Traders Prepare For Santa Rally, But With Defensive Bias

posted in: Derivatives, Equities, Technicals | 0

Traders are positioning for a Santa rally, but they are trying to play it safe. Intraday over the last six sessions, VIX (9.58) collapsed five points, in the process also losing shorter-term moving averages, as well as the 50- and … Continued

Hated Bull Market? Some Truth To That, But In Aggregate Has Been Fully Embraced

posted in: Credit, Equities, Technicals | 0

Equity bulls often assert that this is the most hated bull market ever.  There is some – with emphasis on ‘some’ – truth to that, particularly if we focus on short interest. U.S. stocks reached an important bottom in January/February … Continued

Dow On Pace To Creating History, Even As Sources Of Tailwind Stretched

posted in: Economy, Equities, Technicals | 0

The Dow Industrials is on pace to creating history this week.  Last Friday, it rose for 11 sessions in a row, for a cumulative gain of 3.8 percent.  The longest streak was recorded in January 1987 when it rallied 11 … Continued

Amidst Elevated Optimism, Caution Hat Out

posted in: Economy, Equities | 0

Peak optimism? We are increasingly beginning to hear commentators/observers use that phrase in media interviews, articles as well as on social media.  Among other things, Charts 1 and 2 are probably to blame. In the latest week, Investors Intelligence bulls … Continued

Weekly Cash-Secured Put On SPY

Third-quarter earnings season begins in earnest this week.  Operating earnings estimates for S&P 500 companies have been persistently coming down for 2015 – from as high as $137.52 at the end of the second quarter last year to $110.98 as … Continued