Sentiment Is Turning Sour
Sunday, January 23rd, 2005
Investors are turning from puzzled to panicked as the normal January trends have failed to show up this year. As a matter of fact the Dow Industrials haven't closed down the first three weeks of January since 1982.

What a difference!
Thursday, January 20th, 2005
Wow! My how things look difference from just a couple of days ago. As of Tuesday's close investors were cautiously optimistic as the S&P 500 put together it first back to back gains.

Back to Back
Tuesday, January 18th, 2005
The bulls are trying to make a comeback and the S&P 500 index put together its first set of back-to-back gains for 2005. Some of the trader talk today discussed how stocks were short-term oversold after two weeks of profit taking and investors were doing some shopping.

Look Out! Earnings Ahead.
Sunday, January 16th, 2005
The first two weeks of January are behind us and they have not been kind. Stocks may have ended Friday on an up swing but the short-term trend is still a bearish one.

Earnings Jitters
Thursday, January 13th, 2005
Another round of high-profile earnings warnings from the likes of Verizon Communications (VZ) and General Motors (GM), both Dow-components, was enough to sink the markets yet again.

Not Looking Good
Tuesday, January 11th, 2005
January has already been a tough month for stocks. Unfortunately the first day of fourth quarter earnings season did not go well and it does not bode well for the rest of the month either.

Confused?
Sunday, January 9th, 2005
Yuck! The first week of 2005 was just painful to watch. Where was the continuation of the Santa Claus rally?

Please look for the sentiment commentary to continue on Sunday.
Thursday, January 6th, 2005

Q4 Hangover
Tuesday, January 4th, 2005
I've got one word for the first two trading days of 2005 - yuck! Market pundits blame it on profit taking after the very strong fourth quarter rally.

Closing Near The Highs
Sunday, January 2nd, 2005
Looking back at 2004 there are several issues that investors will remember.

Santa Claus, January Effect or Window Dressing
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Once again strong consumer confidence numbers help spur stocks higher. Of course we're in the middle of arguably one of the most bullish weeks of the year.

Seasonal Trends
Sunday, December 26, 2004
It looks like a Merry Christmas for stocks on Wall Street. Would you believe the traditional "Santa Claus" rally hasn't even begun yet? It's true.

Checking His List
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Santa has been making his list and checking it twice. It looks like the bulls came up on the nice side and the seasonal "Santa Claus" rally may have begun.

Only 8 1/2 Trading Days Left
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Would you believe we only have eight and a half trading days left in 2004? That means we're approaching one of the most bullish times of year for equities.

Maybe Next Week.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
It looks like I was a little early calling for the year-end, Santa Claus, early January effect rally to begin on Dec. 15th. I should know better than picking a single day like that.

On Your Mark
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
I don't want to be accused of being a cheerleader but the market is looking pretty strong right now. The major indices, as overbought as they are, look ready launch into the last two weeks that are historically some of the most bullish weeks of the year.

Rested & Ready
Sunday, December 12, 2004
The upward momentum in the markets may have paused the last couple of weeks but that's exactly what they needed. Now after some consolidation (or rest) they look ready for the traditional year-end push higher.

Buying The Dip
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Wall Street is still showing a little holiday cheer as stock rebound from support and traders show they are still willing to buy the dip. The Industrials bounced from the bottom of their trading range at 10,400.

Overdue
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Stocks have been overdue for a significant pull back for weeks so we shouldn't be surprise to see one this week. This does seem to be somewhat of an empty week on Wall Street.

Looking for Santa
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Welcome to December. December is historically one of the most bullish months of the year for stocks. Traditionally the holiday shopping season keeps business running on all cylinders and moods tend to be more cheerful.

Mixed Blessing
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Thursday proved to be a day of mixed blessings. There was no follow through on Wednesday's big rally even as oil lost another 4.3 percent to break down under the $45 a barrel level and its simple 100-dma.

Good Time for a Dip.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
After an incredible run in the markets from late October through mid-November stocks are finally beginning to see some profit taking. We've been warning about a possible consolidation for a couple of weeks but the best (or worst) stocks could do was trade sideways.

Heading Towards the Holidays
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Looking at stock prices alone one could surmise that investors remain favorable toward stocks. There's been very little selling and most sectors continue to maintain their gains.

Holding Up
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Overall investors can feel pretty cheerful. The markets are holding up better than expected.

Finally!
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Finally! We've been waiting for a dip in the markets for days and it finally appears to be happening. Stocks were down across the board on Friday save for energy and gold stocks.

A Growing Crowd
Thursday, November 18, 2004
It would seem that just as "everyone" predicted a post-election rally now "everyone" is waiting for the overdue pull back. Normally, when "everyone" is expecting something to happen odds are it fails to show up or at least fails to show up in the same form that "everyone" was looking for.

No Surprises
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Okay the big jump in wholesale prices was a surprise but was the pull back really a surprise? I hope not. We've been looking for a dip for days now.

Do I Buy Now?
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Gosh, if you read the market wrap this weekend then you don't need to read today's column on market sentiment. Jim has already done an excellent job of discussing why stocks could just as easily trade higher versus trading lower in spite of the market's overbought, extended status.

Post-election Euphoria
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Investors certainly seem pretty enthusiastic these days. Stocks have ignored less than inspiring news from big cap leaders like Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Coca-Cola (KO) and focused on the current rally underway.

Fed Waiting
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Given the previous week's gains it's no surprise to see stocks pause ahead of Wednesday's FOMC meeting on interest rates. Stocks got a chance to rest while investors wait for what is widely expected to be a 25 basis-point increase in interest rates to 2 percent.

Fourth Quarter Rally
Sunday, November 07, 2004
The fourth-quarter, end-of-year, post-election rally has begun. The Industrials have broken through the top of its descending channel.

Stocks Rally, Day Two
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Stocks soared for a second day in a row as Wall Street celebrates a relatively clean end to the election. The fact that the election is over and without any terror incident is a big confidence booster for investors.

And The Winner Is...
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
And the winner is...? Hopefully the answer to that question is stocks but only if we get a clear winner.

Forget it!
Sunday, October 31, 2004
It was a busy day on Friday. The +3.7% GDP number came in less than the expected +4.3% growth rate but above the previous reading's +3.3% rate. Consumer sentiment soared from 87.5 to 91.7 when economists were looking for a drop to 85.

Three More Trading Days
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Hang on folks we're almost to the finish line. I am talking about the Nov. 2nd election.

Is the rally here?
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
There have been a lot of traders waiting and watching for the end of October rally in stocks. You can bet that more than a few of them are hoping that today's 138-point gain in the Dow is the beginning.

One Week To Go
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Friday should have been no surprise. The disappointing earnings reports from AMZN, MSFT, BRCM and others was more than enough to spark a pre-weekend, post-earnings sell-off.

Friday Could Be Quiet
Thursday, October 21, 2004
You wouldn't know it from looking at the major indices but the markets were generally positive today. The Dow Industrials ended the session lower under weakness from drug stocks, insurance, and a negative reaction to Caterpillar's earnings.

Divided Focus
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Investors have a lot on their minds these days. Normally investors would turn a white-hot spotlight on corporate earnings.

Are You From Missouri?
Sunday, October 17, 2004
The state of Missouri is called the "show me" state

Earnings & Oil Double-Team.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Investor sentiment has taken a turn for the worse. The Q3 earnings parade has not been enough to divert attention from the record prices in crude oil.

The Earnings Shuffle
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
If you just look at the closing numbers then Tuesday turned out to be a non-event. However, you would be missing the excitement of the long slow climb back toward breakeven today.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Investor sentiment has taken a turn for the worst over the past couple of days. Major indices turned lower Thursday and Friday and market internals were pretty negative.

Is this the beginning?
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Could this be the beginning of a new leg lower in the market's current trading pattern? Bulls had hoped the pattern was broken earlier this week when the S&P 500 index broke above its descending trendline of lower highs.

Weak Economics and Rising Oil
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
What's on investors' minds these days? Record high oil prices is a hot topic.

Investor Moods
Sunday, October 03, 2004
What is investor sentiment? We hear about sentiment indicators. These are supposed to measure investors bullishness or bearishness.

Three Things
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Stocks say good-bye to a painful third quarter but in reality the month of September was pretty mild for the historically "worst" month of the year. Right now there are three things on the minds of investors.

Bounce of Speed bump?
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Yesterday the markets were looking pretty sour. The Dow Industrials closed under the 10,000 mark for the first time since August 17th while crude oil prices hit $50.00 barrel in New York for the first time ever.

End of the Quarter
Sunday, September 26, 2004
The end of the third quarter approaches. That means investors can expect more earnings warnings as we near the October earnings reporting cycle.

Follow through
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Thursday proved to be a mixed day on Wall Street. Bears were undoubtedly disappointed in the lack of follow through from Wednesday's steep decline.

Mixed Signals
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
The market continues to flash investors mixed signals. The Dow Industrials did rally but the bounce began to fail this afternoon.

September: To Dip or Not to Dip?
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Considering September's historical track record as the worst month of the year this one has been pretty mild. Dare we say even bullish?

Investors Prepare for Option Expiration
Thursday, September 16, 2004
It was an odd day on Wall Street. After Wednesday's weakness many felt that the rest of the week would be down.

Momentum is Stalling
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Bullish traders beware. The momentum in the market's four-plus week rally is beginning to fade.

Grab Those Seatbelts!
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Hold on to your hats! September 2004 is ready to move. The question is which way?

A Mixed Bias
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Thursday proved to be an interesting day, especially if you were following oil stocks and technology stocks. The two sectors were the best performing spots in the market place.

Investors Breathe Relieved
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
The day after the Labor Day holiday is traditionally positive. This year the odds were probably even higher for a rally as investors heave a sigh of relief.

Buckle Your Seat Belts
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Hold on tight! Summer is over.

Odds of Profit Taking
Thursday, September 02, 2004
It has certainly been an interesting market this week. The rally on Thursday seemed to catch most traders off guard.

September Looms Large
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
That's it! August 2004 is in the bag and if you're not the roller-coaster type then you're happy it's gone.

The RNC approaches
Sunday, August 29, 2004
This past week was certainly an interesting one. Crude oil abruptly changed direction and fell more than 7% from its highs in a five-day losing streak.

Volume Evaporates
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Volume has been very low all week and it is still sinking.

No Bounce from Oil Drop
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Over the last few weeks the markets have been begging for crude oil to drop. It was only a few days ago that stocks surged on the hope that crude prices had topped.

End of Summer
Sunday, August 22, 2004
It has been an interesting summer thus far. June was strong.

Out of their system
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Okay, if you haven't heard Google's IPO has finally come to market. There I said it and if you haven't heard about GOOG's first day of trading then you've been living in a cave somewhere.

Good News But Stocks Slip From Their Highs
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
A lot of market pundits were a bit surprised at Monday's rally. I include myself in that group since crude oil rose to another new high on Monday.

No Reason
Sunday, August 15, 2004
The markets have suffered over the last few weeks because investors have no reason to buy stocks right now.

Markets Slide Again
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Ouch! The Stock Traders Almanac wasn't kidding when it said August was the worst month of the year for the Dow Industrials. It also stated that August is the second worst for the NASDAQ.

Short Covering
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Depending on what direction you've been trading it's been pretty easy to get whipsawed in this market. Last week stocks were breaking down through support left and right.

New Lows
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Bearish, fearful, concerned, confused, and weary are just some of the choices one could use to describe investor sentiment. Now that the major indices and a good number of sector-specific indices are hitting new lows for the year it's hard to find anything to be bullish about.

One-Two Punch
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Stocks too a nosedive on Thursday as investors dealt with the one-two punch of skyrocketing oil and fears of worse than expected job growth.

Confidence Weakening
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
The record close for crude oil is probably the page one story. Crude closed at $44.15 for the first time ever after OPEC said the cartel was virtually helpless to influence the rise in oil because almost all its members are pumping at capacity.

Here We Go Again
Sunday, August 01, 2004
Now that earnings season is beginning to subside the market is rightfully turning back to its old worries about oil, interest rates, jobs and the economy. Oil is a major issue.

A Buyable Bounce?
Thursday, July 29, 2004
It would seem that the current oversold bounce may indeed be buyable. At least that appears to be the sentiment among the more optimistic traders.

Stocks Bounce Big
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
The oversold rally many traders have been looking for finally occurred on Tuesday and stocks bounced pretty strongly. The rally was very wide with only the HMO healthcare index and the XAL airline index closing in the red.

The Democrats are coming! The Democrats are coming!
Sunday, July 25, 2004
The major indices finished at their lows of the week, where an FBI warning that its field office in Boston, Massachusetts, received "unconfirmed" information that a domestic group is planning to disrupt the Democratic National Convention by attacking media vehicles with explosives or incendiary devices, did little to improve negative market sentiment.

Key Reversal or Speed Bump?
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Wednesday's market decline was extremely bearish. Yet the momentum faded even as the Dow Industrials broke down through the 10,000 mark and the NASDAQ hit new lows not seen since October.

Bargain Shopping
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
The NASDAQ turned in a pretty good session but the Dow's 55-point gain really doesn't reflect the oomph behind today's bounce. Investors were out doing some bargain shopping.

Bulls Can't Get A Break
Sunday, July 18, 2004
July has been a very tough month for stocks. You might remember our comments a couple of weeks ago quoting the Stock Trader's Almanac that July was the beginning of the worst four months of the year for the NASDAQ.

No Conviction
Thursday, July 15, 2004
We appear doomed to watch stocks slowly slip away or at best remain within their trading range. Wall Street is turning up its nose to lackluster economic reports while investors seem to be focusing on the earnings misses and not the earnings hits.

Intel vs. Bastille Day
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
It was another snoozer of a session on Wall Street. Everyone was waiting for Intel's earnings report after the closing bell.

Earnings Season Begins
Sunday, July 11, 2004
The markets bounced on Friday when Dow-component General Electric (GE), the world's largest company by market cap, beat earnings estimates by a penny.

Investors On the Defensive
Thursday, July 08, 2004
It looks like investor confidence has finally cracked.

Investors Turn Wary
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Our week is not off to a good start. The 63-point drop in the Industrials broke support at the simple 50-dma and extended the sell signal in the Dow's MACD.

Mixed Emotions
Sunday, July 04, 2004
All the traders not yet on holiday with the extended Fourth of July weekend can breathe a sigh of relief.

Fear of the Weekend
Thursday, July 01, 2004
If yesterday's post-fed afternoon rally was due to window dressing then funds didn't take long to do a little undressing. The day started with some disappointing economic data in the form of higher than expected initial jobless claims and an ISM index that came in just a tad lower than forecast.

One Down, Two to Go
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
The first of this week's three big events was Monday's surprise handover of power in Iraq. Tomorrow will bring about the second big event, the FOMC's decision on interest rates.

Deadline June 30th
Sunday, June 27, 2004
This is it. We've finally made it to the final week of June. Wednesday June 30th marks the end of a two-day FOMC meeting and the formal handover of sovereignty from the coalition to the Iraqi people.

Traders Still Cautious
Thursday, June 24, 2004
"No" was the answer to yesterday's question if there would be any follow through on Wednesday's technical breakout. The long-await rush of money that is supposed to be sitting on the sidelines failed to appear.

Still Range Bound As Volatility Sinks
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
It would seem that Wall Street has accepted the fact that stocks are due to remain range bound until June 30th. On that magical day the FOMC will declare they are raising rates by 25 basis points while the reigns of power shift from the coalition to a strong and able-bodied new Iraqi government.

Another Week of Waiting
Sunday, June 20, 2004
The markets have been effectively range bound over the last three to four weeks due to investor uncertainty over oil prices, interest rates, and Iraq. Unfortunately, none of that has changed.

The Waiting Game
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Welcome to the waiting game. The Producer Price Index (PPI) showed that inflation at the wholesale level ticked higher than expected but stocks really didn't react to the news.

CPI Cools Concerns
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Monday's market wide decline was fueled by rising fears of a 50 basis point rate hike at the end of June.

Unmotivated
Sunday, June 13, 2004
The markets have been very flat the last three days because there is little reason for investors to move. The major indices are at or near significant resistance but there was no impetus to buy stocks with the long weekend ahead of them.

Upbeat but cautious
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Investor sentiment feels pretty upbeat with stocks rising, jobs rising, and corporate profits rising yet there seems to be an undercurrent of caution. That's not surprising.

Lights Are Green
Sunday, June 06, 2004
The streetlight is green but the market might just be spinning its wheels. Friday's rally was very widespread with only the OIX oil index and the XNG natural gas index closing lower.

Traders Brace for Jobs Report
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Thursday proved to be a busy day. Action was volatile in the oil sector with crude rocking back and forth over the $40 level but in the end oil slipped lower.

Market Unshaken
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
The first trading day of June was amazing but not for its gains. The major averages traded mostly sideways save for a last hour rally.

Ready for the Weekend
Sunday, May 30, 2004
Friday's action was mixed and witnessed some mild profit taking but stocks ended the week on an up note. Meanwhile investors were eagerly leaving early for the long Memorial Day weekend after a choppy month.

Throwing Caution to the Wind?
Thursday, May 27, 2004
This has been a positive week for stocks. The Dow Industrials are up more than 230 points while the NASDAQ Composite is up more than 70 points (+3.7%) for the week and it's not over yet.

Oil Slides, Stocks Geyser
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
It is interesting how the market seems to focus on one main concern. A few weeks ago it was interest rates.

Investors Still Cautious
Sunday, May 23, 2004
May has been a tough month for the markets but most of the pain all happened in the first week.

All Quiet
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Thursday turned out to be a relatively quiet session with very light volume numbers and the major indices closing within two points of unchanged.

Pay at the pump
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
U.S. stocks recouped the bulk of Monday's losses on Tuesday as investor sentiment is swayed not only by what is taking place at home in the U.S., but overseas as well, where great focus has been given to energy prices as the global economy picks up momentum.

Big Moves
Sunday, May 16, 2004
There was much ado about breadth this week, with the now-(in)famous Biggs exclamation presumably referencing the large swings in the New Highs minus New Lows category.

Breadth Improves
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Today's pullback following yesterday's sharp intraday upside reversal saw volatility increase, but breadth improved, as the number of new highs rose against new lows for the NYSE and Nasdaq.

Quick Fix
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Sentiment and breadth were awful at Monday's close, but the oversold bounce in the indices today helped to repair the damage to the markets' internals.

Washout
Sunday, May 09, 2004
Sentiment and breadth were wildly negative on Friday as bullish employment data buoyed the US Dollar and sparked another selloff in bonds.

Good News Bad, Bad News Good
Thursday, May 06, 2004
Bulls and bears have continually remarked on the unpredictability of the market's reaction to economic data. Good news is often sold, bad news bought.

Listening to the Fed
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
During the past several weeks, as bond yields have continued their strong rally, we've seen a great deal of bearishness on bonds and bullishness in the dollar.

April Ends Lower
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Boy, what a week. The NASDAQ ended the week down five days in a row for a 129-point loss (-6.29%) and a technical breakdown below its simple 200-dma.

Truth Or Dare?
Thursday, April 29, 2004
The major indices hit new monthly lows but managed a weak end of day rebound to lessen the sting of Thursday's losses. The markets remain in their trading range but now here at the low end of the range the question remains.

More of the same
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Tuesday proved to be somewhat interesting. Futures were relatively weak before the open but when the bell rang stocks shot higher.

Investor Bravado?
Sunday, April 25, 2004
The volatility indices are supposed to measure investor optimism and/or fear. Lower numbers on the VIX/VXO mean less fear/more confidence for investors.

Fearless!
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Stocks soared on Thursday when for one brief moment investors ignored their interest rate fears, the violence in Iraq and concerns over the Presidential election to focus on the trainload of positive earnings reports.

Rate Fears Loom Again
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
The stock market was effectively Greenspammed in the last hour of trading as investors ran for cover after Alan told the Senate that the deflation-monster was dead.

Investors Still Cautious
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Whew! Friday just ended a very busy week with dozens of corporate earnings reports and a basketful of economic news all vying for investors' attention against a backdrop of rising violence in Iraq, hostages being taken by insurgents, Bin Laden tapes, 9/11 commission hearings and a Presidential press conference.

Waiting for the Weekend
Thursday, April 15, 2004
The markets didn't do much on Thursday as investors still grappled with rising geo-political tensions and interest rate concerns, warranted or not.

Investors Turn Pessimistic
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
After Monday's relief rally from the uneventful long holiday weekend and the strong earnings report from NVLS the markets seemed set to continue the rally into Tuesday. Better than expected earnings numbers from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Merrill Lynch (MER) helped set the tone and solidify expectations for a strong earnings season.

Markets Pause For Easter
Sunday, April 11, 2004
As of last Monday the stock markets were very short-term overbought and due for a pull back. We got that pull back over the last three days with relatively mild profit taking.

Stocks Catch Their Breath
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Stocks finally paused after an eight-day sprint higher from their late March lows. Overall the profit taking, which was focused on tech stocks, wasn't that bad and certainly overdue.

On Your Mark
Sunday, April 04, 2004
Get set. Go! Wow! What a week. The markets turned in their best percentage weekly performance since October of last year.

Too Optimistic
Thursday, April 01, 2004
The markets were a lot more bullish than they may have appeared on Thursday. Oh sure the Industrials, the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 were all positive but the internals were stronger than you might have expected.

Window Dressing
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
It's been a pretty impressive week thus far. The bulls have managed to orchestrate an encore performance on top of yesterday's big gains.

Not Convinced
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Whether you're a bull or a bear you have to admit that Thursday's rally was pretty impressive. It was very widespread and market internals were strongly bullish.

Bulls Stampede
Thursday, March 25, 2004
To be brief investors sentiment was pretty easy to read today. After weeks of selling and suffering some sharp declines in the last few days investors finally bought the dip boosted by what was probably some frantic short covering.

Demoralizing
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Ouch! After two days of heavy losses the markets were hoping for an oversold bounce from support and we got it but it failed to last.

Strength Hard to Find
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Ouch! Friday was another rough day for the markets. Investors were being hit left and right with non-market events.

Not a good sign
Thursday, March 18, 2004
After a volatile session the major indices closed mildly lower with tech stocks taking the biggest lumps. Lifting the markets from its midday doldrums was news that Pakistani troops had surrounded what was believed to be Al Qaeda's number two man behind Osama.

Turning Defensive
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Alas another FOMC meeting has come and gone and interest rates have remained unchanged as expected. Any day the FOMC is due to announce a decision tends to produce volatility and this one seemed even more prone to swings given the quadruple-witching options and futures expiration this Friday.

Speed Bump or a Rebound?
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Ouch! After last week the bulls are probably thinking they need a vacation. After all they've been running for almost a year straight - granted they've grown a little tired the last few weeks.

Running for the 200-dma
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Investor sentiment has turned sour pretty quickly this week. The terrorist bombings in Spain this morning have created an entire new set of concerns that has traders running for the door to capture profits before they're gone.

2004 Has Turned Negative
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Uh-oh! The NASDAQ's close under technical and psychological support at the 2000 level looks pretty discouraging.

Another tough week
Sunday, March 07, 2004
Wow! We just finished another eventful week.

One Word: Cautious
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Investor sentiment can be summed up in one word: cautious. The markets traded mostly sideways on Thursday despite the general bounce across most sector indices.

Super Tuesday? Not on Wall Street
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
In a very disappointing session the Industrials erased most of Monday's gains and the NASDAQ pulled back significantly closing back under the 2050 level and its simple 50-dma. On Monday the markets felt pretty confident with strong internals and very strong up volume numbers inspired by the ISM report.

Is it over yet?
Sunday, February 29, 2004
The month of February finally comes to a close as the broader indices struggle with another week of consolidation above support. That's a good thing right? Well we hope so.

Less Bullish
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Thursday was a lot less bullish than I had expected, at least considering the major indices closing numbers. Maybe it was the disappointing durable goods orders.

How many makes a trend?
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
One or two days in a row may not make a trend but does five? Stocks slid for their fifth straight session with the NASDAQ hitting another new relative low under the 2000 level before a market-wide afternoon bounce lifted stocks.

Are You Ready?
Sunday, February 22, 2004
Hmm... the failed rally on Thursday was bad enough but Friday's afternoon bounce also rolled over in the last two hours of trading and that doesn't bode well for next week. Are you ready for the major indices to test support again?

A Change in the wind?
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Is investor sentiment changing? The markets rallied on good news this morning after Wal-Mart and Applied Materials issued positive earnings reports. WMT, a Dow component, helped lead the Dow to a new 32-month high.

Another Broad-Based Rally
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Investors returned from their long, three-day weekend feeling refreshed and in a buying mood. Helping set the tone were positive economic reports and a new round of merger announcements.

Look at the time!
Sunday, February 15, 2004
Wow! Would you believe it? February is half over and we're already six weeks into the new year. And what an eventful year it has been.

Investors Take A Breath
Thursday, February 12, 2004
After holding their breath Monday and Tuesday in anticipation of Alan's appearance before congress investors may have let it all out at once during Wednesday's big rally. Today's action looks like everyone just took a moment to catch their breath while listening to Greenspan's second Q&A session with the senate.

Holding Pattern
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
The path of least resistance still appears to be up but the path may have grown a lot more rocky. Both the DJIA and the NASDAQ are up off their lows from last week but the buyers seem to be cautious, especially ahead of the Alan Greenspan's appearances this week.

The Big Bounce
Sunday, February 08, 2004
No, I'm not talking about the movie in theaters titled the Big Bounce but the recent market action. The DJIA had been churning sideways and the NASDAQ was falling ahead of the Friday jobs report.

All About Jobs
Thursday, February 05, 2004
The last several days have seen the DJIA churn sideways in anticipation or some might say apprehension of the jobs report due out tomorrow before the opening bell. Current estimates peg January job growth in the range of 150,000-165,000.

Mixed Markets
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
The major averages ended mildly in the green on Tuesday but once again the closing numbers don't tell the whole story. Trading was mixed with the major sector indices split down the middle between winners and losers.

So Goes January
Sunday, February 01, 2004
Maybe you've heard the old Wall Street maxim, "so goes January, so goes the year". Another way to say it is if January is an up month then we'll have an up year and if January is down, well you get the idea.

Finicky Investors
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Yesterday the markets crater because the Fed removes its "considerable period" language. Today the markets rally after the Fed releases its minutes from last month's meeting that suggest they were considering a removal of this language back in December.

No Shortage
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
There seems to be a growing number of analysts suggesting that investors begin to "trim" their portfolio. Take some money off the table, maybe scale down or get rid of those stocks that are under performing.

The Race Continues
Sunday, January 25, 2004
The major indices have been racing higher for several weeks straight and they finally had to pause and catch their breath. This last week ended an eight-week stretch for the Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 and it closed a six-week rally for the NASDAQ.

Looking Tired
Thursday, January 22, 2004
The rallies in the major indices are truly starting to look tired. For the last three or four days we've done nothing but go sideways as investors try and digest the deluge of earnings news.

Stronger Than Expected
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
The major averages don't tell the whole story. The Dow Jones was strongly red on the session after components MMM and HON both took some big hits.

Sentiment Rising
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Call it the energizer bunny. Call it a Teflon market (nothing sticks to it). Call it a runaway train.

Sell The What?
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Sell the News! I've been warning that investors are likely to sell the Q4 earnings news no matter how good the numbers are and that's exactly what we got today.

Waiting to Exhale
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
The official start to the Q4 earnings season may have been last week with Alcoa but tomorrow really brings out some heavy weights with Apple Computer (hardware), Intel (semiconductors), Yahoo! (internets), Genentech (biotech), and QLogic (semiconductors).

1,000 Jobs
Sunday, January 11, 2004
If you were amazed by the non-stop climb in the major indices over the last several weeks then you're probably awestruck today. The fact there the markets only produced minor losses after such a HUGE jobs miss is simply incredible.

Will Investors Sell The News?
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Thursday was a banner day for the U.S. stock markets. A better than expected earnings report from Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) and a very strong earnings report from mobile-phone maker Nokia (NOK) helped set the mood.

Patiently Waiting
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
The markets appear to be patiently waiting for the Q4 earnings season to start and disappointing economic data is not going to get in its way of just waiting. At least that's what it seems like today.

A Mild Hangover
Sunday, January 04, 2004
U.S. stock indices opened 2004 with a mild hangover from the New Year holidays as prices trended flat to down by Friday's close.

The NASDAQ Holds Its Gains
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Tuesday was a lackluster day for the markets. The general tone was bullish and there were plenty of new highs but covertly there was a sense of minor profit taking after Monday's big rally.

All Hail Santa's Arrival
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Markets made merry with yet another bullish close and new highs for the DJIA and the S&P 500. However, this time it was the NASDAQ's turn to outpace its rivals with nearly a one percent gain.

Ho Ho Ho...Merry Markets!
Sunday, December 21, 2003
The Santa Claus rally has come early this year. Traditionally investors look for the markets to rise in the last two weeks of the year and the first two weeks of the year.

The Return of the NASDAQ
Thursday, December 18, 2003
After a month of lagging behind the DJIA the NASDAQ finally bounces back with a strong 1.8% gain. Investors were in a holiday buying spree with visions of tech stocks dancing in their heads.

Blue Chips Cheer the CPI
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
The big event today was the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November. The price for consumer goods dropped 0.2 percent in November, which marked the biggest drop since April.

Merry Markets
Sunday, December 14, 2003
Is the path of least resistance still up? That's what some market watchers are saying.

Party Like It's 1999
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Wow! The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded above the psychological 10,000 mark on Tuesday of this week but could not hold it.

Fed Stays, Investors Don't
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
The FOMC announcement tonight was upstaged by the DJIA touching 10,000 again for the first time since May 2002. There was a brief dip as traders did some profit taking but the INDU managed to hold its gains until the Fed announcement.

Considerable Period
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Last week was an intriguing start to December. The headlines produced a roller coaster effect. The strong ISM numbers on Monday sent us soaring higher as most coasters do at the beginning of the ride before the dips begin.

Late Day Turn
Thursday, December 04, 2003
Bears seemed almost gleeful at the intraday weakness today but victory was snatched from their jaws with a late day turnaround that pushed the DJIA back to 9930 and the NASDAQ back to 1968.

Treading Water
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
It was a relatively quiet day on Wall Street. There were no major economic reports. No corporate earnings and very little on the scandal front today.

In the Turkey Trance
Sunday, November 30, 2003
The stock market was in a slow drift higher on Friday but the DJIA and the NASDAQ composite still managed some huge gains adding +2.89 and +6.95 points, respectively.

Markets Hold Their Gains
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
The U.S. stock markets held their gains today after an incredible rally on Monday. For some just holding its gains may be a let down, especially after the favorable economic reports out this morning.

Event Risk
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Economic recovery, expansion, corporate earnings and jobs have been the main concerns influencing investor sentiment for months. Now an old foe has risen again and investors have to readjust their risk management and style to consider the possibility of terrorism.

Markets Look for Cover
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Thursday turned into a widespread sell-off that left few survivors. Traders initially bought the dip but stocks couldn't hold their gains and major market indices and sectors rolled over into the close.

Is The Top Behind Us?
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
The major U.S. stock indices (DJIA, S&P 500, and the NASDAQ Composite) have all broken their rising simple 50-dma's. This is certainly a bearish technical development and given the rise in the volatility indices one begins to wonder if the markets have finally put in a short-term top.

A Shadow of Pessimism
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Friday just ended two weeks in a row that traders thought the markets would hit Dow 10,000 and NASDAQ 2,000. Two weeks of churning sideways for the major averages when they should have been climbing on a host of positive economic news.

Holding Gains
Thursday, November 13, 2003
The major averages may have closed in the red today but losses were mild and after yesterday's big rally investors shouldn't complain.

Markets Slump Again
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
It was a slow day on Wall Street with the bond markets closed for Veteran's Day but that didn't stop the current trend of profit taking from etching another decline in both the Dow and the NASDAQ averages. The morning got started with some earnings from several retailers.

Confused Yet?
Sunday, November 09, 2003
The markets were holding their breath for the October non-farm payrolls report. Expectations were high and the economy delivered with 126,000 new jobs in October and unemployment falling to 6 percent, the lowest level in months.

The Markets Wait
Thursday, November 06, 2003
The sentiment will be brief tonight because investors are all waiting on one thing - the Jobs report tomorrow. Or more specifically the non-farm payrolls report.

Layoffs Cast Doubt
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
The big event today certainly wasn't the market's movement. All the major averages traded in very narrow ranges and the DJIA and the S&P 500 both ended a six-day winning streak.

A Long Month Over
Sunday, November 02, 2003
That's it! Investors can stop fearing the traditional October sell-off. Other than the dip a week ago the month was firmly in the bulls' control.

Q3 GDP Roars
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Q3 GDP roared at a 7.2% pace, more than double the Q2's 3.3% run. This was the fast growth in 19 years but the markets reaction was ho-hum. Many already had big expectations and the report merely confirmed what the Street was looking for.

Strong Volume for the Bulls
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
It was a nice day for bullish traders with a strong pop at the open and a trend that crept higher all day before rushing even stronger into the close.

Whispering October Winds
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Wow! What a week for the markets. A week ago Friday many thought we would have seen Dow 10,000 and NASDAQ 2000 this last week. Instead we're left with a bounce from 9500 and 1841, respectively.

Bewildered.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Investor sentiment today can probably best be summed up in one word: confused. The massive declines in the Japanese NIKKEI last night (down more than 500 points) should have sent our own markets into free fall.

Where'd the Rally Go?
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Gosh! It seemed like only yesterday evening we were all excited for a continuation of the afternoon rally and investors had Dow 10,000 in their eyes. Oh wait! It was just yesterday.

Earnings Sentiment
Sunday, October 19, 2003
I hope everyone is familiar with the term "sell the news" because we may be seeing that on a market-wide scale soon. For weeks we've been told about how great the Q3 earnings were going to be.

Tug of War
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Thursday, those who believe in an improving economy engaged in a tug-of-war with those who believe differently. With the sides equally weighted, U.S. bourses soon settled into the pin-them-to-a-number trading pattern that has become typical of Thursday's trading during option expiration week.

What's New?
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Investor sentiment is getting pretty easy to read these days. The deluge of earnings news has been good with most companies beating estimates and offering positive comments going forward.

Earnings Upon Us
Sunday, October 12, 2003
The first week and a half of October has come and gone and the traditional seasonal weakness is no where to be seen.

Happy Anniversary
Thursday, October 09, 2003
It was one year ago today that both the DJIA and the NASDAQ Composite marked their closing lows for the bear market. The following session, October 10th, 2002, saw additional weakness in the morning and then a surge higher.

Bulls 5, Bears 0
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
That's the current score for the month of October. Bulls are winning it 5 to nothing against the bears. Traditionally, the first week of October is very volatile and usually down but this time we have a complete reverse of the seasonal trend.

No Doubt
Sunday, October 05, 2003
There should be no doubt as to investor sentiment these days.

Count Down to Jobs
Thursday, October 02, 2003
The markets hit the pause button as investors decided to wait and see what tomorrow's September jobs report will reveal. Economists are expecting the Labor Department's employment report to show the U.S. economy losing jobs for the eighth month in a row.

Confidence Concerns
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
The September Consumer Confidence numbers were much worse than expected and the report immediately spooked jumpy investors into another round of selling.

Bully Scurry On Wall Street
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Five out of the last six sessions for the DJIA and the S&P 500 have been negative with the selling picking up speed in the last three days.

Bear Sightings on Wall Street.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Skittish investors ran for cover after a somewhat turbulent session in the markets. Early morning news from Dow component Eastman Kodak (EK) put traders on the defensive.

More of the same
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Investor sentiment continues to be strongly bullish as the markets shrugged off another day of dollar fears.

Bulls Forge Deep Into Bear Territory
Sunday, September 21, 2003
The last couple of months have certainly been eye openers. I'm not just talking about Dick Grasso's pay package. Look at the weekly charts on the Industrials and the Nasdaq composite.

Another Round of New Highs, Please.
Thursday, September 18, 2003
The bullish locomotive running rampant on Wall Street has yet to slow down as the NASDAQ marked an 18-month high above the 1900 level and the INDU traced a 15-month high above the 9650 mark.

All Aboard!
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Investor sentiment is getting pretty simple these days. If it goes up, buy it! If it pulls back, buy it! If it goes sideways, wait for it to go up or pull back.

Rumble on Wall Street
Sunday, September 14, 2003
Let's Get Ready to RUMBLE!!!!! The markets are smack dab in the middle of September, traditionally the worst month of the year for stocks, and the fight is on between the bears and the bulls.

Investors Remember
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Call it a patriotic rally, call it a short-term bounce from two days of losses. Call it whatever you want but investor sentiment was not focused on stock and bond prices today.

Chalk It Up
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
A less than stellar mid-quarter update from Nokia and a round of downgrades from Wall Street helped set the tone today.

September score: Bulls 3, Bears 1
Sunday, September 07, 2003
It's been a big week for the bulls. Traditionally, the markets see a strong day after Labor Day rally and then institutional traders clean house making September one of the worst months of the year.

Impressive Disbelief
Thursday, September 04, 2003
Once again the morning began with a truckload of positive analyst comments for the tech sector. This time the focus was chip stocks, which helped propel the SOX index to a 2.5% gain.

One Word
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
Investor sentiment was pretty easy to describe today. Most of us could answer that with one word: bullish.

Bulls Runneth Over
Sunday, August 31, 2003
What's wrong with this picture? The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at a new 52-week high.

Q2 GDP on fire!
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Today was all about the GDP numbers and the jobless claims report. The Q2 GDP numbers were revised upward from a +2.4% pace to a much higher +3.1%.

Might Think
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
One might think that by looking at the "bearish" rollover in the VIX and VXN today coupled with the intraday bounces by the Dow Jones Industrial average and the NASDAQ that we still have some more upside left in this market.

About-Face
Sunday, August 24, 2003
After week of immersion in the daily and intraday charts, we can look to the big picture and see how the story has unfolded on the weekly candlestick charts.

Bear Market in Fear
Thursday, August 21, 2003
The put to call ratio and the option volatility or "fear" indices advanced slightly today as equities tried for new rally highs, round-tripping on the Dow and S&P while adding 17 on the Nasdaq.

Taking Stock
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
It's difficult to find anything bearish in the intraday charts of the major indices, while the indicators continue to urge caution. We see the Nasdaq-related volatility indices setting new record lows, and the VIX following along with its own low readings.

No Fear
Sunday, August 17, 2003
For the week, bonds moved lower, while the dollar and gold moved higher, and the equities indices all posted gains.

Low Volatility
Thursday, August 14, 2003
Today gave us another light volume day, and a very low volatility day. The put to call ratio finished lower by .06 at .72, indicating a predominance of calls over puts relative to yesterday.

Volume patterns
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Today saw impressive upside fireworks from the bulls following the requisite post-FOMC uncertainty.

Breaking Ranks
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Given the exciting intermarket action this past week, I've been looking forward to reviewing the weekly closing candle charts to see how our recent trends have progressed.

Option Market Warning
Thursday, August 07, 2003
Today's session opened lower and saw traders fearful of an anticipated decline. Yesterday's close was very bearish for the Nasdaq as well as the S&P, and all but the shortest cycle indicators were warning bulls of impending downside.

Personal Indicators
Tuesday, August 05, 2003
The spectacular sell off into the close following weeks of seemingly endless range bound trading has toppled a number of indicators and done severe technical damage to the charts.

First Friday of the Month
Sunday, August 03, 2003
We have a shortened trading month for August expiration due to the one day week just finished. What have the past five sessions left us with?

Reversal day on good news
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Equities looked set to launch today, buoyed by excellent economic data before and immediately following the cash open. The indices were coiled within pennants, having printed inside days, and exploded higher as might have been expected.

Intermarket signals
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
We've been following the "bottomy" volatility indices and "toppy" bullish percents for weeks. We can add intermarket analysis to help supplement the picture.

Extreme Readings
Sunday, July 27, 2003
The VIX made a new closing low for the year today at 19.94, while the QQV and VXN came close. The bullish percents and record high percents are pinned to the tops of their ranges, while the bullish vs. bearish advisor surveys remain very close to multiyear bullish extremes.

Setting your sights
Thursday, July 24, 2003
The VIX broke below 20 today and stayed there for several hours today, as the price of gold broke 360. In the meantime, the put to call ratio was looking moderate, the oscillators were edging toward possibly higher levels, and the US Dollar Index was rallying off its lows.

News and Charts
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
The capture of Saddam's sons was credited for the rises in the markets today. Unless these two were heavily shorting equity futures, it remains a mystery as to how or why this news swung such a large bid.

Reversal or Correction
Sunday, July 20, 2003
Zooming out to the long term charts for perspective, this week gave us negative closing prints for the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P indices.

Barometer Falling
Thursday, July 17, 2003
"On the djx daily candlesticks this looks like 3 black crows a highly reliable bearish pattern. The BP% crossover yesterday is glaring at me.

Bullish or bearish?
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Equities declined today as treasuries made huge moves lower and the US Dollar Index moved higher.

Trend change?
Sunday, July 13, 2003
On Thursday, we discussed the possibility of a change of trend based on the many extreme readings we've been following here and the "feel" of the tape on Thursday's downside reversal.

Trend change
Thursday, July 10, 2003
"Catching the turns" is one of the most valuable, and possibly the most dangerous activities in which traders engage.

Surprising strength, puzzling options
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Today's session felt like the usual post flagpole rally rangebound drift, where the buyers run out of either courage or money, and the bears, emboldened by a return to relative normalcy, begin to press.

The Weekly View
Sunday, July 06, 2003
This week saw a number of developments in the various indicators we follow. As we spend our days obsessing over the minutia of the subatomic intraday charts, each fresh weekly close is a fresh source of perspective.

Timeframes
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Those of you who follow the live action in the Market Monitor and Futures Monitor and trade the market intraday are aware of the flightiness of the shorter period charts and indicators.

Zooming out
Sunday, June 29, 2003
I read an excellent book entitled "Faster", all about time and the effect of its acceleration in our lives.

Short term bullishness in the options market
Thursday, June 26, 2003
The put to call ratio opened today at .47 today, showing very high relative call volume, and reached the mid .80s by the end of the session, which closed near its highs.

Nothing Day
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Today's higher low and lower high did little but set us up for a big move tomorrow.

Expiring options
Sunday, June 22, 2003
This week was options expiration week, and we've grown accustomed to otherwise unexpected moves (or the lack thereof) as we approach opex Friday.

Be the ball
Thursday, June 19, 2003
As we've been discussing, indicators are an excellent tool for illustrating and clarifying the past and the present

Pause at the highs
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Prior to Aristotle, ancient Greek philosophers argued, among other things, as to whether reality and its apparent diversity of events was the product of a single force, or of many forces.

Confidence Drops The Market
Sunday, June 15, 2003
Today's sudden drop at 9:45AM was attributed to the University of Michigan Consumer Confidence reading of 87.2 for May vs. 92.1 for April.

Dull Market Indecision
Thursday, June 12, 2003
Never short a dull market is a well-worn maxim, but traders who shorted ADBE got rewarded as the stock was dumped by more than 10% in afterhours trading following a profit warning after the bell.

Bulls mount a charge
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
While Chairman Greenspan discussed the fundamentals affecting the natural gas market and irreverent readers sent me the predictable jokes about all that such implies, bulls mounted a charge from a passionless, trendless session.

Too Fast, Too Furious
Sunday, June 08, 2003
No, I'm not talking about the new movie with Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson that opens this weekend.

Getting More Extreme
Thursday, June 05, 2003
Investor sentiment. One need only look at the charts to figure out what investors are thinking and feeling.

Teflon Market
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
The Teflon market lives on! Nothing can keep (or get) this stock market down, or so it seems.

The End At Hand
Saturday, May 31, 2003
If you listen to any of the financial media this weekend you probably heard them declare the end of the bear market.

By the looks of it...
Thursday, May 29, 2003
The huge rally on Tuesday and all of the upside breakouts it produced probably had some traders thinking "this is it!" Here it is two days later and those same traders are wondering "is that all?"

It's a Stampede
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
What can I say that the tape doesn't say better? With the Dow Industrials up 2%, the NASDAQ Composite up 3% and the S&P 500 up another 1.95% it is hard not to describe the market as unabashedly bullish.

A Losing Week
Friday, May 23, 2003
The markets may have snapped their recent winning streak with a down week but the bears certainly can't claim any big victories.

Daydream Believer
Thursday, May 22, 2003
"Oh, what can it mean.
To a daydream believer
And a homecoming queen."

Resilient
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
The dictionary defines the word "resilient" with the following:

Least Resistance?
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Last week held a ton of economic data and looking back at the numbers we don't see anything that really suggests the economy is on the comeback trail.

Chiming In
Thursday, May 15, 2003
At this point bearish traders are probably labeling investor sentiment as delusional. The markets have continued to shrug off bad news and completely focus on any bits of good news it can uncover.

One Step Closer
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
What can you say? Equity bears are going bug-eyed as bulls refuse to slow down. Q1 corporate earnings are essentially over and over half the S&P 500 has pre-warned that the next quarter looks flat to down.

Keep An Ear Open
Saturday, May 10, 2003
By the looks of it, bulls are feeling pretty confident. The markets weathered another pull back on minor selling and buyers bought the dip again heading into the weekend.

One More Day?
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Investor sentiment, despite a couple of down days in the broader markets, still feels bullish. Bulls are almost eager for the dip to occur, especially those still waiting on the sidelines so they can hop on for the next leg higher.

A Brief Note
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Today's market sentiment will be brief. The main focus today was the FOMC meeting and there was little expectation for a rate cut today but there was hope the committee would change their bias to "easing".

Out In A Cheer
Friday, May 02, 2003
All those traders who were holding their breath must have released it and when they did it came out in a cheer.

Hear That In The Background?
Thursday, May 01, 2003
It's subtle but I almost get the feeling that investors are holding their breath. There are so many variables to watch and they're all stuck on pause.

Just A Couple of Days
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
It is absolutely amazing what a couple of days can do. By Friday's close we were staring at a potential breakdown of the Dow Industrials from is bullish wedge.

Awash in Red
Friday, April 25, 2003
The markets were awash in red this Friday as investors chose to focus on weak GDP growth and the ever-increasing media coverage on the SARS crisis.

Love To Turn In.
Thursday, April 24, 2003
The bulls have to be pretty happy with today's performance. We've seen almost two weeks of slow and steady advances in the markets and the first sign of profit taking is pretty mild.

Short and Sweet
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
The sentiment game remains focused on earnings and with the steady stream of positive and not-so-bad announcements, the bears are running for cover while the bulls dream of a new market.

An Easter Earnings Passover
Thursday, April 17, 2003
Once again earnings news has taken center stage. Traders took the stream of reports in stride and drove the markets higher into the close before the long holiday weekend.

Name of the Game
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Market sentiment is by its nature a tough item to nail down. It's constantly changing, flowing, ebbing here, swelling there. News, rumors, economic reports, you name it can all affect investor sentiment.

Relationships Tested
Friday, April 11, 2003
The war is winding down and it appears the war trade is fading. We have been left to decipher economics once again and this morning gave us a clue as to just what will be needed to get a rally in the equities.

Support Holds
Thursday, April 10, 2003
The markets finally found some support today, testing previously significant levels. With the war winding down and earnings set to begin flowing over the next few weeks, it appears traders are in a wait and see mode.

Between Rounds
Tuesday, April 08, 2003
The broader markets gave a couple of head fakes early on today, as traders digested the importance of reports that Saddam Hussein may have been killed in a Monday night bombing. The overnight rally on the news quickly dissipated on the market's open and it appeared that we would see a continuation of Monday afternoon's sell-off.

Holding Pattern
Friday, April 04, 2003
As we headed into another weekend with pictures of war still floating across the television screens, traders maintained a wait and see posture, rather than taking a strong opinion on where we are headed next week.

The Economy? Who Cares!
Thursday, April 03, 2003
The rally we saw on Wednesday as U.S. troops advanced toward Baghdad took a breather today, as the market went into a wait and see mode.

Hide and Seek
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Where's Saddam? That's what many traders were wondering when he didn't show up for a television address scheduled this morning.

Still Stuck
Friday, March 28, 2003
The markets continued to trade in a range bound fashion ahead of the weekend.

Weary or Confused?
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Weary or Confused? Market sentiment may be best classified as mixed with traders not sure where to focus their attention.

Buying the Dip
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
After the disappointment over some weekend military setbacks wore off, the broader markets made up some of Monday's sell-off and seemed to indicate that the bullish reversal we saw last week might have some staying power.

Awe, Shocks - It's Just Another Rally
Friday, March 21, 2003
The bombs keep coming, Iraqis keep surrendering and the market continues to bet on an economic recovery as a result. We saw significant levels tested in most of the broader indices and those levels were mostly taken out to the upside, giving us little reason to pick a top just yet.

The Energizer Market
Tuesday, March 20, 2003
Today certainly gave us some conflicting signals, with the Dow and other indices trading in extremes as the markets adjusted to the start of war. The first move was lower, as bulls took some profits off the table from the past few sessions.

Tick, Tick, Tick
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
48 hours. Is that how long it will take before we see another leg higher? Or a reversal?

My, Aren't We Sensitive These Days?
Thursday, March 14, 2003
We got yet another snapshot of current market sensitivity to geo-political concerns with the early trading action on Friday. We started the day with a number of economic reports that took the shine off some big overnight gains in the futures, but still led us higher to begin the day.

Persian Engulfed
Thursday, March 13, 2003
Just how oversold were the markets when we fulfilled our head and shoulders objectives? Just how much bounce will we get if Iraq continues to throw bones to the U.N.?

Fulfillment
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
The bulls huffed and puffed and snorted a little, following more news on the geo-political front that seemed to favor yet another delay in a U.S. invasion of Iraq.

What Day Is This?
Friday, March 07, 2003
Did we say Thursday was a day for rumors? Little did we know that Friday's rumor mill would be doing double-duty. Rumors that Osama had been captured were denied and replaced by rumors that his sons had been captured, which were also later denied.

Waiting & Patience
Thursday, March 06, 2003
Thursday was more a day of rumors than trading. The major indices ended the day in the red and not for lack of any negative rumors floating up and down Wall Street today. Now that the President has held his prime time news conference the last few bits and pieces of the stage are falling into place.

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down
Tuesday, March 04, 2003
The breakdown from recent highs continued today - right down to another significant level of support. The bears, however, were not to be denied.

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