Defensive sectors is where the money is going right now. Last week was a perfect example. Check out the rotation last week: The four defensive sectors and energy (XLE) finished the week in positive territory. The aggressive sectors and materials (XLB) were lower. That's been the theme in... READ MORE
We've rallied a TON off the February low, which is certainly encouraging. While I believe it's still possible that we print a new low sometime over the next 3-6 months, the significant rally over the past few weeks should not be ignored and increases the odds... READ MORE
Perhaps the most exciting part of any trader's journey is catching that runaway short squeeze. Many traders have only dreamt it, while others have lived it. GameStop Corp (GME) is the most recognizable short squeeze stock of this generation as it soared from 20 on January 13, 2021... READ MORE
The stock market never works the way we think it should. When the news stories are bleak, we tend to think the stock market must react negatively. But that's not the way things work. Most times, the stock market bottoms LONG BEFORE we see any positive developments in... READ MORE
Rallies and selloffs can be so crazy during volatile periods, and 2022 definitely qualifies as volatile. The Volatility Index ($VIX) has now been elevated and above 20 every single day since January 18th. That's roughly 9 weeks. It comes after a year in which the VIX has bottomed... READ MORE
We've seen a tremendous rally over the past week or so across most U.S. equities, but the FAANG stocks tend to garner the most attention. These large cap growth names help to carry our major indices either higher or lower, because of their huge market caps. They... READ MORE
The prospects of surging inflation and higher interest rates hinder the performance of growth stocks in a big way. Remember, their valuations are highly dependent on future promises of earnings and earnings growth. Inflation and higher rates eat away at that future growth. And a recession changes the picture completely... READ MORE
The storm clouds rolled in during the month of December. That was our early warning sign that 2022 would likely be a very rough year. If you haven't been reading my articles over the past few months, I'd highly recommend that you at least go back... READ MORE
We saw the latest CPI report (February) released on Thursday. It came in about as expected, with the February Core CPI rising 0.5%, matching consensus estimates. That sent the annual core inflation rate HIGHER (as I've previously suggested) to 6.4%, the highest rate we've... READ MORE
Once a short-term transition from overly bullish to overly bearish begins, sentiment and channel lines can be your two best friends to help you keep your sanity. Whatever you do, turn off the media or you'll be waiting for The Great Depression 2.0. I've always... READ MORE
There's no denying it was a super rally to end last week. Any time you see stocks jumping like they did on Thursday's reversal and Friday's follow through, it's easy to become much more optimistic. But during periods of high volatility, the... READ MORE
I'm a fan of relative strength and, even in a market that's been whipsawing back and forth, leaders emerge and you need to be vigilant in seeking them out. One such group hadn't shown relative strength in many months, but that changed in 2022... READ MORE
Technical analysis pays off. Thank you John Murphy for all the wisdom and inspiration. The warning signs that I see from time to time don't always pay off and that's really not what technical analysis is all about. It's never a guarantee. I use... READ MORE
I am rarely dramatic, but 2022 is an exception. I believe we are in the type of bear market that we haven't seen in a long, long time. The pandemic-driven cyclical bear market in 2020 was a health care crisis, not a financial crisis. I wrote about it... READ MORE
It's options-expiration week so literally anything goes, especially with the Volatility Index ($VIX) remaining so elevated. In the very near-term, I wouldn't be surprised by a quick upside move to channel resistance or even to test the early February high. There's a TON of... READ MORE
For the past year, the bulls have been able to hang onto one argument - that the large cap growth stocks continued to outperform their large cap value counterparts, which, in turn, held up our major indices. That may not be the case any longer. The cracks in the large... READ MORE
I'm not a huge conspiracy theorist, but when it comes to Wall Street and all the TRILLIONS of dollars at stake, I believe anything goes! I especially love studying volatile periods. Are there signals out there to help us identify the REAL moves higher from the FAKE moves?... READ MORE
I receive dozens of earnings-related questions every quarter from EarningsBeats.com members and non-members alike. They usually revolve around whether "I should hold a stock into earnings?" Let me be clear that, as a short-term trader, I'd be very careful holding any stock into earnings. There... READ MORE
As a short-term trader, I've always studied the short-term intraday charts, looking for any possible advantage I can gain. One strategy the market makers employ during uptrends and downtrends is they show traders a morning mirage, which is then followed by afternoon reality. Not every day is alike,... READ MORE
There are never any guarantees in the stock market. As much knowledge as I've gained over the years, and as much respect I have for my fellow technicians here at StockCharts.com, there's simply no way to ever be sure that your forecast is the right... READ MORE
Call it a reprieve. Amazon.com (AMZN) reported excellent results last night, at least much better than what was expected. Revenues came in a bit light, according to Zacks.com, at $137.41 billion. Estimates were pegged at $137.88 billion. But bottom line EPS soared to $27.75 (actual)... READ MORE
I was bearish heading into 2022 - before the selling began - and I haven't changed my mind one bit, despite the recent rally. Counter trend rallies are normal and, quite honestly, I think the current one may have just run its course. First, the rally has reached... READ MORE
Yes, I believe we're in a cyclical bear market. I began discussing bearish signals back in November and those only intensified as we neared year end. You don't need to see a twister in your dining room to realize a storm is approaching. In my last... READ MORE
Normally, the stock market is humming along and we have indicators all supporting the sustainability of that move higher. But things aren't normal right now. It started with the rotation into defensive sectors to lead the S&P 500 higher on that last final leg in December.... READ MORE
As our name would imply at EarningsBeats.com, we focus a lot on quarterly earnings reports. We've studied them every which way possible. As a former practicing CPA, it's in my blood. Yes, I'm a technician that understands the importance of technical analysis. But... READ MORE
Renewable energy ($DWCREE) and software ($DJUSSW) have been absolutely smoked since November. In the case of software, the selling has accelerated in January with its PPO falling off a cliff: This group had declined more than 17% off its recent high - before the rally from Monday's low.... READ MORE
I know I'm beating a dead horse, but rotation has been brutal, so timing key reversals in that rotation will be one key to trading success in 2022. Historically, when we compare NASDAQ performance vs. S&P 500 performance, there is a key threshold where we typically... READ MORE
Investing in ETFs (exchange-traded funds) is no different than trading stocks in many respects. We still need to plan the trade. The biggest difference, obviously, is that ETFs hold a basket of stocks so purchasing an ETF requires that you understand what the ETF holds. Or maybe you don'... READ MORE
I've been discussing warning signs for the past several weeks, even talking about that nasty (gulp!) cyclical bear market possibility. These are what I refer to as "storm clouds on the horizon." Well, it's starting to rain pretty hard, so make sure you have... READ MORE
We're about to find out. I liken the current stock market environment to stepping into The Twilight Zone or the Great Unknown. This post-pandemic market has been brutal in terms of rotation. Most growth stocks have tumbled amid the inflation and interest rate uncertainty; unfortunately, the inflation news... READ MORE
Today is just the latest example of the massive divide taking place in U.S. equities right now. There was major rotation throughout 2021 and we're seeing more of the same here in early 2022. Unfortunately, the rotation is not favoring the growth stocks that have powered the... READ MORE
When it comes to stock market performance, it's not always about reality. Many times, perceived problems can be a bigger problem than actual problems. As we wrap up 2021 and head into 2022, there's really no denying that inflation is a problem at both the consumer... READ MORE
It might take more than Old Saint Nick to sustain this current stock market rally. I'm not a believer this year. It reminds me of that catchy holiday tune: "StockCharts is making a chart and I've checked it twice, gonna find out that Wall Street&... READ MORE
It's been quite a volatile ride today, but one pharmaceutical stock has made 5 years' worth of returns in a couple hours. It's what happens when there's a huge imbalance in demand vs. supply on a stock and it breaks out to new... READ MORE
The Tuesday before the third Friday of each month gets the blood pumping at EarningsBeats.com. As momentum traders, it's EXTREMELY important to be aware as monthly options expiration approaches. We have seen time and time again how crazy the short-term market action can be when market makers... READ MORE
Most of you know I'm not a fan of the media. It has zero to do with who they are as people and everything to do with how they make their money. They need visitors at their websites in order to sell ads. The best way to attract... READ MORE
As technicians, what do we care about? The charts, right? Well, when I look at the charts of Bitcoin ($BTCUSD) and Ethereum ($ETHUSD), the choice between the two is relatively simple. The charts tells us everything, and this one simple price-relative chart says to go with Ethereum until further notice:... READ MORE
As the Volatility Index ($VIX) rises, it becomes fairly obvious that market makers are "on vacation." The primary role of the market maker is to provide liquidity when there's an imbalance between buyers and sellers. Rarely do we see panicked buying when buyers completely swamp sellers.... READ MORE
I practiced in public accounting for 20 years and was involved in a number of company valuations. I worked very little with public companies, but did have to value private companies on occasion. Most of the valuation metrics that I used in the 1980s and 1990s remain absolutely the same... READ MORE
News that a new COVID-19 variant has surfaced in South Africa spooked global equity markets on Friday. Was it an overreaction and an opportunity to buy some of your favorite stocks cheaper? Or is the start of a much deeper, panic-driven selloff. Unless you're a scientist with inside... READ MORE