State of the Markets
The Bears Are Baffled
The major indices stepped lively to a fresh set of new highs yesterday with the Dow, S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 all finishing at their highest levels ever. However, as has been the case for much of the year, the smallcaps, midcaps, and microcaps failed to confirm. And while this situation…
The Biggest Surprise Wasn't...
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day Monday wasn't the fact that Japan suddenly finds itself back in a recession. Nor the fact that the Bank of England's Mark Carney began to publicly fret about deflation. Or that Super Mario started talking about QE again. Or even that David Cameron s…
The Future of Investing: A NEW Diversification Approach
A self-proclaimed investing "newbie" expressed appreciation for Friday's missive and the introduction of some long-term indicators that can indeed help just about anyone "time" the market successfully. This particular reader decided…
Busted: One of the Greatest Myths in Investing
When the editor of Benzinga.com asks for something, I usually try to lend a hand whenever possible. Benzinga is probably the fastest growing stock-oriented site in the country, syndicates their content across the web, and partners with the big boys. B…
There Are Reasons To Stay Bullish Here
A month ago, the sky was falling. The technical divergences seen in the market were coming home to roost. Growth was slowing. Indicators were falling. Moving averages were snapping. There was fear in the air. And for the first time in a very long time, it looked like the bears might actua…
Isn't It Odd That...
Although the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average indices enjoyed pretty good gains Wednesday and finished at fresh all-time highs, the rest of the major indices failed to join the party. And the NASDAQ, NASDAQ 100, and Microcap indexes actually finished lower.
To be sure …
Is Uncertainty Creeping In?
It's been quite a roller coaster ride on Wall Street lately. Since the dog days of July (7/24/14 to be exact) the S&P 500 has been on a wild ride. In a period of just a little more than three months, the venerable stock market index has experienced a pullback of -4.35 percent, a rally…
Can We Trust the Bulls' Latest Stampede?
With the S&P 500 having blasted up +10.9 percent in just 12 days, it is safe to say that the bulls have displayed a little "oomph" in their latest joyride to the upside. And to students of the game, it is the "oomph" behind the move that is really the key.
You see, the importa…
The QE Dance Continues
It appears that the dance with QE will continue today. For anyone invested in stocks, this has been a beautiful dance to watch for several years now. It's a bit of a two-step and here's how it works. First, the markets fret over what appears to be economic weakness. This causes stocks to …
The New Battle Cry: Inflation or Bust!
As someone who entered the investing business in 1980, it is very odd to see the central bankers of the world now focused on trying to increase inflation. Back in the day, inflation was the enemy. An enemy Paul Volcker was locked in battle with for years as runaway inflation threatened th…