Fed Day Is Over…But the Fallout Isn’t
The markets rallied strongly after the Fed non-announcement today (an 80-handle move at one point)... only to fall right out of bed in the last 30 minutes or so of trading. We saw a really dramatic, volatile reversal. Volatility futures actually fell as Powell was talking but then picked back up again later in the…
“Buy the Dip” Could Become “Sell the Rip”
I’m a little concerned with the bullish trend we’ve seen shaping up lately. Lower highs are starting to creep into the equities picture. The trouble in Japan with the yen and the lack of change in policy there could be starting to spill over across financial markets; global capital is seeking refuge in the dollar.…
Tesla’s Autopilot Breakout Is Only the First Event of a Busy News Week
Tech had a pretty good day. Tesla shares finished the day more than 15% above where they started on news the company will roll out its advanced driver assistance tech in China. Mega-cap stablemate Apple also helped lift the S&P 500 as Citi confirmed the stock would keep a “Buy” rating ahead of May 2…
I Don't Trust This Rally a Bit - You Shouldn't Either
SPY ripped around 53 bucks to the upside before the close… but I don’t feel great about it. I’d never hate on a good rally, but this ain’t that. That might change next week, but we’ll deal with that when we come to it. My unease with this upswing has got nothing to do…
Bonds, Banks and Builders Make Strange Bed Fellows
Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about the upside in shorting bonds - and taken some positions accordingly over in the Live Trading Room. We’ve talked about weakness in homebuilders’ stocks, too, and we’ve also acted on that thesis. There are some interesting developments that suggest we could be in for lower lows there…
Meditating on Ancient Banking
I’ve been over in Italy the past couple of days, enjoying the geographical and time-difference arbitrage to the United States’ markets. It’s rather peculiar having the market closing at 10 o’clock at night instead of 4 o’clock in the afternoon, but it gives me much more freedom during my mornings, so I can’t complain.…
That Volatility Beast I Mentioned? It's Not Done with You
Last week I warned everyone that volatility was going to go on a rampage. And that’s exactly what it did. And here’s the thing: It’s not over, not by a long shot. The rally sputtered and nearly died today. By the close it had made up some ground to end up… “massively unchanged.” But in…
Last Week I Said 'Buy the Dip' - I Sure Hope You Did
We were excited for last week’s lows, and for a good reason. I told everyone to wrestle with the bear and get in the market and go shopping. We’re off those levels now, and I still think taking advantage of the selloff was the right call. I’m seeing some encouraging signs bubbling underneath the rally…
Urban Outfitters Hits Major Manipulation Groove
Professor Bierman here… Urban Outfitters (URBN) hit a major “manipulation groove” today. The algos jammed it up! The thing you need to understand about algos is they sniff out trends. Yet they’re programmed with such a confluence of data points… sometimes it’s impossible to know what trend they’re actually following. That’s the case today with URBN…just…
Here’s What You’ve Got to Watch for as Earnings Ramp Up
Stocks rallied back strongly today after shaving off more than 1% last week, but the buying fizzled heading into the close. It was gold, which until recently had been rock-solid, that took the biggest hit as traders took profits. But the question on every trader’s mind right now has to be: “Can we trust it?”…