections” since the March 2009 lows and each one has been mild at best (less than a -10% decline from the recent high). Therefore, it will be very interesting to see how low this correction goes before the bulls show up and defend support (if that happens).
Additionally, it is important to note that the market can go much lower (or higher) than anyone thinks; so it is of the utmost importance to filter out the “noise” and carefully analyze price and volume for the best read on the health of the market.
Stocks End Month Mixed; Quarter Higher Stocks ended mixed in September and higher for the quarter. Volatility, which had been muted since Brexit, jumped last month as stocks traded all over the map. At this point, the big take-away is the Fed (and other central banks) stepped in for the umpteenth time and did their best…
JULY 4TH SALE! GET 3 MONTHS FREE (~$300 VALUE) WHEN YOU JOIN OR UPGRADE ANY PLAN ON FINDLEADINGSTOCKS 72-Hrs Only! Stocks Surge To Fresh Record Highs Stocks soared to fresh record highs during the first week of Q3. The market remains exceptionally strong in all three time-frames: short, intermediate and long. In the short term, the major averages…
