Friday, March 29, 2013

I'm not so sure if I would count the BRICs out so fast

Emerging Markets: Goodbye BRICS, Hello MIST - Market Playground

http://news.google.com

Emerging Markets: Goodbye BRICS, Hello MISTMarket PlaygroundThe investing acronym BRICS (as in Brazil, Russia, India, China and, more recently, South Africa) was conjured up by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) economist Jim O'Neill back in 2001. It has since ...

The S&P 500 has new highs in sight

The S&P 500 Notches a Record. How Did We Get Here? - ABC News
http://news.google.com
ABC NewsThe S&P 500 Notches a Record. How Did We Get Here?ABC NewsLike the Dow, the S&P 500 has now recovered all of its losses from the Great Recession and the financial crisis that followed. Investors who held on and put their dividends back into t ...

S&P 500 Rally's Biggest Winners? Underappreciated Consumer Stocks - CNBC.com
http://news.google.com
S&P 500 Rally's Biggest Winners? Underappreciated Consumer StocksCNBC.comInvestors who had bet on the American consumer even as the U.S. economy was entering the Great Recession are the biggest winners as the S&P 500 stock index set a new closing rec ...

S&P 500 closes at record high but Wall Street remains cautious - The Guardian
http://news.google.com
The GuardianS&P 500 closes at record high but Wall Street remains cautiousThe GuardianThe US stock market notched up another record on Thursday when the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at a record high. The news came three weeks after the Dow Jone ...

S&P 500, Dow close higher for new records - Business on ...
http://www.nbcnews.com3/28/13
Stocks closed out the first quarter on a high note with the S&P 500 piercing through levels last seen in 2007 to end at a record high near 1...

3 Reasons Investors Shouldn't Cheer an S&P 500 High | Breakout ...
http://finance.yahoo.com3/28/13
From the blog Breakout: As the S&P 500 continues to hit resistance near its record closing high of 1565.15 set on October 9, 2007, investors are spending a lot of time talking about where stocks are relative to all time highs.

Why the S&P 500 Just Can't Break its Record High
http://www.cnbc.com3/25/13
Call it bad timing or just back to reality, but the S&P 500's all-time high has become a significant barrier to stock market gains.

Video for the week of April 1st, 2013

Sunday, March 24, 2013

I love this article

3 Common Trading Pitfalls -- Plus 6 Free Lessons
If your technical approach needs improvement, you are not alone. Our FREE report can help!

By Elliott Wave International

Long-term trading success depends on more than the right trading method: adequate capitalization, money management skills and emotional discipline are also vital.
Yet it isn't always easy to put your finger on which elements of trading success may cause you to struggle in the markets. Elliott Wave Junctures editor Jeffrey Kennedy shares some of his insights on what often gets in the way of trading success.
1. Inability to Admit Failure
"Have you ever held on to a losing position, because you 'felt' that the market was going to come back in your favor? This behavior is the 'Inability to Admit Failure.' No one likes being wrong, and for traders, being wrong usually costs money. What I find interesting is that many of us would rather lose money than admit failure. I now know that being wrong is much less expensive than being hopeful."
2. Fear of Missing the Party
"This one is responsible for more losing trades than any other. Besides encouraging overtrading, this pitfall also causes you to get in too early. How many of us have gone short after a five-wave rally just to watch wave five extend?
The solution is to use a time filter, which is a fancy way of saying, wait a few bars before you start to dance. If a trade is worth taking, waiting for prices to confirm your analysis will not affect your profit that much. I would much rather miss an opportunity than suffer a loss, because there will always be another opportunity."
3. Systems Junkie
"My own biggest, baddest emotional monster was being the 'Systems Junkie.' Early in my career, I believed that I could make my millions if I had just the right system. I bought every newsletter, book and tape series that I could find. None of them worked.
I even went as far as becoming a professional analyst -- guaranteed success, or so I thought. Well, it didn't guarantee anything really. Analysis and trading are two separate skills; one is a skill of observation, the other is a skill of emotional control. Being an expert auto mechanic does not mean you can drive like an expert, much less win the Daytona 500."
It isn't easy to come to terms with our mistakes, yet, if you are serious about improving the quality of your trades, this is a vital step!
What is one of the biggest obstacles to successful trading? According to Kennedy, it is lack of patience:
"Impatience stems more from a sense of not wanting to miss anything. And because we're afraid of missing the next big move, or perhaps because we want to pick up some lost ground, we act on less-than-ideal trade setups.
Another reason traders lack patience is boredom... as traders wait for these "textbook" Elliott wave patterns and ideal, high-confidence trade setups to occur, boredom sets in. Too often, we get itchy fingers and want to trade any chart pattern that comes along that looks even remotely like a high-confidence trade setup.
The first step in overcoming impatience is to consciously define the minimum requirements of an acceptable trade setup and vow to accept nothing less. Next, feel comfortable in knowing that the markets will be around tomorrow, next week, next year and beyond, so there is plenty of time to wait for the ideal opportunity. Remember, trading is not a race, and over-trading does little to improve your bottom line."
Kennedy's advice on how to be patient is another important step towards improving the quality of your trades.

If you are ready for the next steps on how to become a more successful technical trader, get Jeffrey Kennedy's free report, 6 Lessons to Help You Spot Trading Opportunities in Any Market.
Jeffrey has taught thousands how to improve their trading through his online courses, his international speaking engagements, and in his new service Elliott Wave Junctures.
This free report includes 6 different lessons that you can apply to your charts immediately. Learn how to spot and act on trading opportunities in the markets you follow, starting now!
Access Your Free Report Now >>
This article was syndicated by Elliott Wave International and was originally published under the headline 3 Common Trading Pitfalls -- Plus 6 Free Lessons. EWI is the world's largest market forecasting firm. Its staff of full-time analysts led by Chartered Market Technician Robert Prechter provides 24-hour-a-day market analysis to institutional and private investors around the world.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Video for The Week Of March 25th, 2013

I like this post on how stock market rallies end

Saxo Bank Explains How Massive Stock Market Rallies End | Zero ...
http://www.zerohedge.com
Now that many are convinced we've moved into totally unjustifiable extremes of complacency in risky assets, we are having a look at some historic stock market breaks and how they have unfolded. In that light, the current ...

Monday, March 18, 2013

Cyprus roundup

Here's a roundup of the talk on Cyrpus.  In the end, as I said yesterday, it will just be a blip on the radar.

Why Cyprus Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
http://www.realclearpolitics.com3/18/13
After all, it's just a little island somewhere in the Mediterranean. But what's going on in Cyprus could actually matter — not just to the rest of Europe, but to the rest of the world. Here's the short version of what's happening: ...



What the Cyprus Bailout Could Mean for Europe's Debt - New York Times
http://news.google.com
New York TimesWhat the Cyprus Bailout Could Mean for Europe's DebtNew York TimesWhen Europe announced details of its efforts to rescue Cyprus, it was immediately seen as contentious. The bailout imposes a tax on bank deposits to help pay the cost of ...

Resistance in Cyprus Grows to Europe's Bailout Plan - New York Times
http://news.google.com
New York TimesResistance in Cyprus Grows to Europe's Bailout PlanNew York TimesNICOSIA, Cyprus — Leaders in Cyprus and Brussels scrambled Monday to contain the fallout from an unprecedented effort to force ordinary bank depositors in this crisis-hit ...

Euro zone urges Cyprus to spare smaller savers from bank levy - Reuters
http://news.google.com
Euro zone urges Cyprus to spare smaller savers from bank levyReutersNICOSIA/ATHENS (Reuters) - Euro zone ministers urged Cyprus to let smaller savers escape a levy on bank deposits, before a parliamentary vote on Tuesday that will either secure the i ...

Asian shares rebound from Cyprus bailout scare, vote eyed - Reuters
http://news.google.com
Economic TimesAsian shares rebound from Cyprus bailout scare, vote eyedReutersTOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares rebounded on Tuesday from the previous session's steep falls -- although losses in safe-haven assets were limited -- as investors remained wa ...

Monday, March 11, 2013

What makes a successful IPO

There are probably more like 20, but this is worth reading.


10 requirements for a successful IPO - Fortune (blog)
http://news.google.com
Fortune (blog)10 requirements for a successful IPOFortune (blog)Have a CFO who understands both the business and how Wall Street works. If you don't yet have this person on board and need to make a hire, be sure to do so at least a year before your p ...

Disaster plan for Wall Street

I thought the computers already ran the market!


Wall Street disaster plan: Trade without humans — RT Business
http://rt.com
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is preparing contingency plans wherein computers will replace outcry auctioning in case another disaster, such as terrorism or severe weather, forces the closure of trading in downtown Manhattan. ... Wall Street's famed floor traders would be out of harm's way. The transferal to Arca would make it the 'primary market', responsible for setting opening and closing prices for securities, the US business daily reported. "The NYSE has ...

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

How long can it keep going?

Will a global melt up really occur or will it fail to branch out worldwide?

US stock market isn't the only one racing ahead - seattlepi.com
http://www.seattlepi.com
... needs to be paid back in coming years. — Hong Kong's stock market — which lists Chinese behemoths like the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, the world's biggest bank by market value, has posted respectable gains.

Yes, this is true

But how many long term holders really did?

Stock market gains? Not if you sold everything during the recession ...
http://redtape.nbcnews.com
Plenty of investors are celebrating as the Dow Industrial Average set a record on Tuesday … but some Americans aren't invited to the party. Families who were forced to raid their retirement savings during the recession ...

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at a new high! So what?!

Its all over the news!  The Dow hit a new all-time high.  But really, who cares?

While I will use the Dow as part of my market analysis, I certainly do NOT consider it a leader.  After all, what is the performance of funds benchmarked off of?  The S&P 500, NOT the Dow.

Still, it makes good fodder for the news folk.


Dow surges to new record highs - Washington Times
http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Corporate profits are at record highs, US labor costs have rarely been so low, interest rates are scraping rock-bottom, and central banks are flooding the markets with money, among other boons cited by market analysts.

Dow Jones Industrial Average Holds Record High - ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/
Stocks have been in a five-year bull market, helped by the Federal Reserve, which has kept interest rates near zero to assist in the recovery of the h

Dow Jones industrial average surges to record - News OK
http://newsok.com/
Stocks have rallied powerfully this year, impressing even market's most ardent skeptics, on optimism that the housing market is recovering and companies are slowly starting to hire again.
ousing market.

Monday, March 4, 2013

I liked this exchange and I'm a Doug Kass fan most of the time

Doug Kass And Warren Buffett - Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/
During his appearance on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street"this morning, Warren Buffett told famed hedge-fund manager Doug Kass he had won the contest to be the official market "bear" at Berkshire Hathaway's annual Omaha shareholder meeting in May.

Some outside AAPL analysis

Business Insider - Apple's Diving Stock Today Adds To The Legend Of Jeff Gundlach - Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/
The 15 Best Housing Markets For The Next Five Years. Apple Inc is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Here's Apple today. Oklahoma City Thunder Player Serge Ibaka Explains Why He Karate-Chopped Blake Griffin In The Groin.

Perma Bull

I love when the perma bulls come out.  for the record, in case you haven't been reading the newsletter (http://stockmarkettrendsx.com/newsletter) or watching the videos or reading my commentary here, I believe we hit the 2007 highs on the S&P 500 at a minimum before a bigger decline takes place.

However, it's always scary when too many people lean to one side.

JP MORGAN: The Stock Market Is Being Driven By A 'Powerful Force To Be ... - Business Insider
http://news.google.com
Business InsiderJP MORGAN: The Stock Market Is Being Driven By A 'Powerful Force To Be ...Business InsiderShe said the shift suggests markets would be able to weather headwinds such as concerns about the impact of the U.S. "sequester" - $85 billion w ...

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Chicken Wings at McDonalds?

Being on a diet sucks!

The Town Talk - McDonald's cutting 2 items, rethinking its premium burger - The Town Talk - thetowntalk.com
http://www.thetowntalk.com/
The cuts, known as a sequester, will be across-the-board spending reductions totaling $85 billion. The sequestration process originated as part of a 2011 agreement between Obama and Congress to break another budget impasse -- raising the debt ceiling. Obama wanted to raise it.

More sequester talk!

Just what I'm sure you can't wait to read about this weekend right?

Through the sequester looking glass - Stymied by a GOP House, Obama looks ahead to 2014 ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Obama's false claim of Capitol janitors receiving 'a pay cut. 10 sequester questions and answers. Obama's 'Jedi mind meld' mixes SciFi worlds. Stymied by a GOP House, Obama looks ahead to 2014 to cement his legacy. The Washington Post.

Cuts in place, Obama and GOP brace for next fight - The Boston Globe - Nation
http://www.bostonglobe.com/
Obama was holding out hope that as Americans start feeling the effects of the sequester — the term used for the automatic spending cuts

Washington needs smarter approach than sequester - The Boston Globe - Nation
http://www.bostonglobe.com/
Washington needs smarter policy than sequester. The Washington Post News Service. Share via e-mail. Add a message. Let's get something straight: Sequestration doesn't prove that the government is broken or that it can't get anything done.
— public pressure will force lawmakers back to the table.

I think we see all-time highs

My opinion has been for a while (despite the super gurus and their special short sale lists and endless calls for a market top) that we see new all-time highs.  where we go from there is anyone's guess and surely not a sure thing in anyway.

Of course this wont stop the bad breathed scam artist super gurus from saying how they nailed it.  LOL.

REFUSE TO BE SCAMMED!

FoxBusiness.com - With record highs in sight, stocks face roadblocks - Fox Business
http://www.foxbusiness.com/
Major US stock indexes will make another attempt at reaching all-time records, but the fitful pace that has dominated trading is likely to continue.

The Popgun pattern

I liked this article.  I've heard of this popgun pattern before but haven't paid much attention to it as it is forming.

cbridgeacademy
stock-updates Nifty forms ‘Popgun’ pattern on daily charts; Top 5 stocks in focus http://t.co/2Q4XLX0cWq
Saturday, March 2, 2013 7:35:32 PM