Showing posts with label relief rally. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relief rally. Show all posts

Thursday, December 27, 2018

The Market Giveth, The Market Taketh Away, And Giveth Again

Stocks went on a wild ride Thursday, a phenomenon confounding to novice investors but completely understood by market observers who have been in the game for a few decades or more.

There's little doubt that the Dow's plunge of 600 points and last-hour rally were the work of the Plunge Protection Team, or PPT, or as they are formally known, the President's Working Group on Financial Markets.

Here are a few links for reference:

Mnuchin Calls Plunge Protection Team; Stocks Soar One Day Later

President's Working Group on Financial Markets

Happy Holidays!

You've been played.

Dow Jones Industrial Average December Scorecard:

Date Close Gain/Loss Cum. G/L
12/3/18 25,826.43 +287.97 +287.97
12/4/18 25,027.07 -799.36 -511.39
12/6/18 24,947.67 -79.40 -590.79
12/7/18 24,388.95 -558.72 -1149.51
12/10/18 24,423.26 +34.31 -1115.20
12/11/18 24,370.24 -53.02 -1168.22
12/12/18 24,527.27 +157.03 -1011.19
12/13/18 24,597.38 +70.11 -941.08
12/14/18 24,100.51 -496.87 -1437.95
12/17/18 23,592.98 -507.53 -1945.58
12/18/18 23,675.64 +82.66 -1862.92
12/19/18 23,323.66 -351.98 -2214.90
12/20/18 22,859.60 -464.06 -2678.96
12/21/18 22,445.37 -414.23 -3093.19
12/24/18 21,792.20 -653.17 -3746.36
12/26/18 22,878.45 +1086.25 -2660.11
12/27/18 23,138.82 +260.37 -2399.74

At the Close, Thursday, December 27, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 23,138.82, +260.37 (+1.14%)
NASDAQ: 6,579.49, +25.14 (+0.38%)
S&P 500: 2,488.83, +21.13 (+0.86%)
NYSE Composite: 11,285.31, +81.22 (+0.72%)

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Santa Claus Delivers A Relief Rally For The Ages; Largest Point Gain On Dow In Market History

The extended holiday season - thanks to an additional week for shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas - was exceptionally kind to retailers, who reported the best holiday season in six years, so Wall Street finally got the news that the economy was apparently not on the verge of imminent collapse, sending stocks soaring throughout the session.

How much of the gains were attributable to short-covering buyers and strict momentum chasers is unknowable, though it was likely a large percentage. Risk appetites have been under assault for months, so this one-day wonder might not be as impressive as bullish traders would have one believe. It was more a technical advance after waves of selling created a severely short-term oversold condition.

To put it in perspective, the nearly five percent gain on the Dow, in point value, was equal to only about one-fifth of the most recent decline. The Dow had lost more than 5000 points since October, so Wednesday's buying spree pales in comparison and sets up the market for further speculation as far as directional trades are concerned.

If this nascent rally is to continue - which is also likely - there has to be some catalyst to carry it forward, though it might simply run until it is exhausted. Since the gains put only a minor dent in the recent losses, momentum should carry it forward, possibly another 1500-1800 points on the Dow.

While that might seem like a huge number, it wouldn't even wipe out the losses already sustained in December (as on Monday, that was -3746.36), so investors may get something of a stock sugar rush to close out the year and maybe some fun in the first days of the new year.

This pump was long overdue, and there's also the possibility that the call Treasury Secretary Mnuchin made to the Plunge Protection Team on Sunday had some impact.

Santa has come and gone, leaving plenty of presents behind.

Ho, ho, ho.

Dow Jones Industrial Average December Scorecard:

Date Close Gain/Loss Cum. G/L
12/3/18 25,826.43 +287.97 +287.97
12/4/18 25,027.07 -799.36 -511.39
12/6/18 24,947.67 -79.40 -590.79
12/7/18 24,388.95 -558.72 -1149.51
12/10/18 24,423.26 +34.31 -1115.20
12/11/18 24,370.24 -53.02 -1168.22
12/12/18 24,527.27 +157.03 -1011.19
12/13/18 24,597.38 +70.11 -941.08
12/14/18 24,100.51 -496.87 -1437.95
12/17/18 23,592.98 -507.53 -1945.58
12/18/18 23,675.64 +82.66 -1862.92
12/19/18 23,323.66 -351.98 -2214.90
12/20/18 22,859.60 -464.06 -2678.96
12/21/18 22,445.37 -414.23 -3093.19
12/24/18 21,792.20 -653.17 -3746.36
12/26/18 22,878.45 +1086.25 -2660.11

At the Close, Wednesday, December 26, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 22,878.45, +1,086.25 (+4.98%)
NASDAQ: 6,554.35, +361.44 (+5.84%)
S&P 500: 2,467.70, +116.60 (+4.96%)
NYSE Composite: 11,204.09, +434.26 (+4.03%)

Thursday, January 30, 2014

3.2% Fourth Quarter GDP Sparks Relief Rally

Nothing really changed since Wednesday. The Fed is still going to purchase $65 billion in treasuries and mortgage-backed securities in February, $20 billion less than they did in December and in each month of 2013.

As a result, emerging markets are still struggling with reduced liquidity and runs on their various currencies.

We learned, prior to the opening bell, that fourth quarter GDP increased by 3.2%, slightly less than expected, and that 19,000 more people signed up for unemployment benefits last week, pushing the total to 348,000, the highest in about a month.

The unemployment number was widely disregarded and blamed - like everything else these days - on the weather, as the market saw plenty of alpha in a buy-the-dip mentality in what has been a down January and a choppy week of scary trading.

How the markets recover the losses incurred over the past three weeks is the big question, especially with the Fed stomping on the QE brakes. Earnings season has been nothing to get excited about, especially when, after the bell, Google and Amazon reported some very mixed results.

Google (GOOG) missed on the bottom line but beat on revenues, posting profits of just $12.01 per share on expectations of $12.26,reporting actual sales of $16.86 billion on forecasts for $16.75 billion. Shares of the giant search and technology company. Despite the miss, shares were traing about four percent higher in the after hours.

Amazon (AMZN) reported earnings of 51 cents per share, short of estimates of 69 cents, a big swing and a miss. Revenues were just short of estimates - up 20% from a year ago - at $25.59 billion when analysts were seeking $26.08 billion. Shares of the shopping megalith were down between four and eight percent in after-hours trading.

With January concluding tomorrow, it's a slam-dunk that the month will end lower, setting expectations for the full year back to "reasonable" levels. The current churn is that the "January Barometer" is not all that reliable for predicting full-year results. Of course, were stocks higher at this juncture, the barometer would be hailed as the most accurate of all investing tools and stock jockeys would be adjusting their year-end estimates towards the moon.

And, with stocks juiced, straight off the opening bell, what better time could there have been to slam gold and silver lower, as they were, unjustifiably. Still, from the perspective of gold and silver holders and buyers, the precious metals, even with higher premiums everywhere, are considered bargains at current prices.

Such is the world in a contrived environment controlled by issuance of play money to the world's elite. Fundamentals being what they are, however, reality may make a comeback in the weeks and months ahead.

DOW 15,848.61, +109.82 (+0.70%)
NASDAQ 4,123.13, +71.69 (+1.77%)
S&P 1,794.19, +19.99 (+1.13%)
10-Yr Note 100.46, +0.27 (+0.27%) Yield: 2.70%
NASDAQ Volume 1.94 Bil
NYSE Volume 3.54 Bil
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 4329-1390
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 156-67
WTI crude oil: 98.23, +0.87
Gold: 1,242.20, -20.00
Silver: 19.13, -0.426
Corn: 434.00, +6/00

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Energy Stocks Push Dow Higher in Listless Session

In terms of the declines from the past two days, today's paltry gains were about 20% of the pullback, so technically, Wednesday's session was nothing much more than a knee-jerk, relief rally with little follow through.

Energy stocks, ExxonMobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) in particular, were responsible for roughly one half of the gains on the Dow Industrials, and there was concerted selling into the close, with stocks giving back about a third of the day's gains into the closing bell, a negative for trading conviction.

WTI crude oil closed above $110 a barrel for the first time since May, 2011, a direct result of the saber-rattling going on over Syria. Gold and silver took a breather, probably for some serious profit-taking, as the precious metals have been on a real tear over the past two weeks, bounding off their lows to make multi-month highs.

Volume was typically dismal, as is usually the case in August, especially the last week of the month, as were are witnessing.

News flow and economic data have been largely negative. Today's -1.3% downturn in pending home sales for July was another sign that the housing market continues to cool and may turn into a chill as the peak selling season is passing quickly.

Talk was centered on when the US would strike Syria, rather than "if," and how that might affect the Fed's decision over tapering bond purchases in September or delay it until tensions subside. Such banter is the stuff of markets, but largely foolish speculation and ignorant of the underlying trends in the economy, which are weak, at best, and slumping, at worst.

Overall, it was a nothing session, with most traders either on hold until a Syria assault becomes reality or on holiday until after Labor Day.

Gains were minimal and may prove to be fleeting.

Dow 14,824.51, +48.38 (0.33%)
NASDAQ 3,593.35, +14.83 (0.41%)
S&P 500 1,634.96, +4.48 (0.27%)
NYSE Composite 9,311.30, +23.19 (0.25%)
NASDAQ Volume 1,318,517,250
NYSE Volume 2,873,515,250
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 3655-2890
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 59-88
WTI crude oil: 110.10, +1.09
Gold: 1,418.80, -1.40
Silver: 24.39, -0.26

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Did That Dead Cat Bounce? Yes, Indeed!

Is this how downtrends end? With a one-day wonder resurgence that erases any doubt that the US economy, American resolve and corporate equities are safe investments, the markets have made a bold statement.

Too bad it's impossible to believe.

The Dow added 157 points, the NASDAQ was up 44.46, the S&P gained 21.29 and the NYSE Composite index grew by 168. These were solid gains all around, led by the NYSE Composite and the NASDAQ's 1.9% improvement, but one good day, after a series of bad ones, does not a bull market make. The trend is still to the downside. The Dow, for example, is still nearly 600 points below it's high of 12,795.93, achieved less then a month ago. It's broken through the 50 day moving average and today's gain - albeit impressive - leaves it more than 300 points below that mark.

Further, the big 416-point drop last Tuesday was preceded by four consecutive down sessions. Today's winner was only the 2nd positive close of the last 10 sessions. Bulls, hard-headed as they are, usually need to be hit over the head with a mallet before they stop charging ahead, so maybe more evidence is needed. Give them a couple more weeks.

The advance-decline and volume numbers for today were real shockers. This was no ordinary buying spree. Every sucker in the universe was taking the plunge, a sign that cooler heads (Bears, shorts and put options players) are about to take more of their money.

Gainers outnumbered losers by a 4-1 margin, but the volume figures were extraordinary. Dow volume checked in at only 5-6% on the combined averages. Up volume of 94% signals just one thing - this is nothing more than a dead cat bounce on a temporarily oversold condition. Everybody moving at once is never a good sign because the chances of everybody being right are slim to none.

This market will likely give today's gains back by the end of the week. If this mini-rally gets legs and moves another step forward, it may take until the end of next week to unwind, but unwind it will. The market is not in any condition to regroup and head for higher ground. This correction is still in its earliest stage. We can call today the beginning of stage two, in which those who did not lose enough to be wary in phase one will be eaten alive.

New highs reversed the recent trend, though not by much, winning the day by a slim margin of 123-108. That's encouraging for the Bulls, but nothing to write home about.

Oil, gold and silver were up marginally. Commodities are still stuck in somewhat overbought ranges and cannot move higher when the global economy is in a cooling period or slowing down, which it is. For bulls of all persuasions, however, today was needed relief. But, like all relief rallies, they are usually dramatic and short-lived. This was no exception.