Who likes this market? Raise your hand. Hmmm…looking around, not seeing many hands raised. Ok, that makes sense. Since the beginning of the year markets have continued their upward climb started since the frightening dip in early October, and all I hear and read are complaints: why won’t this market pull back? why can’t I [...]
That rumbling you hear is not the pitter-patter of little feet, instead it is the coming earnings season, where companies step into the confessional and talk about the recently finished quarter. I expect some good and bad, but this week we warm up with some high profile names. On my radar: IBM, FCX, UNP, EBAY, [...]
Leadership – the capacity to lead, or the act/instance of leading. Where will we find the companies leading markets in 2012? That is the million dollar question. Your recent leaders of today may not be your leaders of tomorrow. PCLN? LULU? CMG? NFLX? CRM? Nah, there are new kids on the block. Depending on where [...]
Markets had a standout performance this week, shaking off the recent negativity from Washington and other places. This market is all about earnings – and we need not look any further than that to explain an up 2-3% week. From Apple, to IBM, from Morgan Stanley to GE – there were positive reports across the [...]
With the second half in the rear view mirror there is so much to look forward to as we attack the rest of 2011. I certainly hope we have less chills and thrills in the back half of the year – maybe just a bit off settling down with a bit more stability. So as [...]
After last night’s blowout earnings from Google and buyout of HK from BHP it seemed the bulls had the wind at their backs for a smooth finish to the week. Alas, we cannot forget the shenanigans going on in Europe (bank stress tests) and Washington (budget and debt) that tend to spread poison across every [...]
It’s only too obvious, isn’t it? The markets are showing some cracks in the armor as the end of QE2 is upon us. Should be no surprise really. In 2010 when the first round easy money ended the indices were hammered mercilessly (last summer) until the deflationary forces proved too difficult to overcome. It was [...]
If you are reading this I suspect the real Judgment Day was not this past weekend and the world did not come to an end. Sell in May and go away? I think that may have missed the mark by a month. Today, the SPX is right near where it was on April 1 (see [...]
Why Are We Picking on the Russell 2K? AAPL IBM CAT IWM
Not much love these days in commentary and chart analysis for the small cap index. I can understand the concern but not the ‘hate’. I would not consider this a leading index of the economy, stock market or trends. It is not a sign of a slowdown, either. The divergence of the small caps with [...]
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