Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Morning Call--Waiting for non farm payrolls

The Morning Call

10/22/13

The Market
           
    Technical

            The indices (DJIA 15392, S&P 1744) turned in a mixed performance yesterday (Dow down, S&P up fractionally).  The Dow remains within its short term trading range (14190-15550), while the S&P is in a short term uptrend (1685-1839).  They continue out of sync short term.

            Both of the Averages are within their intermediate term uptrends (15080-20080, 1604-2190) and long term uptrends (4918-17000, 715-1800).

            Volume was pathetic; breadth mixed.  The VIX rose, closing within its short term trading range and intermediate term downtrend.

            The long Treasury was off a bit, finishing within its short term trading range and its intermediate term downtrend.

            GLD inched higher, continuing to toy with the upper boundary of its very short term downtrend.  However, it has yet to violate that boundary or the upper boundaries of its short term and intermediate term downtrends.

            Bottom line:  the S&P crept to a new high yesterday, though the Dow is lagging and is out of sync.

We are very close to the beginning of the best months of the year (November to April) performance-wise.  Plus the Holidays tend to boost everyone’s sentiment.  If the Dow can make a new high and re-set with the S&P, then traders may want to play the November/December period to the upside.  Though I would caution that (1) the last time they made new highs, it was a three day affair, so be careful not to jump the gun and (2) another fiscal fist fight is scheduled at the first of the year. and (3) stocks are very overbought right now---so some weakness is to be expected short term

Nonetheless, if equities move up in price and any of our stocks trade into their Sell Half Range, our Portfolios will act accordingly.

            Time for a Market pause (medium):

    Fundamental
    
     Headlines

            One datapoint yesterday: September existing home sales fell but less than expected.  Not much of value there.

            The rest of day was spent in a sort of quiet limbo as investors digested earnings reports and awaited today’s nonfarm payroll number (that was due last Thursday).

Bottom line: equities, in my opinion, remain overvalued based on expectations for continuing slow economic growth, a burdensome fiscal policy and QE Infinity which, while it may keep the musical chairs game going a bit longer, will probably end very ugly.  Granted we are closing in on a period that historically has been the Market’s most buoyant; and that might provide a trading opportunity for the very brave at heart who maintain very tight stops.

The most important information on which I wait are the signs of how the last three weeks have impacted business and consumer confidence.

            The latest from John Hussman (medium):

            Jack Bogle on efficient markets (medium):

            Margin debt hits a new high (short):

            Near term Market risks (medium):

            QEInfinity’s misallocation of capital (short):

            More on valuation (medium):

            The latest from Stephen Roach (medium):

            Debts, deficits and economic growth (medium and today’s must read):

            How to profit from Washington’s bickering (medium):




Steve Cook received his education in investments from Harvard, where he earned an MBA, New York University, where he did post graduate work in economics and financial analysis and the CFA Institute, where he earned the Chartered Financial Analysts designation in 1973. His 40 years of investment experience includes institutional portfolio management at Scudder, Stevens and Clark and Bear Stearns. Steve's goal at Investing For Survival is to help other investors build wealth and benefit from the investing lessons he learned the hard way.

No comments:

Post a Comment