The stock market got off on the wrong foot this year… which is probably an understatement. Using the January 20th intra-day low, the S&P 500 large cap index lost nine percent in 12 sessions, the S&P 400 mid-cap index 13.1 … Continued
To say that energy stocks are back in favor will be an exaggeration, but they have perked up of late. Off the January 20th intra-day low, XLE, the SPDR Energy ETF, has rallied north of 16 percent. That is in … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of January 26, 2016. Change is week-over-week. 10-year note: Two important developments took place this week in central banking. First, the Fed. This week’s FOMC meeting was a non-event. No interest-rate decision … Continued
In the latest reporting period, U.S. equity shorts made it big. But rather than covering, they added more. It remains to be seen if they will continue to win out or are setting themselves up for a mini squeeze. During … Continued
U.S stocks are off to a stumbling start in 2016. In the year’s first eight sessions through intra-day lows yesterday, the Dow Industrials lost 7.3 percent, the S&P 500 large cap index 7.5 percent, the Nasdaq composite 9.6 percent, and … Continued
Tech stocks outshone their peers last year. In a year in which indices such as the S&P 500 large-cap index and Dow Industrials were negative – down 0.7 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively – the Nasdaq composite rallied 5.7 percent … Continued
Oil bulls can take heart. Maybe. Spot West Texas Intermediate crude ($37.07/barrel) is likely on the verge of a 10/20 (daily moving average) crossover. The crude has more or less been going sideways/slightly up the past couple of weeks, and … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of December 22, 2015. Change is week-over-week. (Due to Christmas last week, the CFTC released numbers on Monday, instead of last Friday.) 10-year note: The Chicago Fed’s National Financial Conditions Index (NFCI) … Continued
Next week, the FOMC meets. The two-day meeting, the year’s last and a highly anticipated one, ends Wednesday. A rate hike is widely expected. The fed funds rate has been stuck near zero for the past nine years. Markets currently … Continued
After the drubbing stocks took post-ECB disappointment last Thursday, bulls could not have asked for better reaction on Friday. Stocks in general recouped Thursday’s loss, and then some. The S&P 500 index rallied 2.1 percent on Friday (Chart 1), in … Continued