NYSE, Dow, S&P 500, NASDAQ Close At All-Time Highs 3rd Straight Session

As the bubble grows what can be said of the current political and economic conditions except that we are in uncharted territory?

Just a week or so ago, many were still wondering if the Dow could reach and hold 20,000. 500 points later, on some of the weakest volume in stock market history, we have an answer, as troubling as it may seem.

With the politicians tied up with what increasingly appears to abe an overt attempt to oust recently-installed President Donald J. Trump, the markets do not seem to care one whit whether the myriad problems of the United States and the world are solver, much less addressed.

For now, the world watches as Washington, DC self-destructs. Stocks continue to soar. This could go on for an extended period, but the system is strained if not outright rigged for massive Wall Street gains during one of the most turbulent periods in the country's history.

It could all come crashing down tomorrow, though that scenario is equally improbable, if not downright frightening.

For the most part, the market is being plied by professionals more than ever before, a condition that obtains from a variety of sources, one of them a well-seated distrust of the financial markets by individuals, the other, unbridled greed.

There may be opportunities, but one would be hard-pressed to delineate any of them with stocks ramping higher day after day after day.

The overarching theme of markets over time has been to buy low, sell high, and stay in the game. Obviously, this is not a game everyone wishes to be playing.

At the Close, Tuesday, February 13, 2017:
Dow: 20,504.41, +92.25 (0.45%)
NASDAQ: 5,782.57, +18.62 (0.32%)
S&P 500: 2,337.58, +9.33 (0.40%)
NYSE Composite: 11,468.88, +34.94 (0.31%)

All US Indices Close At Record Highs For Second Straight Session

No commentary needed.

At the Close, Monday, February 13, 2017:
Dow: 20,412.16, +142.79 (0.70%)
NASDAQ: 5,763.96, +29.83 (0.52%)
S&P 500: 2,328.25, +12.15 (0.52%)
NYSE Composite: 11,433.90, +56.17 (0.49%)

Bubble Superfecta: Dow, NASDAQ, S&P 500, NYSE Composite All Close At New Records

As the week comes to a stunning close, it's official, every market in America is officially in deep into bubble territory.

Consider that the major indices all closed at all-time highs today and that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up a whopping 2200 points since election day, November 8, 2016. That amounts to a gain of just over 12% in three months. At that rate of ascent, 22,000 on the Dow should be a no-brainer by the end of 2017.

Nothing other than stupidity, other people's money, greed, and momentum were needed to foment one of the most rapid rises in the history of the Dow. The other indices have surely been along for the ride; even the broad measure of the entire NYSE Composite cracked to a record close today.

Not to suggest that a reversal is imminent (been that way for 6 years at least), but for some perspective, let's examine where these markets were at the depths of the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), on March 9, 2009.

Dow: 6,547.05
NASDAQ: 1,268.64
S&P 500: 676.53
NYSE Composite: 4,226.31

In the span of eight years, during what has ostensibly been the weakest recovery after a recession since the Great Depression, the Dow and S&P have more than tripled, the NASDAQ has more than quadrupled, and the poor old NYSE Comp. is just short of tripling.

So, if you missed it you missed it, but there still may be time to get in. Nobody knows where this is going to end, but we can all thank Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen for oodles of free cash injections worldwide (QE), zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) and the most reckless economic policies the world has ever witnessed.

It's still ongoing, though. The ECB and BOJ are still pumping money into their markets, and, unless you missed it, none other than the Swiss National Bank holds more than $64 billion in US equities.

Who said these central bankers don't know what they're doing?

Enjoy the weekend!

At the Close, Friday, February 10, 2017:
Dow: 20,269.37, +96.97 (0.48%)
NASDAQ: 5,734.13, +18.95 (0.33%)
S&P 500: 2,316.10, +8.23 (0.36%)
NYSE Composite: 11,377.72, +50.04 (0.44%)

For the Week:
Dow: +197.91 (0.99%)
NASDAQ: +67.36 (1.19%)
S&P 500: +18.68 (0.81%)
NYSE Composite: +50.04 (0.44%)

Bubble Trifecta! Dow, S&P, NASDAQ Close At All Time Highs

Was there any justification to today's push to new all time highs on the Dow, S&P, and NASDAQ (the NYSE Comp. fell just short of the previous closing high, 11,339.05, January 25)?

Probably not, because, as has been suggested by many in the know, this is a bubble, and bobbles don't need rational thought, fundamental investment concepts or sound judgement. All they need is momentum and most of that is supplied by robotic, HFT-fueled algorithms.

That's all one needs to know about whether it would be wise to buy into this market.

The most basic concept in investing is to buy low and sell high, not the converse of that simple dictum. Stocks are tremendously overvalued and today, they became even more so.

Tread into this casino with extreme caution. While gains may still be available to many, losses, which could come from any variety of sources, could be decisive. Trying to time this is a fool's errand, one that should not be undertaken if risk aversion is guiding.

At the Close, Thursday, February 9, 2017:
Dow: 20,172.40, +118.06 (0.59%)
NASDAQ: 5,715.18, +32.73 (0.58%)
S&P 500: 2,307.87, +13.20 (0.58%)
NYSE Composite: 11,327.68, +75.88 (0.67%)

Midweek Doldrums: Dow Lower; NAZ, SPX, NYSE Comp Flat; Oil Still In Glut

With no major economic data released, Wednesday was a bit of a nothing-burger on the day. The Dow lost some ground while the other indices finished modestly to the upside.

There was more interest in the 10-year note, as the Treasury auctioned off $23 billion on what was deemed a very weak sale at a yield 2.333%.

Also making some headlines was WTI crude oil, which fell below $52 per barrel, after the American Petroleum Institute (API) said crude inventories rose by 14.2 million barrels, the second largest weekly build in the series.

The dull session comes as Q4 2016 earnings are winding down, and there hasn't been much in the way of good news from the corporate sector. Conversely, not many companies have been lowering forecasts, leaving investors in an area of suspense about which direction the market may go next.

At The Close, Tuesday, February 8, 2017:
Dow: 20,054.34, -35.95 (-0.18%)
NASDAQ: 5,682.45, +8.24 (0.15%)
S&P 500: 2,294.67, +1.59 (0.07%)
NYSE Composite: 11,252.31, +8.93 (0.08%)