Small-cap shares are lagging. This is no news. Small-caps have been a topic of discussion on this blog several times before. They have lagged their large-cap brethren, the S&P 500 Index, since early March. That was when money started to … Continued
The Russell 2000 Small Cap Index fell four percent last week. In the futures market, large speculators could not have ridden it better. They have been net short since early April – by both cutting longs and raising shorts – … Continued
As suggested last week, the Russell 2000 Small Cap Index has met with resistance. The index seems to be putting in a top, at least in the near-term. To refresh, late-February/early March, previously hot, momentum-packed groups such as small-caps, biotechs, … Continued
One of the divergences we have witnessed in recent weeks/months is weak action in small-caps. The Russell 2000 Small Cap Index peaked early March, then suffered a nine-week, 11-percent decline, followed by a rally beginning mid-May. The index still trades … Continued
Crude oil is on the move. Since early April to last week’s high, the Brent has gone up by over 11 percent. The West Texas Intermediate found a trough much earlier – early this year – and until the high … Continued
For the last five years, the S&P 500 index has bounced up and down within a channel. Technicals have been in gross overbought territory for a while now. The last time the index had a 10-percent correction was two years … Continued
How quickly the pendulum has swung the other way. When we last discussed signals coming out of the options market, the CBOE in particular was giving out signs that equities were itching to go higher. Nearly a month ago, the … Continued
There are some interesting things happening in e-mini S&P 500 futures. First, non-commercials are now net short 121k contracts, nearly double from two weeks ago. In the intervening period, the S&P 500 index has managed to inch up, having backed … Continued
Breakouts are galore in U.S. equities. Of the three major indices, the S&P 500 and the Dow Industrials have managed to push into record territory. The Nasdaq is a laggard – yet to get past early-March highs. Ditto with the … Continued
The euro experienced a rather sharp downward move in May. In the currency world, the two-and-a-half-percent decline (from early in the month until the trough two sessions ago) in a span of 15 sessions is big. When FXE began to … Continued