The Calm Before the FED
The markets are all over the place, and with the Fed decision looming, things are heating up. 🔥 Sectors are driving the action, but what happens if we get a 25 bps rate cut? It’s not just the cut that matters — the Fed’s guidance will be crucial for the next move. We’ve got volatility…
The “Return of Inflation” and How to Profit from It
PPI data came in above expectations today, but still, in the grand scheme of things, below levels that would give the Fed heartburn - if they even get heartburn. Today we’re going to look at how crude oil, Texas tea, impacts that same inflation data. What’s more, we’ll look at my charts and see what…
Volatility Is Alive and Well and…
confirmation that the Fed will cut rates by 25 basis points. So of course, stocks took off like a shot - just kidding. They didn’t. They tanked steadily until just before lunchtime… then they took off in a 2% reversal rally. That sounds great, but there’s more going on here than meets the eye. I’ll…
Stocks Attempt to Make a Higher Low… But Caution Signals Are Flashing
Stocks are giving in the ol’ college try for a bounce here, but I continue to see warning signs internally. For one thing, the Japanese yen is rising - as are bonds, which tells me capital is still seeking refuge in safer areas of the market. So, there’s room for improvement. That’s not to say…
The S&P 500 Surges as “Shiny Objects” Distract Investors
The big index was up nicely today (after the worst week since Silicon Valley Bank blew up). Verizon (VZ) and Nvidia led the way as Apple (AAPL) failed to dazzle with its product-line reveal. If you take a step back and consider the market’s current prospects, it becomes clear that, for everything that’s happened, players…
The Market Just Got Serious - Here’s What to Do
The S&P 500 has taken a big downside hit, lower by almost 1.7% toward the close. We saw an intense concentration of liquidity and volume - more on that in a few. It’s clear that a lot of deadwood has been cleared out. If you weren’t prepared for this, you’re in serious trouble. (I’m sure…
We Got More Signs of a Weakening Economy - Here’s How to Play It
Data-focused investors and traders sat down to some of the softest hiring growth data in nearly four years today… and they reacted accordingly, sending stocks mostly lower. Weak jobs data adds up to a weak consumer finance sector. At the same time, as the numbers get worse, we’re seeing some consumers tighten their belts, which…
The S&P 500 Is Trying to Hold It Together, But the Odds Are Stiff
There’s some big data coming our way this week: jobs data. We’ll get a glimpse of how the market is primed to receive positive or negative news, whether it’s “bad news is good news”... or the other way around. The Fed, of course, is set to cut rates this month. The market could take them…
September Is Showing Us Just How Rough It Can Be
I guess the “animal spirits” wanted to make sure we were paying attention after the three-day holiday weekend… September is historically one of the weakest, and by some measures the weakest, months for stocks. They’ve managed September gains only around 41% of the time going all the way back to 1897. Today we got a…
Get Ready: We’re In “the Suck” Before the Storm
It was supposed to be so easy! We were supposed to get dynamite earnings reporting from Nvidia and the markets were supposed to rally like crazy from Wednesday night on… That’s not what we got. We got meh earnings and two days of drifting, low-volume, sludgy slop-fest. No fun. But I think we could get…