Stocks are rallying. In fact, off the intra-day low last week, the S&P 500 index (1906.9) is already up 5.2 percent. Last Wednesday’s hammer reversal on the index looks similar to the ones on October 15, 2014 and August 24, … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of January 19, 2016. Change is week-over-week. 10-year note: The International Monetary Fund lowers – again – its outlook for global economic growth this year. Warning of bumpier rides, especially in the … Continued
While there are some signs of near-term capitulation in equities – further raising odds of continuation of rally post-Wednesday reversal – it is perhaps also time to ruminate over why markets started the year all jittery and restless. From intra-day … Continued
Crude oil peaked in June 2014. As months went by and the price decline picked up momentum, there were growing worries as to if this would force major oil exporters to begin to unwind their Treasury holdings. Obviously this would … Continued
The S&P just published operating earnings estimates for S&P 500 companies for 2017, and it is an eye-catcher. Depending on one’s bias, reaction can range from ‘yee-haw’ to ‘not again’. The consensus expects a whopping $141.11. To put things into … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of January 12, 2016. Change is week-over-week. 10-year note: With crude oil tanking the way it has, it is worth taking note that oil does correlate with inflation expectations. Already, the 10-year … Continued
One of the hallmarks of the current U.S. recovery has been a lack of wage gains. Corporations have become the price setters, and employees the price takers. It is not that U.S. corporates are not making money. Profits adjusted for … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of January 5, 2016. Change is week-over-week. 10-year note: The World Bank, warning of an increase in risks to the global economy, expects growth this year to come in at 2.9 percent, … Continued
What a start? The year 2016 has gotten off to an ominous start. The S&P 500 large cap index is down 4.9 percent in the first four sessions – the worst four-day start to a year. Some others like the … Continued
U.S. corporate capital expenditures have been lackluster. That is an understatement. As a percent of real GDP in 3Q15, non-residential fixed investment comprised 12.8 percent. The post-Great Recession high of 12.9 percent was recorded in each of the three quarters … Continued