Stock Market Blog -Dec 30th

The market sold off as the 'fiscal cliff' remained unresolved. Next week will be decision time. Meanwhile the Yen continued to drop vs. the US dollar.

In 2013 we can look forward to continued European financial issues, US debt issues, and possibly some signs of inflation as the Fed continues to print hundreds of billions of dollars. The economy could contract if taxes go up, and unemployment lingers.

New all time highs: ?
All time lows: ?
Pops:  
Drops:

Next week: Economic reports  
Markets will be closed all day Tuesday for New Years.

Market Commentary

The coming week will be an interesting one as the clock runs out on the 'fiscal cliff' issue, and as we start off the new year. The market will tell us where it wants to go next, so hang in there and wait for the next move. Options Volatility has increased, so maybe selling Iron Condors on the SPY or IWM might present some opportunites.

2012 -a rocky road, but still profitable

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 ?...depends on the cliff, again!
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up a bit, closing near $90.80
Natural Gas was mostly unchanged, closing near $3.47
Gold dropped again, closing near $1656
The 30 year Bond was up, closing near $148.38
The US Dollar was mostly unchanged, closing near 79.79

NEWS:
Stocks brace for fiscal cliff reckoning
Retail Sales Disappoint, but Don't Write Them Off Yet
Fortune 500: Top-performing stocks of 2012

My Prediction For 2013 - All Other Predictions Will Be Wrong
Jubak's 10 top stocks for 2013
Reading Pessimism in the Market for Bonds

Stock Market Blog -Dec 23rd

The market rallied earlier in the week, but sold off as the fiscal cliff issue was still unresolved. AAPL closed near recent lows, and appears to be trying to form a bottom. Bonds sold off , but may also be finding support at this level. Likewise for Gold -it continues to sell off, but it may also be near a support level.

Interesting news: The NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) is being acquired by the ICE (InterContinental Exchange).

Happy Holidays to everyone!

New all time highs:   CCI, COG, SBAC
All time lows: ?
Pops:   NYX, NKE
Drops: BBBY, HLF, RIMM, YUM

 
Next week: Economic reports  
Markets close early on Monday, and all day Tuesday for Christmas.

Market Commentary

The coming week will probably see light trading, except maybe for some 'fiscal cliff' moves. The up-trend from late November is still intact.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 ?...depends on the cliff!
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up a bit, closing near $88.66
Natural Gas was up, closing near $3.45
Gold dropped again, closing near $1660
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $147.53
The US Dollar dropped a bit, closing near 79.71

NEWS:
Nike shares pop on strong sales
Behind Apple’s Big Stock Decline
Mutual dislike as stock funds see record outflows
Munis take worst pounding since Meredith Whitney
How to invest for the aging-U.S. trend

2013 may look a lot like 2012
Is the Bond Market Starting to Fight the Fed?
Newsweek ends its 80-year print run with a hashtagged cover
2013 Outlook for Gold and Silver: Risk in Gold, the Devil’s Metal Shines
Japan's Shinzo Abe prepares to print money for the whole world

Stock Market Blog -Dec 16th

Kind of a flat week for the markets, except for AAPL, which continued its downward trajectory! With the holiday season upon us, I expect we'll see light trading, with maybe some 'fiscal cliff' related selling. To everyone's surprise, the Euro is showing strength and may be about to break out to new highs. Meanwhile the Yen is showing a lot of weakness. Also, the US Dollar has been dropping, which is usually good for stocks. The Fed announced more 'QE' this week...

New all time highs:   CRM, MPC, PPG, VMED
All time lows: ?
Pops:   BBY
Drops: BBY

Euro strength -about to break out? 135 maybe?
Weak Yen (below)

 
Next week: Economic reports  
Earnings: ORCL, FDX, NKE, RIMM

Market Commentary

Market volatility is very low (VIX), indicating an upside bias to the market. The S&P500 chart is also forming an inverted H&S pattern -another potential bullish signal. And the Euro looks like it's about to breakout to new highs -also bullish for the S&P500, because of the normally strong correlation (weaker US Dollar). Maybe we'll get a Christmas rally.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -bullish?
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up a bit, closing near $86.73
Natural Gas dropped, closing near $3.31
Gold dropped, closing near $1697
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $148.34
The US Dollar dropped a bit, closing near 79.56

NEWS:
Wall Street succumbs to Apple's fall, "cliff" uncertainty
Week Ahead: Manufacturing, Housing Data on Tap
Apple takes investors on a wild ride
5 reasons why Google has its mojo back
Central Banks: How They Are Ruling the Financial World
The Federal Reserve's Zombie Economy
Ray Dalio Thinks The Bond Bull Market Could Finally Turn In 2013
How Unconventional Oil And Gas Is Supercharging The U.S. Economy

Stock Market Blog -Dec 2nd

The market drifted a little higher this week as retail sales seemed to be somewhat better than expected, otherwise it was kind of a slow week. Gold prices dropped a bit. For the most part, the market is waiting for some kind of news on a resolution for the 'fiscal cliff'. YUM dropped on a weak outlook for China.

New all time highs:   COST, CLX, GIS, MRC, LTD, PSX, UN, V -again
All time lows: 
Pops:  GMCR, 
Drops: KSS, TFM, TIF, YUM

Next week: Economic reports   Monthly Jobs report on Friday!

Market Commentary

The market may be rangebound till we get some clarity on the US fiscal situation. Likewise for the European situation. Volatility is very low, as is volume. Maybe the only tradable events this week will be the Jobs report, and earnings reports (AZO, LULU).

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -pullback next?
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up, closing near $88.91
Natural Gas dropped, closing near $3.56
Gold dropped, closing near $1713
The 30 year Bond was up, closing near $151.41
The US Dollar dropped a bit, closing near 80.16

NEWS:
Stocks stuck on fiscal cliff treadmill
Geithner: No deal 'without rates going up'
Junk Bonds Are So Popular Now They're Dangerous
Indonesia: The newest BRIC?

Stock Market Blog -Nov 25th

The market rallied every day this week! AAPL was up $38 on Monday, after being down for 8 straight weeks in a row -I think Options expiration the previous Friday helped to keep the stock price down. Even RIMM and GMCR rallied. Gold continues to move up too. It looks like Thanksgiving sales did well too, so maybe that bodes well for the economy going forward -we'll see. We still have Europe and the Middle East and the fiscal cliff in the background.

New all time highs:  GIS, GILD -again, V -again, 
All time lows: 
Pops: AAPL
Drops: BBY, HPQ

AAPL -after 8 weeks down, it finally bounces!

Next week: Economic reports 

Market Commentary

We did finally get a bounce from this oversold market, and if you sold Put Credit Spreads last week you're smiling this week. If we get a pulback, it may be a good time to buy. It's too early too tell whether this is a long term rally, so use some kind of 'stop' if you do establish long positions. Volume has been weak on this rally.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -rally mode
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up, closing near $87.90
Natural Gas was mostly up, closing near $3.85
Gold was up, closing near $1750
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $150.31
The US Dollar dropped, closing near 80.29

NEWS:
Dow back above 13,000
Black Friday Sales Online Top $1 Billion For First Time: ComScore
What Stocks Are Analysts Buzzing About?
RIM jumps 14% on BlackBerry 10 hopes
Android Market Share: 3 Of 4 Smartphones Purchased In Past 3 Months Use Google's OS

Stock Market Blog -Nov 18th

Another week, another drop in the markets! Maybe we'll see a bottom soon. Continued layoff announcements, and bad news from companies like Hostess don't help. Not helping things either is tension in the Middle east, endless talk about the fiscal cliff, and weak earnings. The chart is clearly pointing down.

New all time highs:  GILD
All time lows: DRYS, MCP, P, TVIX
Pops:  ANF, GILD, NTAP
Drops:  DELL, MSFT, SHLD, WMT

 

AAPL -post iPhone5 top  -last week, 7th week down! -now, 8th week down!

Next week: Economic reports Thanksgiving Holiday

Earnings reports next week:  BBY, CPB, CRM, DE, HPQ, LOW,

Market Commentary

Still no bounce -maybe next week. The market is pretty oversold at this point. A low risk way to put on a bullish trade would be to sell 'Put Spreads' on the index ETFs (SPY, QQQ, TNA...). AAPL may be a good 'Put Spread' candidate also, or an Iron Condor for trade with even less risk.

Since Bonds typically trade opposite to stocks, another way to trade some upside in the market would be to be bearish on Bonds by selling 'Call Spreads' on TLT.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -ready to bounce next week?
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up, closing near $86.92
Natural Gas was up, closing near $3.79
Gold dropped, closing near $1714
The 30 year Bond rallied, closing near $152.22
The US Dollar was up, closing near 81.31

NEWS:
Jobless Claims in U.S. Jumped Last Week After Sandy
Hostess Brands closing for good -no more Twinkies?
Hostess and the GM Bailout: Why the Chevy Volt Shouldn't Exist but Twinkies Still Will
Postal Service Loss Of $15.9 Billion Sets Record
Institutions Are Selling These 7 Stocks With Unusual Volume After Earnings

Why Women Make Better Traders
Samsung hikes Apple chip prices by 20 percent: report
Amazon's Jeff Bezos: The ultimate disrupter
The Long Story of U.S. Debt, From 1790 to 2011, in 1 Little Chart

Stock Market Blog -Nov 11th

The market dropped this week after the election results. Now we know which candidate Wall Street favored. From the chart below you can see that we are now in a down trend -we'll see how long it continues. Bonds rallied as stocks dropped.

New all time highs:  AUY DDD
All time lows: GRPN ZNGA MCP ARCO
Pops:  AOL
Drops:  AGU DIS ESRX GRPN VVUS

AAPL -4 weeks of declines (post iPhone5 top)  -last week, 6th week down! -now 7th week down!

The Euro appears to be headed lower, off a double top (probably means stocks lower too)

Next week: Economic reports 

Earnings reports next week:
CSCO, HD, KORS report on Tuesday
ANF, PETM report onWednesday
DELL, TGT, WMT report on Thursday.
FL reports on Friday
And most of the big retailers report next week too...

Market Commentary

We got the election results, and investors promptly voted stock prices lower! With any luck we'll get a bounce next week, with Options expiration maybe lending a hand. Overall we are  in a 'down' trend, so trade accordingly. AAPL moves the markets, and it also appears ready for a bounce.

Longer term, it's conceivable that we could eventually go all the way back to the June lows (where the rally began).

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -ready to bounce this week?
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up, closing near $86.07
Natural Gas was mostly unchanged, closing near $3.50
Gold was up, closing near $1731
The 30 year Bond rallied, closing near $151.63
The US Dollar was up, closing near 81.10

NEWS:Stocks end election week down 2%
Which Stocks Look Ready to Pop and Drop with Earnings Next Week?
 Qualcomm Rides Mobile Tailwinds To Profits
Apple in bear territory: 20% below all-time high
Spread Out and Catch the Falling AAPL Knife
11 Stocks With More Impressive Margins than Apple Inc (AAPL)

Stock Market Blog -Nov 4th

The market was undecided this week as it rallied, then crashed right back down. Hurricane Sandy shut down the markets for 2 days, as it wreaked havoc in New Jersey and New York. We got a better than expected monthly Jobs report on Friday, but the market then promptly sold off the rest of the day.

The US Dollar rallied, and Gold dropped under $1700. SBUX, PCLN, and V  popped after reporting earnings. AAPL continued to drop, now 6 weeks in a row!

New all time highs: CMCSA, COG, DFS, EXPE, JDAS, KORS, PVH, V, WRC
All time lows: GRPN
Pops: JDAS, PCLN, SBUX, TRIP, WRC
Drops:  FFIV, NEM, YELP

AAPL -4 weeks of declines (post iPhone5 top)  -last week, 5th week down! -now 6th week down!

Next week: Economic reports 

Earnings reports next week:
 DIS reports on Thursday.

Market Commentary

The election results next week will probably impact stock prices. We're still testing support at 1400 on the S&P500. I would wait till after the election before trying to determine the next move in the markets.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -heading down further?
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $84.94
Natural Gas was up, closing near $3.52
Gold dropped, closing near $1683
The 30 year Bond was mostly unchanged, closing near $148.44
The US Dollar was up, closing near 80.67

NEWS:Job growth, unemployment rate rose in October as workers re-entered labor force
Starbucks Jumps as Profit Increases on U.S. Sales Gain
Inside Apple's major shakeup
What’s dragging down the U.S. economy?
Swiss Bank UBS To Lay Off 10,000 Employees
Japan is in worse than a deflationary trap

Stock Market Blog -Oct 28th

After a big week for earnings reports, the market dropped further, maybe signaling a new downtrend. Oil and Gold also dropped. We got a better than expected GDP report as well.

Much to everyone's surprise, AAPL never rallied prior to their earnings release, and actually dropped after reporting on Thursday. So far AAPL stock has lost around $100 since the iPhone5 launch. Lots of AAPL 'Call' options expired worthless on Friday.

Meanwhile EXPE, PCLN, FB, and AMZN rallied.

New all time highs: CMCSA, COG, N
All time lows:
Pops: FB, EXPE
Drops:  BBY, CLF, DD, DECK, FFIV, MNST, RF, SHW, UA

AAPL -4 weeks of declines (post iPhone5 top)         -this week, 5th week down!

Next week: Economic reports  Monthly jobs report on Friday!!

Earnings reports next week:
Mon: L, CRUS
Tue: F, CMI, PFE, VLO
Wed: MA, V, PSX, GM
Thu: NEM, SBUX, , XOM, CHK, K
Fri: CVX

Market Commentary

Earnings reports next week will again drive stock prices, but last week was the big one. Support might hold at 1400 on the S&P500, and we could see a small bounce from there, with the market being a little oversold. The Jobs report on Friday could also be a catalyst.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -heading down further?
OptionsMakeSense

Biotechs broken...

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $86.28
Natural Gas dropped, closing near $3.40
Gold dropped, closing near $1711
The 30 year Bond was up, closing near $148
The US Dollar was up, closing near 80.16

NEWS:
Apple earnings fall short: Has the company topped out?
Wall Street, political world await jobs report
UBS to Cut Up to 10,000 Jobs
Bank of America sued for alleged mortgage fraud
Oil Prices Retreat to Near $85 a Barrel Thanks to Plentiful Supply
U.S. May Soon Become World's Top Oil Producer
U.S. New-Home Sales Rise to Highest in 2.5 Years

Stock Market Blog -Oct 21st

The market was up earlier in the week, but dropped on Friday. Earnings disappointments from IBM, INTC, CMG, MCD, and GOOG contributed to the selling pressure.The Technology sector has been hit hard lately. We could see the 'up-channel' formed since June, start to break down here.

 
New all time highs: ?
All time lows: CARB, DANG, ZIP
Pops: TRV
Drops:  AMD, ALGN, CMG, FTNT, GOOG, IBM, MCD, MLNX, MRVL

AAPL -4 weeks of declines (post iPhone5 top)

Next week: Economic reports  5 central Bank meetings next week, including the US Fed...

Earnings reports next week:
Mon:  CAT, FCX, YHOO, TXN,
Tue: AMGN, FB, DD, MMM, NFLX, PNRA, UTX, UPS
Wed:  BA, BMY, LLY, T
Thu:  AAPL, AMZN, COG, COP, CL, EXPE, MO, BIIB, PG, POT, S, UA,
Fri:  MRK

Market Commentary

Earnings reports next week will again drive stock prices. The S&P 500 did in fact put in that double top I mentioned last week (it actually turned into a triple top). We could see more downside action, with support in the 1400 to 1400 area for the S&P 500. The NASDAQ looks much weaker, though it is also near a support level. All eyes are on AAPL as they report earnings on Thursday, and announce the iPad Mini on Tuesday. AAPL has dropped almost 100 points since its high of around $705. Also, Microsoft is launching Windows 8 next week

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -sideways channel now
OptionsMakeSense

Health Care -double top?

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was down, closing near $90.05
Natural Gas was mostly unchanged, closing near $3.62
Gold dropped a bit, closing near $1724
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $147.56
The US Dollar was mostly unchanged, closing near 79.69

NEWS:
Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors face earnings blitz with dread
Can the Market Hold On Amid Wave of Falling Profits?
U.S. Jobless Claims Rise 46,000 on Seasonal Shift
Apple's iPad mini: What to expect
Year of the electric car blows a fuse
Remembering the Crash of '87

Stock Market Blog -Oct 14th

The market gave back all of its gains from the prior week, and looks like it may have put in a double top. AAPL and AMZN were also weak. Bonds rallied as stocks dropped. JPM reported good earnings, but the market yawned. Next week we get a few more large companies reporting, including GS, GOOG, IBM, and KO.

New all time highs:   CAG, LQD, PFF
All time lows: 
Pops: YUM
Drops:  AMD, EW, OCZ, PHK

Next week: Economic reports -OPTIONS EXPIRATION on Friday!
Earnings reports next week:
Mon: C
Tue:  GS, IBM, INTC, ISRG, KO, JNJ, UNH
Wed: AXP, BAC, BK, EBAY, PEP
Thu: AMD, CMG, COF, GOOG, MS, MSFT, VZ
Fri:  GE, MCD, HON

Market Commentary

More earnings reports next week will help to drive stock prices. The S&P 500 looks like it put in a double top, so we could see more downside action. Keeping an eye on AAPL too, for a rebound.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -earnings next week!
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was up, closing near $91.86
Natural Gas was up, closing near $3.61
Gold dropped a bit, closing near $1758
The 30 year Bond rallied, closing near $149.56
The US Dollar was up, closing near 79.74

NEWS:
Cramer’s Earnings Preview for Next Week
U.S. sues Wells Fargo for mortgage fraud
Global Economic Distress 3.0 Looms as Emerging Markets Falter
Gross's Burning Bond Market Fails to Frighten Investors

Stock Market Blog -Oct 7th

The market rallied again this week, continuing the up-channel which started in June. Bonds sold off, and so did Oil. Also AAPL (a concern for many investors). HPQ dropped further after some not so good news. Likewise, CMG and ZNGA. The jobs report on Friday sparked a rally, but gave up most of it by the end of the day  -not a good sign.

New all time highs:   ACN, CMCSA, ABT, CVS, COV, DFS, ESRX, GOOG, IBM, OCN, PM, RAX, STZ, V, WMT, WPI, WFM,
All time lows:  ZNGA
Pops:  NFLX, OCN, AVP
Drops:  CMG, HPQ, MCD, ZNGA

Next week: Economic reports 
Earnings reports next weeka
Mon:
Tue: AA, YUM
Wed: COST
Thu:
Fri: JPM, WFC

Market Commentary

Earnings reports begin next week, with JPM and WFC reporting on Friday -I expect Financials to continue the rally with support from the Fed's QE3 program. AAPL continues to be weak and holding the rally back a bit (forming a head & shoulders pattern maybe). GOOG on the other hand is hitting all time highs, so there is some divergence in the market. Biotech (IBB) continues to fire on all cylinders! Homebuilders (XHB) and HD also continue to do well. Also Healthcare (XLV). The market rally continues until it stops -let's see if earnings reports will spoil the party.

Some stocks are still very 'overbought' like GOOG, HD, DIS, WMT, etc.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -another turning point, or a breakout next?
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $89.88
Natural Gas rallied, closing near $3.40
Gold was mostly unchanged, closing near $1779
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $147.50
The US Dollar was up, closing near 79.43

NEWS:

Wall Street Week Ahead: Big-name profit warnings may mean a pullback
Yum, Costco, JPMorgan Trump Alcoa Earnings This Week
Apple Inc (AAPL) Insiders Are Selling
Android Leads the Apple Inc (AAPL) iPad in Tablet Market, Report
Google Passes Microsoft’s Market Value as PC Loses to Web 

No Joy on Wall Street as Biggest Banks Earn $63 Billion
Shorting U.S. Bonds Is Still Trade of the Decade
America’s Export Surge Is Just Beginning
Iran’s Currency Crisis: Bad News For Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
How Does a Currency Drop 60% in 8 Days? Just Ask Iran

Stock Market Blog -Sep 30th

This week we pulled back into the up-channel in effect since June. This week also marks the end of the 3rd quarter, and a good one it was, for stocks and also for Gold. We saw the market get back up to the 2007 highs (before the financial crisis). AAPL helped to push the markets up, but we also saw good performance from some of the DOW stocks. Bonds started to break down this quarter too.

New all time highs:    ACN, ALXN, CAG, DFS, LQD, N, RGLD, WPI
All time lows: 
Pops: ACN,
Drops:  FTNT

Next week: Economic reports  * Monthly Jobs report on Friday *
Earnings reports from MON, MOS, and FDO

Market Commentary

My call last week for a pullback turned out to be a good one -all the stars were lined up as they say. Next week could bring more volatility as we get the Jobs report on Friday, and some other important economic reports, so buckle up. Some stocks are still very 'overbought' like GOOG, HD, DIS, WMT, etc.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -more correction, or rally back up from here?
OptionsMakeSense

With all the attention focused on AAPL, few have noticed that GOOG is up $200 recently!

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was mostly unchanged, closing near $92.19
Natural Gas rallied, closing near $3.32
Gold was mostly unchanged, closing near $1771
The 30 year Bond rallied, closing near $149.38
The US Dollar was up, closing near 80.03

NEWS:
Week ahead for stocks: All eyes on jobs
'Zombie Economy' May Give Markets a Scare in October
Apple CEO: "We are extremely sorry" for Maps frustration
Major banks hit with biggest cyberattacks in history
The 3 most overvalued assets today

Anyone Wondering Why Google's Stock Is Soaring Should Look At The Cash Flow...
Salesforce, NetSuite markets keep growing
BofA to Pay $2.43 Billion to End Investor Lawsuit Over Merrill
China manufacturing continues to slump

Stock Market Blog -Sep 23rd

The market was pretty much flat this week, as quarterly Options expiration approached. I guess everything was positioned just right! AAPL pinned at $700 (I predicted that, based on the options open interest). Maybe we'll see a small correction in the market for October? The VIX is also at a very low level, typically a turning point for the market. Bonds could rally again.

New all time highs:   AAPL, ABT, AEP, ALXN, CAG, CBS, CCI, CMCSA, COV, CVX, DIS, DISCA, DRI, EXPE, FBHS, GILD, KORS, LNKD, LTD, PG, RAX, RGLD, TRV, WFM, XLV
All time lows:  VXX
Pops: CAG, KBH
Drops:  BBBY, FDX, JCP, NSC, QCOR, 

Next week: Economic reports 
Earnings reports from DFS, NKE, and RIMM

Market Commentary

The market could be ready for a pullback here -low VIX, quarterly Options expiration out of the way, Bonds rallying, etc. (see VIX chart below). October can be a volatile month, so buying 'volatility' could pay off (e.g. VXX). We could see a correction in AAPL too, now that the news is out. And problems with the Euro still lurk in the background. These are all contrarian views (the charts don't really point to a well defined top).

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -overbought/low VIX
OptionsMakeSense

VIX bottom = Market top?

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil dropped, closing near $92.89
Natural Gas dropped a bit, closing near $2.89
Gold was mostly unchanged, closing near $1775
The 30 year Bond rallied, closing near $146.88
The US Dollar dropped, closing near 79.40

NEWS:
Stocks: U.S. economy in focus
Market Expects More Drama Heading Into Fourth Quarter
Bank of America reportedly plans to cut 16,000 jobs
Why Investors May Get a Flood of One-Time Dividends Soon
S&P 500: The Apple effect

Bearish Treasury Bets Hit a Record Amid Inflation Concern
The Recession That Won't End
Specter of China 'Hard Landing' Haunts Global Economy
The Next Panic

Stock Market Blog -Sep 16th

The market rallied this week after the FED announced another helicopter drop, to the tune of $40 billion per month, indefinitely! Full speed ahead. As you would expect, the US Dollar dropped, Bonds dropped, and Gold rallied.

New all time highs:  AAPL, ACN, AMZN, COST, CBS, CBE, COV, DIS, DFS, DTV, CVX, FL, FBHS, GILD, ITW, LNKD, PG, PSX, RAX, RGLD, UA, XLV, XLY, XOM, XRT, JNK, HYG
All time lows:  VXX, SDS, TZA -again! also EDZ, FAZ, ERY
Pops: everything!
Drops:   AZO

Next week: Economic reports 
Earnings reports from ORCL, FDX, and GIS
Don't forget Options expiration on Friday -quarterly too.

Market Commentary

Pretty much the same commentary as last week! The market continued to rally, keeping the trend in place, so the trade is still to be long stocks -and the Fed did move the markets! Volatility continues to approach new lows (VIX), meaning that stocks could be also be close to a top -it's very extended at this point. Maybe we'll see a turn after Options expiration.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -now overbought
OptionsMakeSense

NASDAQ vs. S&P 500 (15 years)

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil rallied, closing near $99
Natural Gas rallied, closing near $2.94
Gold rallied again, closing near $1770
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $144.56
The US Dollar dropped, closing near 78.84

NEWS:
U.S. Stocks Rally to Highest Since 2007 Amid Fed Stimulus
Sign of the Times: 22% of the S&P 500 at New Multi-Year Highs
Fed Unveils QE3
Fed Juices Stocks—but What Could Bring Out the Bears?
Time to Bail Out on Treasurys?
Dow average dumps Kraft Foods for UnitedHealth
Moody’s Warns That U.S. May Face Debt Downgrade
Amazon Grossly Overpriced

Stock Market Blog -Sep 9th

We got a nice rally this week as the ECB announced their bond buying program. We also saw a lot of stocks break out to new highs, including the NASDAQ hitting a new 12 year high!  However, the disappointing monthly jobs report on Friday put a damper on the party. Also Fedex and Intel reduced their guidance based on a weakening economy. Lots of stocks hitting all time highs this week!

GOOG and AMZN continue to rally nicely!

New all time highs:    AAPL, AMZN, BUD, CCI, COST, CVX, CBS, DIS, DTV,  EW, FL, FBHS, GILD, ITW, LNKD, PG, RAX, RGLD, REGN, UA, ULTA, XLV, XLY, XOM, XRT
All time lows:  VXX, SDS, TZA
Pops:  CMG, FCX, LULU
Drops:  

Next week: Economic reports  Apple is expected to launch their new iPhone on Wednesday.

...Fed Meeting, Apple Event, German Court Decision

Market Commentary

The market continued to rally, keeping the trend in place, so the trade is still to be long stocks. The Fed could move the market on Wednesday, so be cautious. Volatility is approaching a low again (VIX), meaning that stocks could be close to a top. Gold is rallying once again as the US Dollar drops.

This week's charts:

Weekly Unemployment claims
S&P 500 -still trending up
OptionsMakeSense

Commodities/Futures (charts):
Crude Oil was mostly unchanged, closing near $96.32
Natural Gas dropped, closing near $2.66
Gold rallied again, closing near $1735
The 30 year Bond dropped, closing near $148.63
The US Dollar dropped, closing near 80.18

NEWS:Nasdaq Reaches Highest Level Since 2000 On Major ECB Decision
Apple and Amazon Make This a Very Different Nasdaq
Markets Crave Stimulus—Will the Fed Give Them Their Fix?
FedEx Echoes GLOBAL SLOWDOWN Fears

Is Jeff Bezos the Next Steve Jobs?
Is Apple’s Stock a BUY at Today’s Price?
Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance Earnings: Investors LOVE These Numbers