Daily State of the Markets

Bears Defending Their Turf

During the 38 trading days so far in 2014, we've seen a pullback of 106.5 points on the S&P 500 (5.76 percent) and a rebound of 105 points (6.07 percent). So, the bottom line is that while ride has been a bit on the wild side, the S&P currently stands at almost exactly the same sp…

How To Identify A Stock Picker's Market

After several long years of risk-on/risk-off markets during which, everything acted like the S&P 500 and adding alpha was difficult, it appears that stock-picking is back in a big way. The natural question, of course, is why? Before we get to the answer, it is first im…

A Real Yen for Stocks?

Let's see a show of hands. How many of you out there struggle from time to time to ascertain why Ms. Market is doing whatever the heck she is doing on a given day? Monday was a perfect example of why the word logic is rarely used in connection with the action in the stock market. …

Stocks In 2014: How'd We Get Here and What Does It Mean?

Thirty-five trading days into the new year, the S&P stands just about where it started. But to say that nothing has happened in the market so far this year would certainly be misleading. In case you haven't been paying close attention, it is important to remember that the S&P expe…

Next Move: Blow-Off or Blow Up?

Spending copious amounts of time in cars, airports, and airplanes generally provides the opportunity to take a step (or three) back from the blinking screens (although to be honest it is pretty easy to check in on the market via an iPhone these days) and regain a feel for the big picture.…

Eight Bullish Factors To Consider

At the end of January and into the first week of February, we penned a handful of articles which focused on the question of whether or not the stock market was facing a new crisis or merely a garden variety pullback. Since the market has been dealt more than its fair share of cris…

Five Ways to Deal With the Changing Environment

While the world waits to hear what Janet Yellen has to say about Fed policy this morning, it is probably a good time to expand on the idea that the character of the stock market has changed and look at what investors can do about it. Last week, it was suggested that moves in the m…

Sometimes Reading is Required

The talk in the markets on Friday was all about the jobs report. For the second month in a row, the headline nonfarm payrolls number was a big surprise - and not in a good way. For the second month in a row, the number of new jobs created in the U.S. came in well below expectations. And y…

Has The Next Worry Arrived?

You've got to love the stock market game. Just about the time you think you've got it figured out, boom - it changes. Or maybe it doesn't, who knows. Frankly, there are times when it is very hard to tell why Ms. Market is doing what she is doing. But since that's the stated objective or o…

The Key Question in the Market Remains...

One constant in investing is the game is always changing. One minute the focus is on Europe. The next it's on an earthquake in Japan, then the Fed, unrest in the Middle East, the economy, QE, earnings, commodity prices, inflation/deflation, the state of the economy, emerging markets, and …