In 1Q18, S&P 500 companies reported $36.54 in operating earnings, up 26.8 percent year-over-year and eight percent quarter-over-quarter. This was non-GAAP. GAAP was up 20.3 percent y/y and 22.5 percent q/q to $33.02. Apart from being a record quarter, 1Q18 … Continued
On the weekly chart, SPY remains grossly overbought, but near term there is room to rally – duration and magnitude notwithstanding. Options can help. US core PCE (personal consumption expenditures) increased 1.96 percent year-over-year in May – essentially two percent. … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of June 26, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 355.3k, down 4.1k. Core PCE – the Fed’s favorite measure of consumer inflation – rose 1.96 percent year-over-year in May. This is as good … Continued
US companies are sitting on tons of cash, and are also spending tons in dividends and buybacks. As they continue to pay back shareholders, debt load – rising – moves front and center. S&P 500 buybacks shot up to new … Continued
Here is a brief review of period-over-period change in short interest in the June 1-15 period in nine S&P 500 sectors. XLB (SPDR materials ETF) Monday, XLB (57.83) bounced off the daily lower Bollinger band. The daily chart is oversold. … Continued
Signs of fatigue are showing up in US equities. It began with large-caps, and now there are early signs it is spreading to small-caps as well as tech. The small-cap switch was turned on right after Donald Trump was elected … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of June 19, 2018. 10-year note: Currently net short 359.5k, up 23.5k. Volatility remains suppressed – pretty much across the investing landscape. In US equities, both small-caps and tech – considered risk-on – … Continued
China’s holdings of Treasury securities fell $5.8 billion month-over-month in April to $1.18 trillion. It remains the largest holder of these securities. In China versus the US, if the current trade spat turns into a trade war, these securities could … Continued
ITB (iShares Dow Jones US home construction ETF) continues to search for direction. As did lots of other ETFs/indices/individual stocks, it fell drastically late January-early February. Unlike many others, however, recovery since has been tentative, to say the least. From … Continued
Large- and small-cap divergence continues. Versus the Russell 2000 and the Nasdaq 100, the S&P 500 is beginning to show signs of fatigue. Large-caps continue to fall behind small-caps. Not to mention tech. The S&P 500 large cap index was … Continued