Here We Go Again

Here we go again.  Fed raises rates as expected, traders parse the text and dots, analysts analyze the well-crafted speech, traders decide economy is still good to go.  But wait, some bad trade news… buy techs.  That sums up yesterday’s markets narrative as investors decided that Jay Powell’s speech was mostly neutral which helped boost…

Connect The Dots

Connect the dots.  I’ve said it before, it’s all about the dots and, of course, the Federal Reserve that creates them.  Markets spent the majority of yesterday’s session in the green led by tech and growth oriented stocks and then came the Federal Reserve’s rate announcement.  The Fed announced a 25 basis point hike in…

It’s a Small World

It’s a small world.  But not in the eyes of the current administration as Trump publicly rejected globalization in his United Nations speech yesterday.  The admission served to weaken an already shaky market with investors not quite over their trade fears from Monday’s session.  The S&P500 and Dow Jones Industrials both closed near session lows…

A Familiar Tune

A familiar tune.  It was the all-too-familiar trade tension that crept its way back into the markets yesterday.  Before we move on from the blame game, let’s remember that it was trade-related over-exuberance that propelled the Dow and S&P to new highs last week.  One might call it a double-edge sword of sorts.  However one…

The Summer Wind

The summer wind.  Or at least the last puff of it propelled the once lagging Dow Jones Industrials to another new high on Friday capping off a hot summer for stocks.  Yes, once again the industrials muscled to a new high as continued euphoria from earlier in the week spilled over into Friday’s equity session….

Place Your Bets

Place your bets.  Equity markets barreled higher yesterday as investors decided that trade issues and tariffs were not so bad, after all.  What we have talked about for so long finally became a reality yesterday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average made a new high close after watching the summer equities rally from the sidelines….

Late Summer Sizzle!

Late summer sizzle!  That was the name of the game for many stocks yesterday as ebbing trade fears fueled a rally.  No specific progress on talks was to be found but the fact that the latest round of tariffs and taxes from both sides appear to be less than expected.  My regular readers should not…

Trade War of Words

Trade war of words.  You were warned that picking market direction is a difficult, if not a foolish, endeavor.  The more obvious something seems, the less likely it is to play out in the markets.  Yesterday was one of those “learning” days for home-gamer traders.  Recall the late session trade bluster on Monday sent the…

The Art of the Deal

The art of the deal.  Ever wonder what happens in the big glass conference rooms between competing multinational corporations in their fight to be… the biggest?  One needs only to follow the drama in DC to get a pretty good example.  Equity markets tried in earnest to gain ground in the beginning of yesterday’s session…

Straighten Up and Fly Right

Straighten up and fly right.  Equity markets proved that the trade worries monkey cannot easily be thrown from its back on a wild Friday flight.  Markets started the day in euphoria mode resulting from the mere hint of positive trade sentiment on Thursday and as traders began to confirm their weekend plans, President Trump announced…