State of the Markets

Here's The Key: The Deadline Isn't Really The Deadline

Although the action on Capitol Hill appears has certainly been frenzied, the stock market continues to yawn. Yes, it is true that the intraday volatility did pick up in earnest on Tuesday as the algos pushed and pulled the major indices in a rather violent fashion after each and every hea…

Hold The Champagne, They're Just Getting Started

Stocks finished in the green for a third consecutive day on Monday as hope for a deal that would avert a debt default and reopen the government grew throughout the session. Things started off a bit on the rocky side however as the DJIA was down more than 100 points two minutes after the o…

Understanding The Gov't Crisis Play Book

The DJIA soared 323 points on Thursday and the S&P 500 posted its biggest one-day percentage gain since the first day of trading in 2013 (a move that coincidentally was also sponsored by Congress finding a way to avoid sending the economy into a depression). Although yesterday's move …

A Sell Signal Worth Paying Attention To

If the last fifteen years in the stock market has taught investors anything, it is that managing risk is a vital part of the game. Given that (a) the bear markets of 2000-02 and 2008-09 both produced declines in excess of 50 percent and (b) a loss of 50 percent requires a gain of 100 perc…

Ben Bernanke Can't Be Happy

Thought for the day: Ben Bernanke probably isn't too happy right about now. After rescuing the global banking system from the brink of collapse in 2008, after dealing with not one, not two, but three European debt crises over the past four years, and after surviving at least two r…

It's Getting Ugly Out There, Right?

Wow, it's really getting ugly out there. After Monday's 136 point decline on the DJIA, which just happened to be the eleventh losing session seen in the last thirteen for the venerable index, the popular press was ready to declare the corner Broad and Wall a disaster area. Although the Do…

The Administration Who Cried Wolf

Editor's Note: After a weekend of travels, Dave has asked friend and colleague Paul Schatz to fill in for him and provide commentary on the standoff in Washington this morning. With the exception of those directly affected and impacted by the government shutdown, …

Investors: Remember The Sequester!

It's that time again in Washington... The stakes are high. The clock is ticking down. The politicians are getting anxious. And the level of adjectives being espoused in and around the nation's capital is escalating rapidly. The President of the United States told CNBC yesterday af…

What Do The Cycles Say About October?

Based on the early action, it appears that traders have moved into a schizophrenic mode as Tuesday's gains could be reversed quickly at the open. At issue is the simple fact that no one really knows what to expect in terms of the duration of the government shutdown. And the bottom line is…

By the Numbers: Turning Out the Lights in D.C.

Well, it's official. The boys and girls masquerading as lawmakers in Washington D.C. have once again placed their political agendas over the good of the country. And as a result of the childish behavior displayed by both sides in this debate, the government will begin to shut down today. …