Earnings season is upon us. Operating earnings for S&P 500 companies are expected to rise from $23.97 in 1Q16 to $29.14 in 1Q17 – an increase of 21.6 percent. This followed a 21-percent year-over-year rise in 4Q16 – from $23.06 … Continued
Down 5.6 percent from intraday peak to trough in 19 sessions, and then up 4.1 percent from low to high in five. The Russell 2000 small cap index continues to play ping pong between range support and resistance. Last Friday, … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of March 28, 2017. 10-year note: Currently net short 69.4k, down 30.9k. Fed officials are beginning to jawbone – again. Tuesday, Stanley Fischer, Fed vice-chair, said he forecasts two more hikes this year. … Continued
Determined not to let go of nearly four-month support, small-cap bulls once again stepped up to the plate Monday. From down 1.4 percent intraday to close the session up 0.2 percent, the Russell 2000 small cap index initially got pushed … Continued
Here is a brief review of period-over-period change in short interest in the March 1-15 period in the Nasdaq and NYSE Group as well as nine S&P 500 sectors. Nasdaq – p/p, short interest ↑ 0.5%, Nasdaq composite ↑ 1.3% … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of March 21, 2017. 10-year note: Currently net short 100.4k, down 94k. In a Tuesday speech this week, Loretta Mester, president of the Cleveland Fed, said this: “If economic conditions evolve as I … Continued
After weeks of staying subdued, there was some spring in volatility’s feet this week. Will it last or peter out as has been the case for the umpteenth time post-election? Tuesday’s 10-percent rally in spot VIX (12.81) was the largest … Continued
Did U.S. small-caps lead or lag in the past four months? Depends on the timeframe. Post-November 8 election through the March 1 all-time high, the Russell 2000 small cap index rallied 18.4 percent. Year-to-date through that record high, it tacked … Continued
Ten-year Treasury yields are not going along with the Fed’s tightening posture. This could be because of a technical reason or yields could be sending an ominous message. Yields reached a historic low 1.34 percent last July, and have been … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of March 14, 2017. 10-year note: Currently net short 194.4k, down 104.1k. Equities up. Gold up. The US dollar index down. Ten-year Treasury yields down. This is how markets reacted to Wednesday’s FOMC … Continued