Daily State of the Markets
Next Stop New Highs for Stocks?
Easing geopolitical tensions continue to be a driving force in the current market. Based on talks between Russia, Ukraine, and European leaders, it appears that the situation in Ukraine may be resolved in the near term without further interruptions in economic activity. This is a plus for…
The Valuation Debate: Robert Shiller is Very Worried
The topic of the day from a short-term perspective is the state of the geopolitical issues in Ukraine/Russia and to a lesser extent Iraq and Gaza/Israel. The way this game is played is simple, really. When headlines speak of troop movements, stocks go down. Then when the news wire reports…
Are Stocks Really Overvalued?
Everybody knows that the current bull market has been one for the ages. Everybody who has been long stocks for the last few years has likely enjoyed the ride. Everybody knows that the current bull market is getting old. And yet, everybody also knows that this market has some "issues."…
Thoughts From The Road: The Current State of the Market
Last week, I had the pleasure of driving up California's coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco. While the traffic outside of L.A. remains is numbing, the rest of the trek is a delight (if you aren't in a hurry). There were business meetings in San Luis Obispo (an undiscovered destinatio…
Four More Reasons To Be Concerned About The Stock Market
Five short days ago, the S&P 500 hit a new all-time high at 1987.98. The move appeared to be a breakout, albeit a modest one, from the recent range. And a great many analysts - particularly those possessing the rose-tinted Revo's - professed that 2000 was the next stop for the venerab…
The Next 3 Reasons To Exhibit Some Caution
Tuesday's stock market action was interesting on several fronts. In the morning, it appeared that the bulls were about to recover their lost momentum mojo in response to a second consecutive monthly surge in Consumer Confidence. But then the politicians started making headlines about new …
3 More Reasons To Take Your Foot Off The Gas
Save the usual intraday algo runs that move the market up and down 1 percent or so just for the heck of it, the stock market has been pretty dull lately. In fact, as defined by the S&P 500 index, the market finished Monday less than 6 points (0.3 percent) from where it closed on July …
20 Reasons To Take Your Foot Off The Gas Pedal (Part I)
A colleague recently issued me a challenge. In short, my long-time friend teased that I needed to remove my rose-colored Revo's, if only for a moment or two, and try to look at the stock market environment from a member of the bear camp's perspective. Although I am indeed a card-carrying …
The Word of the Day is 'Improvement,' But...
In the early going, the word of the day appears to be "improvement." China's Flash PMI reading improved to an 18-month high with a reading of 52.0. This suggests that growth is accelerating in the manufacturing sector of the world's second largest economy,…