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  • Finance 0

    Bears Scratch The Market

    It was looking good for bears, until the late recovery put a bit of a gloss on proceedings. The first half hour of trading (and premarket) will be important tomorrow. The S&P is trading close to breakout support, and the 20-day MA is fast approaching to lend a hand. If bears were able to break both these levels it would open up for some downside. Although, fresh support would quickly emerge at converged 2064 support and the 50-day MA, but beyond that there is room down to 2000/1990. Perhaps more disappointing was the loss in the Semiconductor Index. It effectively gave back nearly all of yesterday’s gains, bar the gap.  There is ro...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    SP 500 And NDX Futures Daily Charts – Stunned Into Apathy

    “Most of them became wealthy by being well connected and crooked. And they are creating a society in which they can commit hugely damaging economic crimes with impunity, and in which only children of the wealthy have the opportunity to become successful. That’s what I have a problem with. And I think most people agree with me.” Charles Ferguson, Predator Nation The new record high of 5,000 Nasdaq, reminiscent of the last time we were here, at the height of the tech bubble, almost fifteen years ago, was short lived, at least for now.  There is certainly no reason why it could not go higher, even much higher, again. Their hypocr...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    US Vs. Europe – The Divergence

    QUESTION: Dear Martin I hope your well and having a good 2015 thus far. I don’t know whether you planned it but after your post regarding people trying to pass your work off as their own a funny thing happened. I was at a luncheon in London with some so called “important” and knowledgeable figures. The conversation shifted regarding the economy and it took a totally different direction. Usually these people only talk about P/E, Debt to GDP etc etc however this time cycles were mentioned and how everything was revolving around 8+ years, boom and bust!! I have been attending these meetings for over 8 years and not once has a bicycle been...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    A Billion Here, A Billion There …

    A Billion Here, A Billion There … We always wondered a bit why the Austrian government was so eager to adopt the EU’s bail-in law (a.k.a. the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive) one year earlier than demanded by the EU Commission. What was the rush? Well, now we know. Last year, the decision to wind down the former Hypo Alpe Adria (HAA) “in an orderly manner” helped push Austria’s government debt above 87% of GDP – a level perilously close to what has so far in many cases proved to be the point of no return.  Heta Asset Resolution, formerly Hypo Alpe Adria International: The situation is hopeless, but it isn’t serious … I...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    Hubris Hangover? Stocks, Bonds, & Bullion All Red

    For those who bought the breakout to 5,000 in the Nasdaq… We are sad to report that The Nasdaq Composite was unable to trade back above 5,000 today… An early dip into the red for the week was rescued, then another dip after Europe closed took all but The Dow into the red for the week… but then  as the USD strengthened and bonds sold off, stocks rallied to end green for the week… But closed red on the day Today’s weakness started in the European session as selling the QE news and Greek funding issues, extended when US opened (unusually) and then extended losses as Bibi spoke… the lows were put in as Europe ...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    Can Abercrombie Manage To Eke Out A Beat Tomorrow?

    (Photo Credit: dadahappy99) Before tomorrow’s opening bell, Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) will report results for the fourth quarter. The Estimize community is calling for EPS of $1.16, two cents higher than the Wall Street consensus, suggesting a YoY decline of 13%. Revenues estimates of $1.17B are in-line with Wall Street, expected to fall 10% from the year-ago quarter.   The darling of all teen retailers has been struggling for sometime now, with sales declining for the last 7 quarters, as teens move away from preppy logo-ed gear in favor of fast-fashion retailers such as H&M and Zara. Abercrombie’s international business has ...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    Government And Corporate Bond ETFs Breaking Short-term Support

    Click on picture to enlarge Government Bond ETF TLT and Corporate Bond ETF LQD have done really well since the 2014 lows. Both are attempting to break short-term support with momentum lofty and curling lower. Trend change at hand or near? Bond and Utility (XLU) 10% decline in the past 4 weeks an interest rate signal?...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    Investing In Utility Stocks The Right Way

    Over the weekend I read through Warren Buffett’s Annual Letter to shareholders, an item every investor should read. While it was extremely insightful, there was a bit in it that pertained to the topic I wanted to share with you today. Warren Buffett has zeroed in on a little niche in the market that he believes has “recession-proof earnings.” I like to consider it a stock market guarantee… Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a true guarantee in the stock market. But there are a few little-known and widely overlooked stocks that exist today that are the next best thing…if not guaranteed, they are at least recession-proof stock...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    E WhatsTrading Recap – 03/03/2015

    The S&P 500 opened lower and is off 10 points to 2107.5 late-Tuesday, but the decline has been orderly and lacking much conviction. With no economic data to guide trading, the Treasury complex finished lower and the yield on the benchmark ten-year is now 2.12%. Trading was quiet across much of the commodities market. While crude added 75 cents to $50.35, gold lost $5 to $1203. On Wall Street, energy (XLE) and utilities (XLU) bucked the bearish trend. Technology (XLK), healthcare (XLV), and industrials (XLI) are pacing the retreat. CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) hit a morning high of 14.69 and is up .84 to 13.88. Trading in the options market...
    On March 3, 2015 / By
  • Finance 0

    Gareth Hatch: New REE Export Rules Inside China Level The International Playing Field

    TM editors’ note: This article discusses a penny stock and/or microcap. Such stocks are easily manipulated; do your own careful due diligence. The era of rare earth elements export quotas and tariffs in China will soon be over and that could ultimately mean a new era of higher prices for REEs inside China, says Gareth Hatch, founding principal of Technology Metals Research and president of Innovation Metals Corp. Chinese REE producers are now subject to much higher environmental standards, which could further level the playing field for non-Chinese REE producers. In this interview with The Mining Report, Hatch discusses some of the la...
    On March 3, 2015 / By