The overall picture remains bullish for stocks and sector participation is broad. Six of the nine sector SPDRs hit new highs this week, and seven of the nine hit new highs this month. The Consumer Discretionary SPDR is the only one that has yet to hit a new high and... READ MORE
Stocks did not do much, but it was a most interesting day elsewhere. The major index ETFs closed fractionally higher and the sectors were mixed. The consumer discretionary, technology and finance sectors were fractionally lower. The energy, consumer staples and utilities sectors were modestly higher. Gold and silver miners surged... READ MORE
Paychex (PAYX) is having all kinds of problems breaking through resistance in the 41.7 area. A bearish engulfing is taking shape today and this is the third bearish candlestick reversal pattern in six weeks. The late May and early June lows mark support in the 40.2-40.4 area... READ MORE
The Yellen Fed came out with a dovish statement on Wednesday. This put a bid into utilities, gold, bonds and stocks. The Dollar and Treasury yields moved lower. The gains in the major index ETFs were modest, but enough to extend the short-term uptrends. The Utilities SPDR surged over 2%... READ MORE
There are five setups today. First, we start with a semiconductor stock forming an inverse head-and-shoulders pattern. Second, there is a healthcare stock with a bull flag taking shape. Third, we feature a networking stock with a Bollinger Band squeeze. The fourth stock also comes from the semiconductor group and... READ MORE
The utilities sector is on fire Wednesday with several stocks sporting big gains in their StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR). Northeast Utilities (NU), DTE Energy (DTE) and AES Corp (AES) have double digit gains in their SCTR. Notice that this table can be sorted by clicking the column heading. This makes... READ MORE
It seems that there are higher yields in our future. The economy is plugging along, the labor market is improving and inflation is on target. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose .4% in May and this was the largest increase since February 2013. It also puts the CPI on target... READ MORE
The Sector MarketCarpet shows the Finance SPDR (XLF) catching the strongest bid because it is the darkest green. The Utilities SPDR (XLU) is the weakest with an average loss of .36%. Hover over the carpet and right click to see formatting options. Click the arrow in the upper right to... READ MORE
Today we have six setups. We start with a shipper that broke resistance and successfully tested this breakout with a high volume bounce. Next we have a video game retailer consolidating after a gap. Third up is a Japanese automaker with a bull flag. The fourth slot goes to a... READ MORE
Stocks were mixed on Monday, but the major index ETFs managed to eek out small gains. Small-caps showed some relative strength as the Russell 2000 ETF gained .48% on the day. The sectors were mixed with weakness in finance, industrials and materials. Energy and utilities were strong. Strength in oil... READ MORE
The Rising Three Methods candlestick pattern is a bullish continuation pattern with four candlesticks: a long white candlestick, three candlesticks with small bodies and a long white candlestick that signals a continuation higher. The three small candlesticks mark a short correction or pullback. The chart below shows Chemtura with this... READ MORE
It could be a big week for housing-related stocks and Treasury bonds. The Home Construction iShares (ITB) is at a critical juncture because it is testing the early June breakout after last week's pullback. We will get new data points for housing starts and building permits on Tuesday.... READ MORE
Selling pressure extended on Thursday, but the losses in the major index ETFs were modest. The Russell 2000 ETF declined .61% and the S&P 500 SPDR fell .71%. This is moderate selling pressure. There were, of course, some pockets with more intense selling pressure. The consumer discretionary and... READ MORE
Tensions in Iraq put a big bid into Spot Light Crude ($WTIC) as this key commodity broke above its March-May highs. Overall, crude formed an ascending triangle over the last few months and today's breakout signals a continuation of the January-February surge. The height of the pattern (105... READ MORE
Stocks came under selling pressure on Wednesday with the Russell 2000 ETF losing around .50% and the S&P 500 SPDR falling .35%. Even though today's decline was insignificant for the broader market, there are some growing concerns that could lead to a pullback or corrective period... READ MORE
Today's charts feature five setups. First, there is a small pharma company bouncing off support after a hammer. Second, we have a recent IPO getting a breakout with good volume. Third, there is a small software company with a double bottom taking shape. Fourth, a generic drug maker... READ MORE
Nutrisystem (NTRI) broke out with a big gap-surge in early May and then consolidated with a triangle. The gap and breakout are largely holding as volatility contracts. Notice how the Bollinger Bands narrowed and volume dried up over the last few weeks. Chartists should watch the June range for the... READ MORE
It was a mixed day on Wall Street as the Nasdaq 100 ETF edged higher (.17%) and the S&P 500 SPDR edged lower (.01%). The gains and losses in the major index ETFs were insignificant and Tuesday can be called a consolidation day. The sectors were also mixed... READ MORE
Stocks continued higher in early trading and then succumbed to some selling pressure in the afternoon. The Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ) closed slightly lower, the S&P 500 SPDR (SPY) edged higher and the Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) gained .88% on the day. The sectors were mixed with five... READ MORE
Today's charts feature five setups. First, we have a semiconductor stock with a bullish reversal pattern in the works. Second, we have a software company catering to the healthcare sector. Third, there is a movie producer scheduled to release a sequel this weekend. Fourth, there is a medical... READ MORE
Stocks caught a decent bid last week with small-caps, mid-caps and micro-caps leading the way. This shows strength at the high-beta end of the market and shows an increased appetite for risk. All sectors were up with finance, industrials and consumer discretionary leading the way. Relative strength in finance and... READ MORE
The AD Line and AD Volume Line are aggregate measures of participation. The AD Line favors small and mid-caps because an advance equals +1 and a decline equals -1, regardless of market cap. This means an advance in Apple ($556 billion market cap) counts the same as an advance in... READ MORE
Stocks caught a bid with the Russell 2000 ETF and Russell MicroCap iShares leading the charge. Both gained over 2% and easily outperformed the S&P 500 SPDR, which gained just .60% on the day. All sectors were up with industrials and finance leading. Among the key industry group... READ MORE
The P&F chart below shows the Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) with 30-cent boxes to capture the medium-term trend. Notice that this chart extends back to January, which is marked by the red numeral 1 in the first column. The ETF broke the bullish support line in April and... READ MORE
Today's charts feature five setups. First, we have a stockbroker testing a major support zone. Second, there is a cell phone maker gapping higher and holding the gap. Third, a shipper is showing signs of life with a big move. The fourth chart features an internet company with... READ MORE
Stocks edged higher on Wednesday with the major index ETFs posting modest gains. The economic reports continue to be positive with the ISM Services Index coming in well above 50 and the ADP report showing 179000 new private sector jobs. Also note that the Fed's beige book showed... READ MORE
The Dow Industrials hit another new high this week, but IBM did not help the cause and remains well below its mid April high. This means IBM shows relative weakness, which is confirmed by the StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR). The SCTR (red line) is below 20 and has spent most... READ MORE
Stocks put in a lackluster performance as the market awaits a data deluge in the coming days. We have the ADP Employment Report, Fed Beige Book and ISM Services today. Initial Claims and the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting are Thursday. And, of course, Friday is non-farm payrolls. Automakers reported... READ MORE
The Dollar Tree chart shows two breakaway gaps in opposite directions. The first breakaway gap occurred in November and started a downtrend. The second breakaway gap occurred in late May and held for over a week. Like the November gap, this gap occurred on high volume and could signal the... READ MORE
Stocks put in a mixed performance on Monday with large-caps and mid-caps edging higher, and small-caps moving lower. The gains and losses were contained and not enough to affect the short-term trends. Five of the nine sector SPDRs were up, but the gains and losses were inconsequential. Of note, the... READ MORE
Today's charts feature five setups. A video game maker is consolidating within an uptrend. A teen apparel retailer triggered a bear trap after a failed support break. A women's apparel retailer is consolidating after a gap-reversal. A fertilizer company formed a big bullish continuation pattern. And,... READ MORE
Looking for relative performance leaders? Look no further than the StockCharts home page and the top SCTR movers. The StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) tables can be found on the home page near the bottom. Click the "top up" tab to see the biggest gainers and "top down&... READ MORE
The S&P 500 SPDR and 20+ YR T-Bond ETF extended their uptrends with new highs last week, but this positive correlation could get a big test with a full economic docket this week. The Dow Diamonds, Nasdaq 100 ETF, Equal-Weight S&P 500 ETF and S&... READ MORE
While falling yields translate into lower borrowing costs for the borrower, they are not always positive for the lender. In particular, the recent decline in the 10-Year Treasury Yield ($TNX) caused the spread between the 10-year yield and the 2-year yield to narrow (red dashed line). The chart below shows... READ MORE
Today's charts feature five setups from across the board. A key industrial metal retraced 50-62% of its prior advance and may hit resistance soon. A game retailer with high short interest gapped up. An oil services company shows signs of firming in a key retracement zone. Oil hit... READ MORE
Note that I will be taking a day off on Friday and Art's charts will not be updated until Monday. Stocks took a breather on Wednesday with small losses in the major index ETFs. The Russell 2000 ETF and Russell MicroCap iShares suffered the biggest losses, but the... READ MORE
The chart below shows year-to-date relative performance for four sector SPDRs (XLK, XLF, XLI and XLY). Notice that the XLK:SPY ratio shot up over the last two weeks and moved to its highest level of the year (above the February peak). In fact, the XLK:SPY ratio is the... READ MORE
Stocks were higher again on Tuesday with small-caps leading the way. The Russell 2000 ETF and Russell MicroCap iShares gained 1.44% and 1.92%, respectively. Strength in small-caps triggered a breakout in IWM as it moved above its mid May high. The Finance SPDR and Technology SPDR led the... READ MORE
Intel (INTC) is leading the semiconductor group higher with a move above its upper Bollinger Band. Notice how the bands contracted as volatility narrowed over the last few weeks. The breakout signals what could be the start of a volatility expansion and continuation higher. Chartists can use the recent lows... READ MORE
Today's charts feature five setups in various groups. We start with a semiconductor stock making a breakout on high volume. Next, there are two retailers with bullish continuation patterns forming. Both broke out with gaps and are now consolidating. Fourth, we have another semiconductor stock bouncing off support... READ MORE