Otherwise sleepy utilities outrun S&P 500 large-caps by wide margin this year Valuations stretched, but XLU’s dividend yields compare favorably to 30-year yields With signs of crowded trade, worth waiting on XLU, as path of least resistance lower near-term Utilities … Continued
Yesterday came news that U.S.-based funds attracted $36.5bn in stock inflows in the week ended December 24 (courtesy of Thomson Reuters Lipper Service). Some thoughts on this: 1. The inflows are simply massive. There is no other way to describe it. … Continued
After impressive two-day advance, Russell 2000 on verge of bullish golden cross Potential unwinding of VIX surge of early this week to act as tailwind for stocks In the end, rally nothing but gift for patient bears to short from … Continued
Bears must be scratching their heads over the move by equities the past couple of sessions. Intra-day, the S&P 500 (2041) has managed to rally 3.7 percent. If we must find a catalyst, there are many to choose from – … Continued
Market expectations for rate hike next year runs risk of disappointment With monetary quiver nearly empty, Fed very much focused on wealth effect Job even more difficult, given adverse effects of cheap money beginning to loom Markets are sending mixed … Continued
Sellers take advantage of early-morning strength to sell more stocks Amidst this, transports, high-yields draw buyers; panic noticed in VIX:VXV action Trade could be developing, but given developments in energy space, sustained rally not probable Another ugly day! Could have … Continued
Soft fundamentals, but gold continues to hold up well Large speculators added further to their net longs in gold futures Overbought near-term, but potential weakness likely gets bought near support Trend followers do what they do best. Large speculators are … Continued
Bulls squander opportunity by failing to defend Tuesday’s lows on S&P 500 and Dow Put-to-call ratios just turning up, and have ways to go before they get overbought VIX surges 57% in three sessions; investors seek to protect 2014 paper … Continued
U.S. stocks quickly shake off China- and Greece-induced worries Can bulls use the reversal as opportunity to mount a breakout on Russell 2000? Several technical indicators have room to move higher still before they get overbought Whoa! Some reversal that … Continued
Laggards since March, small-caps continue to fall behind large-caps With increasing signs of distribution, RUT, IWM face technical hurdles More pressure ahead if/when non-commercials start adding to net shorts Since end-September, large speculators have drastically cut back on their net … Continued