Stocks Are Chopping Near Highs… And Looking for a Leader

The recent massive selloff in tech should prove what I’ve been saying for weeks now: The one-time leadership sector is slowing down.

Nature abhors a vacuum and the stock market’s not all that different. The hunt for a new leading sector is on, and like some other groups I could mention, there are suddenly new contenders… though no outright winner.

Real estate, at least as tracked by the $33 billion VNQ ETF, is showing emerging strength; that fund is up about 6% for the month. Energy is starting to show as well; XLE is down about 0.82% over the past month but is paring its losses recently.

But a 6% gain and 0.82% loss aren’t exactly a flashing neon “RISK ON!” signal.

I have been and remain enthusiastic about what I’m seeing in the biotech sector and, by way of a vote of confidence, we’ve got some open positions there. I also think the Japanese yen is handing us a unique Contrarian opportunity.

Here’s what I mean…