There are some interesting dynamics in play in the small-cap sector – encompassing both fundamentals and technicals. Post-tax cuts of last December, earnings estimates were sharply revised higher. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was signed into law … Continued
Presently, the state of US trade deficit and how the Trump administration is attempting to address it is front and center. In February, the deficit came in at $57.6 billion, with the 12-month total of $589.6 billion, which was the … Continued
February and March wrought technical damage on major US equity indices, but the path of least resistance increasingly looks up near term. March-quarter earnings season is upon us. This is the first quarter US companies will be reporting after the … Continued
Post U.S. tax-cuts, the sell-side pencils in massive earnings for S&P 500 companies for this year and next. Given already lofty valuations, investors are likely to treat this as an anomaly more than a trend. Earnings estimates for this year … Continued
Even as passage of tax measures in Congress looks like a done deal, 2018 operating earnings estimates for S&P 600 small cap companies are yet to show signs of stability. Post-presidential election in November last year, U.S. small-caps outperformed – … Continued
U.S. corporate profits adjusted for inventory valuation and capital consumption grew 1.3 percent quarter-over-quarter in 2Q17 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.14 trillion, but growth has been uneven since peaking at $2.23 trillion in 4Q14. Since that peak … Continued
In markets, rarely does everything move in sync. Some jig, some jag. Some lead, some lag. That is the nature of the beast. But there is something called divergence, which, if it is so stark it is hard to miss, … Continued
With all the hand-wringing over whether or not the August lows will hold, this is the least of bulls’ worries. Bigger challenges probably lie ahead. Of the big four – the S&P 500 index, the Dow Industrials, the Nasdaq composite, … Continued
When VIX (12.22), the S&P 500 Volatility Index, spiked past 20 nine sessions ago, there was a lot of chatter as to if this time the breakout was real. It was not. In the subsequent eight sessions since that peak, … Continued
So far this week, both bulls and bears can claim victory Watch out when VIX breaks out of downward sloping Oct 14 trendline Bulls have ball and could prove costly if they fumble; SPX at crucial technical level Bulls = … Continued