Week In Review: Strong Week On Wall Street
Stocks Rally On Greek Deal
Stocks rallied nicely last week helping the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 breakout of its year-long range and hit a fresh 15-year high. The market was able to breathe a collective sigh of relief when the two big threats (Greece and China) were temporarily resolved. Stocks rallied after it became clear that Greece would not leave the euro zone. Separately, the panic selling in China eased a bit after the Chinese government literally shut down a big chunk of their stock market, printed money to buy stocks, banned and arrested short sellers in an attempt to curb the selling. The real kicker is that neither situation has been permanently resolved. That’s why it is important to note that in bull markets (present market included), stocks rally regardless of the news. From where we sit, the reaction to the news, matters a lot more than the news itself. For now, we are still in a very strong (but aging) bull market which, by definition, means the path of least resistance remains higher (until any material technical damage emerges).
Monday-Wednesday’s Action: Stocks Rally On Greek Deal
Stocks rallied for a fourth straight day on Tuesday after a US-led coalition of 5 other nations inked a deal with Iran regarding their nuclear program. In the US, economic data did not impress. Retail sales fell -0.3%, missing estimates for a gain of +0.3%. The NFIB small business optimism index was 94.1, missing estimates for 97.5. JPMorgan Chase ($JPM) and Wells Fargo ($WFC) both rallied after reporting Q2 results. On Wednesday, stocks opened higher but closed lower after Greek protests turned violent in Athens before the Greek parliament passed their latest bailout package. In earnings news, Bank of America ($BAC), PNC ($PNC) and U.S. Bancorp ($USB) all rallied after releasing their Q2 results. Celgene ($CELG) raised guidance and said they are buying Receptos (RCPT) for $232/share in cash, causing both biotech stocks to gap higher. The Biotech ETF ($IBB) broke out and continues to be a very strong group for this 6.5 year bull market. Elsewhere, Janet Yellen told the House Financial Services Committee that she expects a rate hike later this year if economic conditions hold up. Economic data was mixed. Producer prices rose +0.4% in June, beating estimates for a gain of +0.3%. The Empire Manufacturing Survey for July came in at 3.86, beating the forecast for 3.5. Industrial production rose 0.3% in June, beating estimates for a 0.2% gain. The Atlanta Fed Business Inflation expectation came in at 2%, slightly higher than the 1.9% estimate. The Fed’s beige book showed economic activity is still not humming.
Thursday-Friday’s Action: Financials, Netflix, Ebay, Google Among Big Earnings Winners So Far
Market Outlook: The Central Bank Put Is Alive And Well
Remember, in bull markets surprises happen to the upside. This has been our primary thesis since the end of 2012. We would be remiss not to note that this very strong bull market is aging (celebrated its 6th anniversary in March 2015) and the last two major bull markets ended shortly after their 5th anniversary; 1994-2000 & 2002-Oct 2007). To be clear, the central bank put is very strong and until material damage occurs, the stock market deserves the longer-term bullish benefit of the doubt. As always, keep your losses small and never argue with the tape. If you want exact entry and exit points in leading stocks, or access more of Adam’s commentary/thoughts on the market. Consider joining SarhanCapital.com.
