Higher elevations and steeper slopes?

Higher elevations and steeper slopes?  Equity markets closed slightly higher yesterday well off of their morning lows in a relatively calm trading session.  The S&P gained the most ground yesterday as the other indices did their best to maintain their neutral to constructive positions.  Though the technology sector has been a factor the sector that has been doing most…

In the thick of it

In the thick of it.  Equity markets took a pause in the latter half of last week as indices posted a mixed close on Friday.  Traders weathered a raft of corporate earnings, political upheaval, unheard of levels of jawboning, and executive tweets posting some important closes in the first half of the week.  From a technical…

Cue the rhetoric

Cue the rhetoric – start jawboning in 3, 2, 1…  The S&P500, Dow Jones, and NASDAQ took a well-deserved breather yesterday while the small-cap RUSSELL 2000 set its sights on recent highs.  The S&P500 still managed to close above the important 2800 level keeping the chart constructive as the index looks to consolidate before another attempt for…

The running of the honey badgers!

The running of the honey badgers!  The honey badger is also known as ratel and is notorious for its fierce, or ferocious (as Wikipedia labels it) defensive abilities.  Though the honey badger only exists in Africa, Asia, and on the Indian sub continent, it is well known by the internet generation, AKA your kids.  A…

“You’re going to the moon…”

“You’re going to the moon…” FANGS!  Technology and the FANGS (except for temporary bad dog Netflix) helped to rocket the S&P500 and NASDAQ 100 to impressive heights in yesterday’s session.  Here’s how it all went down.  Industrial Production was up a tad more than expected: not big news.  The President upset everyone… EVERYONE (except Russia): not…

The players all showed up and the game was never played

The players all showed up and the game was never played.  Markets ignored most of the potential stimuli yesterday to do… well not much at all.  Yesterday’s session began with a Retail Sales number, which was quite possibly the only major economic number of the week, coming in right around expectations and it was unable to get…

Tis the season!

Tis the season!  Last week was an appetizer for the earnings season that begins in earnest this week. Following on a positive week for markets, in which all equity indices managed to make positive technical gains on “no trade news”, traders will hopefully shift their attention to the underlying health and strength of their equity…

No news is good news

“No news is good news”, said the bulls as they rallied the markets yesterday leaving many calling it the “lull rally”.  Many sideline traders attempted to get in on the action further extending the positive momentum on the day.  The S&P500 closed at its highest level since February shrugging off the prior day’s worries placing it in…

What lies below the surface

What lies below the surface.  Markets relented some of their recent gains in yesterday’s session on, you guessed it, ongoing trade fears. Interestingly, the $200 billion tariff proposal announced yesterday, which is credited with the market’s decline, was actually really set in play weeks ago.  That said, yesterday’s move really underscores the underlying uncertainty that…

Don’t look down!

Don’t look down!  Equity markets climbed yesterday, some indices scaling to some new heights while others were content to put in a solid day’s climb.  Equity markets started the session poised to follow on the prior day’s rally as traders began to contemplate the positive effects of the good earnings season ahead.  With the President…