Stagflation Woes In Europe Weigh On Markets

Gold- Strong Breakout This Week
Gold- Strong Breakout This Week

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Stock Market Commentary:

Stocks and a slew of other risk assets were mixed on Thursday after fear spread that European economies were headed for a double dip recession and stagflation. The primary catalysts for the risk on trade was the ECB relief long term loan package in December 2011 and the continued strength in the U.S. (and by extension the global) economy in recent weeks. From our point of view, the major averages confirmed their latest rally attempt on Tuesday 1.3.12 which was Day 9 of their current rally attempt. It was also encouraging to see the S&P 500 break above its downward trendline and its longer term 200 DMA line. Looking forward, the S&P 500 has done a great job staying above its Q4 2011 high (~1292) and is now doing its best to stay above 1356 which corresponds with July’s high. The next level of resistance is 2011’s high just above 1370. The bulls remain in control as long as the benchmark S&P 500 trades above 1292 and then its 200 DMA line. Looking forward, one can err on the long side as long as the benchmark S&P 500 remains above support (1292). Leadership continues to improve which is another healthy sign

Stagflation in Europe Weighs On Markets; U.S. Economic Data Tops Estimates

Before Thursday’s open, a report was released that forecasts the 27-nations in the European Union, which are responsible for a fifth of the global economy, to experience stagflation in 2012. Stagflation is a situation in which one’s economy is stagnate, if not contracts, coupled with high unemployment and higher inflation. The report expects the euro-zone to fall into a recession in 2012 which would be the first time the EU was in a recession since the Great recession in 2009. Economic data in the U.S. continued to be positive. The Labor Department said weekly jobless claims were unchanged at 351,000 which beat the Street’s estimate for a slight gain to 354,000. Needless to say, this bodes well for both the U.S. and global economy.

Market Outlook- Confirmed Rally

Risk assets (stocks, FX, and commodities) have been acting better since the latter half of December and are extended by any normal measure. All this means is that the odds for a pullback increase. However, markets can very easily go from overbought to extremely overbought. As always, keep your losses small and never argue with the tape. If you are looking for specific help navigating this market, feel free to contact us for more information. That’s what we are here for!
 

Similar Posts

  • Stocks Turn Negative For The Week

    Market Outlook- Confirmed Rally:
    The major U.S. averages are back in a new confirmed rally and broke above resistance of their 6-week 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. The next important area of resistance is its longer term 200 DMA line. 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.
    Visit:
    FindLeadingStocks.com

  • Stocks Rally On E.U. Optimism

    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. 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 several distribution days emerge or 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.

  • Stocks Smacked as Germany Adds To EU Woes

    Market Outlook- In A Correction:
    The major U.S. averages are still in a “correction” as they continue to bounce towards resistance of their 2-month base. The latest follow-through day (FTD) which began on August 23, 2011 has officially ended which means we will continue “counting” days before a new rally can be confirmed. 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! The next stop is September’s highs and then their 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.
    Fall Sale- We Will Double Your Order!!!
    Limited-Time Offer!
    www.FindLeadingStocks.com
    On Tap This Week:
    MONDAY: Industrial production, Fed’s Lacker and Evans speak; Earnings from IBM
    TUESDAY: PPI, treasury international capital, housing market index, Bernanke speaks; Earnings from BofA, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, J&J, Apple, Intel, CSX and Yahoo
    WEDNESDAY: Weekly mortgage apps, CPI, housing starts, Fed’s Rosengren speaks, oil inventories, Fed’s Beige Book; Earnings from Morgan Stanley, Travelers, United Tech, AmEx, Ebay, Western Digital
    THURSDAY: Jobless claims, existing home sales, Philadelphia Fed survey, leading indicators, Fed’s Bullard and Kocherlakota speak, NewsCorp investor day; Earnings from AT&T, Eli Lilly, Nokia, AutoNation, Microsoft, Capital One, Chipotle and SanDisk
    FRIDAY: Fed’s Kocherlakota speaks, 2011 Dodd-Frank Rulemaking Deadline; Earnings from GE, McDonald’s, Verizon, Honeywell and Schlumberger
    Source: CNBC.com

  • Stocks Fall After 2-Week Winning Streak

    Friday, December 16, 2011 Stock Market Commentary: For the week, most risk assets ended lower after European leaders failed to make any significant headway in their latest meeting. From our point of view, the market is back in a correction as the latest follow-through day (FTD) failed after the benchmark S&P 500 sliced below its 50 DMA line….

  • Week 1 of 2010; Stocks Rally

    However, after all was said and done, stocks remain strong as investors digested the latest round of economic data. The benchmark S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, NYSE composite, mid-cap S&P 400, small-cap Russell 2000 and small-cap S&P 600 indices all enjoyed fresh recovery closing highs in the first week of 2010 and the tech heavy Nasdaq composite closed right near its respective high. The current rally just ended its 44th week (since the March 12, 2009 follow-through day) and on all accounts still looks very strong. In addition, most bull markets last for approximately 36 months, so the fact that we are beginning our 10th month suggests we have more room to go. Until support is broken (50 DMA lines for the major averages) this rally deserves the bullish benefit of the doubt.