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Stocks Rebounded Last Week as Investors Put Rate Fears Behind Them
Stocks clawed higher last week as investors stopped worrying about high interest rates. The S&P 500 rose 0.5 percent between Friday, September 29, and Friday, October 6. At one point the index was down 1.7 percent, but it rallied sharply on Friday after...
Chart of the Day: Will Crude Oil Run Again?
Crude-oil futures are having their worst week since March, but some traders might think about buying the pullback. The first pattern on today’s chart is the price area around 83.50. It represented the peak in December and April. It’s also near the spot where ... For...
S&P 500 Struggles Before Payrolls Report: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 remains below old support around 4330 Holding above 4200, 200-day MA, with potential for continuation...
Higher Rates Just Gave Stocks Their Worst Month of The Year
Stocks pulled back hard in September as interest rates and oil prices soared. The S&P 500 dropped 4.9 percent last month, its biggest decline since December 2022. About 85 percent of the index's members lost value. Similar to August, energy was the only positive...
Stocks Grope for Support as Yields Jump: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 forms hammer at lowest level since June 1 Potential support at early-June range, bottom of...
Chart of the Day: Small Caps Are Leading to the Downside
Indexes of big companies like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 neared record highs in July, but not the small cap Russell 2000. Today we’ll use a weekly chart to consider how it’s leading to the downside. The first pattern is the ... For more, please click here to view...
Fed Hammers Stocks to a Key Level as the Quarter Winds Down
Stocks are headed for a losing quarter after hawkish policy from the Federal Reserve hammered prices to a key level. The S&P 500 fell 2.9 percent between Friday, September 15, and Friday, September 22. It was the index's third straight losing week and its biggest...
Stocks Make a Lower High as Fed Stays Hawkish: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 breaks support at 4444 after Fed meeting Two consecutive inside weeks break to the downside...
Stocks Narrow as Traders Expect Fed Pause: Market Trends Today
Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 in neutral range before the Fed Bias may be to upside given: 50% retracement of move from 8/18 through 9/1 More index members above 20-day MA than above 50-day MA Faster MAs mostly above...
Stocks Rebounded Last Week as Investors Put Rate Fears Behind Them
Stocks clawed higher last week as investors stopped worrying about high interest rates. The S&P 500 rose 0.5 percent between Friday, September 29, and Friday, October 6. At one point the index was down 1.7 percent, but it rallied sharply on Friday after...
Chart of the Day: Will Crude Oil Run Again?
Crude-oil futures are having their worst week since March, but some traders might think about buying the pullback. The first pattern on today’s chart is the price area around 83.50. It represented the peak in December and April. It’s also near the spot where ... For...
S&P 500 Struggles Before Payrolls Report: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 remains below old support around 4330 Holding above 4200, 200-day MA, with potential for continuation...
Higher Rates Just Gave Stocks Their Worst Month of The Year
Stocks pulled back hard in September as interest rates and oil prices soared. The S&P 500 dropped 4.9 percent last month, its biggest decline since December 2022. About 85 percent of the index's members lost value. Similar to August, energy was the only positive...
Stocks Grope for Support as Yields Jump: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 forms hammer at lowest level since June 1 Potential support at early-June range, bottom of...
Chart of the Day: Small Caps Are Leading to the Downside
Indexes of big companies like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 neared record highs in July, but not the small cap Russell 2000. Today we’ll use a weekly chart to consider how it’s leading to the downside. The first pattern is the ... For more, please click here to view...
Fed Hammers Stocks to a Key Level as the Quarter Winds Down
Stocks are headed for a losing quarter after hawkish policy from the Federal Reserve hammered prices to a key level. The S&P 500 fell 2.9 percent between Friday, September 15, and Friday, September 22. It was the index's third straight losing week and its biggest...
Stocks Make a Lower High as Fed Stays Hawkish: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 breaks support at 4444 after Fed meeting Two consecutive inside weeks break to the downside...
Stocks Narrow as Traders Expect Fed Pause: Market Trends Today
Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 in neutral range before the Fed Bias may be to upside given: 50% retracement of move from 8/18 through 9/1 More index members above 20-day MA than above 50-day MA Faster MAs mostly above...
Growth Comeback? Nasdaq Surged Last Week Amid Banking Scares
Stocks face a confusing mix of positives and negatives, but the biggest story could be an unexpected surge in the Nasdaq-100. The technology-heavy index rallied 5.8 percent between Friday, March 10, and Friday March 17. In absolute terms, it was the biggest weekly...
Chart of the Day: Tight Consolidation in Semiconductor Equipment Stock
Semiconductors have outperformed lately as investors get excited about demand from artificial intelligence (AI). Today’s chart considers equipment supplier Lam Research . The first pattern is the rising 50-day simple moving average. LRCX has consolidated in a tight...
Rate Fears and Bank Failures Have Sent The Stock Market on a Wild Ride
Stocks are making wild moves as investors pivot from worries about rate hikes to bank failures. The S&P 500 dropped 4.5 percent between Friday, March 3, and Friday, March 10. It was the biggest weekly decline since mid-September. Ninety seven percent of of the...
Stocks Bounce as Investors Focus on Stronger Economic Growth
Stocks are bouncing at potential support as investors focus on stronger global growth. The S&P 500 rose 1.9 percent between Friday, February 24, and Friday, March 3. It was the index's first gain in the last four weeks. Cyclical sectors like materials and...
Chart of the Day: Exxon Mobil Has Pulled Back
Exxon Mobil has steadily advanced for more than a year, and its current pullback may interest trend followers. The first pattern on today’s chart is $104.76, XOM’s previous all-time high from 2014. Notice how this level was ... For more,...
Stocks Tumble as Inflation Worries Surge Back to Wall Street
What if inflation isn't defeated as hoped? That was the big fear on Wall Street last week. The S&P 500 fell 2.7 percent in the holiday-shortened period between Friday, March 17, and Friday, March 24. It was the biggest weekly drop since early December, returning...
The Stock Market Is Tightening Into a Range as Traders Wait for More Fed News
Stocks are squeezing into a tight range as investors weigh the risks of inflation and more interest-rate hikes. The S&P 500 slid 0.3 percent between Friday, February 10, and Friday, February 17. It was the index's second straight negative week after hitting a...
Is Tesla Overvalued? Check Out These Stunning Comparisons to GM and Ford
Tesla is one of the market's most active companies for stock and options traders. It could also look most expensive by various measures, but is it overvalued? This article will address the question by comparing Elon Musk’s company with other major car makers. It...
Can Stocks Keep Running With Another Big Inflation Report This Week?
Stocks fell last week as traders sold recent gainers in the technology space. They now face a potentially big test with key inflation data due tomorrow morning. The S&P 500 retreated 1.1 percent between Friday, February 3, and Friday, February 10. It was the first...
Volatility Hits the Market as White House and Congress Stoke Political Risk
The Presidential election’s four weeks away, and volatility is hitting the market as political tensions rise. The S&P 500 was up more than half a percent at one point yesterday, reaching its highest level in over a month. Investors were hoping for an agreement on...
Mastering Volatility: Key Lessons for Options Traders
Whether you're new to trading options or an old pro, this video's for you. Movements in the stock market cause volatility, which impacts option premiums. This instructional video for traders of all levels covers how options...
Bearish on Tech Stocks like Apple and Amazon.com? Check Out These Options Strategies
Major technology stocks like Apple and Amazon.com are reeling this month. Here are some options strategies to know if you’re getting bearish. This article will cover: Bearish put spreadsCollar tradesHedging with ETFs You might want to check this earlier...
Apple and Tesla Are Splitting Their Shares. Here Are Key Details for Stock and Options Traders
Apple and Tesla are about the split their shares. Here are the key details you need to know. Both operations take effect using the official closing price on Friday, August 28. (The cutoff is technically 8 p.m. ET.) Investors with positions in the stock or options will...
Bullish Options Trade in Mall Retailer as Market Looks for America to Reopen from the Coronavirus Pandemic
Is the coronavirus pandemic ending? Investors increasingly seem to think so. In the last week, money has pivoted sharply toward airlines, banks, cruise ships, retailers and energy. Those are the same groups that rallied on the previous reopening surge in late May. One...
Sports Betting Lifts Penn National, Boyd Jumps on Strong Reopening. Are Casinos Back in Play?
Some casino stocks are moving as investors focus on sports betting and the economy reopening. However certain key names are lagging. Penn National Gaming (PENN) led the rally with a 13 percent gain. It jumped into sports betting by moving to acquire David Portnoy's...
Key Options Strategies to Know as Earnings Season Begins Next Week
Second-quarter earnings season begins next week against one of the most uncertain backdrops ever. It's a good time to review some options strategies to manage risk in the age of coronavirus. Here are some options trading strategies we'll consider today: Long...
How to Trade Apple During its Biggest Developer Event Ever
America's most valuable company is making its next great leap forward. Are you keeping up? Apple (AAPL) just unveiled a new operating system (iOS 14) making it easier to manage apps, watch videos and interact with Siri. The $1.5 trillion firm also introduced a...
Are Options Traders Bearish? Put Volume Spikes in Financial ETF
Financial stocks jumped yesterday, triggering a big trade in the options market. The SPDR Financial ETF (XLF) surged 5.2 percent on Tuesday, its biggest rally in more than a month. There was also heavy options volume as 60,000 contracts traded in a single transaction...
Bitcoin Continues to Claw Back from 2018’s Lows
Steadily and somewhat quietly, the world's biggest cryptocurrency, is clawing upward. Cboe's Bitcoin futures (@XBT) traded as high as 8390 this morning, a level last seen on May 22. They're up more than 30 percent in the last month. The rally has followed a report on...
Oil Holds Its Ground Despite Bearish News
Something weird is happening in crude oil: It's not going down on bad news. Last night the American Petroleum Institute reported energy stockpiles rose by 629,000 barrels, versus an estimated drop of 3 million barrels. Numbers from the Energy Department were even...
Headlines Keep Pressuring Oil Higher
News events keep pushing oil higher. Last month, Iranian sanctions were the story. Now traders are focusing on a disruption in Norway as oil workers go on strike. Libyan supplies are also being kept off the market as civil war halves the country's crude production....
Bulls pivot back to energy: Midweek sector check
The S&P 500 is bouncing at its 50-day moving average as the market drifts into the dog days of summer. Here's a breakdown of the best- and worst-performing industries so far this week. Winners: Energy is surging with life as crude oil (@CL) rallies to a new...
Traders, keep an eye on oil
Oil is in the news today with crude futures at a potentially key level. The main item came this morning from the U.S. State Department, which took a hard line against Iran. Washington is reportedly demanding that companies stop shipping oil from the terrorist state by...
Get ready for a summer snooze: Larry Williams Cycle indicator
Get ready for a sleepy July and a turbulent August. The Larry Williams Cycle Forecast Indicator sees the Dow Jones Industrial Average inching higher next month. Volatility's expected to remain at current levels over that time, but then spike in the first half of...
Crude oil may be stabilizing before OPEC
Disclosure: This post is intended for educational purposes and should not be considered a trade recommendation. Energy may be stabilizing, even as OPEC prepares to increase supply. Crude oil futures (@CL) have remained in a range between about $64 and $66 all month,...
Fear sweeps energy market before OPEC meeting
The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming... coming back to the energy market that is. Crude oil futures (@CL) fell almost 3 percent today, their biggest drop this month, as traders brace for OPEC's next meeting a week from now. The big worry is Russia wanting...
Silver may be nearing a breakout
Something bullish may be brewing in silver. The TradeStation platform shows silver futures (@SI) up 3 percent in the last two months. Gold futures (@GC), on the other hand are down 3 percent. That's a odd because the two metals usually move in tandem. Perhaps even...
Disney, Microsoft Led the Dow Higher in the Second Quarter
Today's the last day of the second quarter. A pair of blue-chip disruptors led the market higher during the period. Walt Disney (DIS) and Microsoft (MSFT) were the best performers in the Dow Jones Industrial Average since the end of March. DIS surged 25 percent as it...
Gold Miners Soar as Federal Reserve Puts the ‘Bull’ Back in Bullion
Monetary policy is changing, and it's fueling a monster rally in gold-mining stocks. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) has gained 18 percent since the beginning of June. That puts it on pace for the biggest monthly gain since April 2016. "Uncertainties about...
Bitcoin Keeps Ripping as ETF Hopes Return
The world's top cryptocurrency hit new highs overnight as good news added to bullish momentum. Bitcoin (BTC) pushed over $12,900 this morning, its highest price since January 2018. It's up more than 40 percent in the last week and more than 250 percent so far this...
Airline ETF Takes Off as Investors Embrace Rising Fares
Investors are jumping on board airlines, one of the few industries with pricing power in a low-inflation environment. The U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) is up 10 percent since the beginning of June and is on pace for its best monthly gain in its four years of existence....
Greenback on the Brink as Fed Meeting and G20 Approach
The U.S. dollar seems to be teetering before some events with the potential to drive it lower. The U.S. dollar index (@DX) has spent most of 2019 between 95 and 97.75. It broke down quickly from those highs in early June and is now squeezing into a potential triangle....
Materials ETF Has Best Week in 7 Years as Fed Goes Dovish
Stocks like chemical makers and gold miners have struggled for much of the year, but now they're ripping amid hopes of Federal Reserve rate cuts. The SPDR Materials ETF (XLB) is up almost 8 percent since Friday, putting it on pace for its best week since December...
Retail ETF Spirals Downward with Brick-and-Mortar on the Skids
A perfect storm of bearishness is sweeping retail stocks, making them one of the weakest links in a teetering market. The SPDR Retail ETF (XRT) has lost 6 percent in the week ending yesterday, and is mired in the midst of its longest losing streak since early October....
Utility ETF Soars as Hot Money Shifts to Safe Havens
President Trump's trade war against China isn't hurting all stocks. Just look at the price action in a key safe haven. The SPDR Utilities ETF (XLU) is up 2.5 percent in the last week, while the broader S&P 500 is down almost 2 percent. Aside from real-estate...
Is Real Estate ETF a Stealth Technology Trade?
Believe it or not, real-estate investment trusts (REITs) are leading the market this month. The SPDR Real Estate ETF (XLRE) is up 1.8 percent so far in May. That contrasts with a 2.4 percent drop for the broader S&P 500 over the same period. Even more surprising,...