Analysis Topic: Stock & Financial Markets

The analysis published under this topic are as follows.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Stock Market SPX Uptrend Extends / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Tony_Caldaro

A good performance by US and European markets as the US broke through resistance at SPX 1378 and rallied to 1406 on friday. For the week the SPX/DOW were +2.40%, and the NDX/NAX were +2.35%. Asian markets gained 0.8%, European markets gained 2.9%, and the DJ World index gained 1.9%. Economic indicators for the week were solidly to the upside. On the uptick: retail sales, business inventories, export prices, the NY and Philly FED, the CPI/PPI, capacity utilization, and the weekly jobless claims plus the WLEI improved. On the downtick: the budget deficit expanded, while import prices and consumer sentiment declined. Overall it was quite a positive week for stocks and the economy. Next week we get an update on the Housing market and Leading indicators.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Stock Market Bulls Bears Status Quo... / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Jack_Steiman

The way things are with the bulls right now makes it tough for the bears to deal with. But honestly folks, there isn't much to add to what's been going on for some time now. The market has two great things going for it, both powerful and potentially long lasting. One is potentially longer than the other, but both are in great shape at the moment.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

BlackRock's Chief Equity Strategist Forecasts SP Stock Index Going to 1550 / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Bloomberg

Bob Doll, chief equity strategy at the world's largest money management firm BlackRock, spoke to Bloomberg TV's Trish Regan and Adam Johnson on "Street Smart" today. Doll said that he thinks equity valuations will grow stronger and "at S&P 1550, stocks would still not be expensive...If Europe continues to heal and the Middle East doesn't blow up, 1550 is do-able."

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Stock Markets Face A Second Wall of Worry! / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Sy_Harding

It’s an old market maxim that the stock market often climbs a wall of worry.

In the current rally the S&P 500 has gained 29% since its October low, and the wall of worry it climbed has been impressive. Reports in October showed the economic slowdown in the first half of the year worsened in July and August even as the 2nd half got underway. By November the eurozone debt crisis and fears of a potential default by Greece, and an ugly aftermath, were dominating headlines.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Europe Stock Market Recovery / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Zeal_LLC

The world’s stock markets are increasingly interrelated.  The psychology of traders, which drives most short-term price action, is continuously shaped by the nonstop torrents of global newsflow.  So even Americans can no longer afford to ignore what is going on in overseas markets.  And the influence of European stock markets in particular is large and growing, making their recovery well worth watching.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Two Critical Investment Keys Going Forward / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2012

By: DeepCaster_LLC

 “How about capitalism, Ben Bernanke?”

 Jim Grant, Interest Rate Observer, Bloomberg Interview, 3/13/12

“A difference which makes no difference is no difference.”

William James, Philosopher

Friday, March 16, 2012

Forget About the Trade Deficit, Now is The Time to Invest in China / Stock-Markets / Chinese Stock Market

By: Money_Morning

Keith Fitz-Gerald writes: You may have heard that China just posted the biggest trade deficit figures in over a decade .

Naturally, this caused the usual suspects who have been waiting - some would say hoping - for a Chinese crash to jump up and down with excitement.

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Power of Cheap Money / Stock-Markets / Quantitative Easing

By: Puru_Saxena

The economies of the developed world are sluggish, unemployment is a real menace and debts are out of control (Figure 1).  Nonetheless, the world’s stock and commodity markets are defying all logic and advancing in the face of adverse economic conditions. 

Today, many economists and strategists are scratching their heads in disbelief and they are struggling to explain the ongoing rally in risky assets.  According to the bears, the stock market is in a clear bubble which is ready to pop!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Germany and Banks Point To Higher Highs In Stocks / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Chris_Ciovacco

As shown below, the market is currently being carried by tech, retail/consumer discretionary, and banks. These sectors do have a big impact on the daily movement in the S&P 500 Index - so gains can continue, but we would prefer to see leadership broaden in the coming days and weeks.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Investing in Mongolia: Is It Time to Buy the World's Fastest Growing Economy? / Stock-Markets / Emerging Markets

By: Money_Morning

Martin Hutchinson writes: It is the world's fastest growing economy. It also may be the world's best kept secret.

Yet it is true. Mongolia is growing twice as fast as China and it's a market most investors know little about.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Currency Wars: Are American Derivatives Dealers Leaving Europe? / Stock-Markets / Derivatives

By: Jesse

Or possibly being invited to leave?

It is probably nothing, but I could not help but notice that Mr. Greg Smith, who has famously resigned from Goldman Sachs and company, was "an executive director and head of the firm’s United States equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa."

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Stocks Bull Market Discussion.... / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Jack_Steiman

This has been one fascinating move up in what is undeniably a bull market. It's been more of a grind up most recently, and that's a good place to start this discussion. Just four weeks ago we had a bull-bear spread of just under 30%. That's getting dangerously close to complacency. Any time it's over 30%, especially when it hits 35%, we have to be on guard for a very powerful pullback. Understandable, as we need to lose the momentum as things are just too frothy. My concerns were laid to rest over the past month as the grind in the market served to bring down those feel good emotions throughout the market place. It appears the masses were expecting a very big pullback and went south on the market in terms of their short-term thinking.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Banks and Homebuilder Stocks Showing Impressive Strength / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Chris_Ciovacco

Financial stocks had been treading water relative to the S&P 500 for the past six weeks. That changed late yesterday after J.P. Morgan announced a dividend increase and stock buyback program.

While the chart below looks complex, the concepts are easy to understand. The chart shows the performance of financial stocks relative to the S&P 500 Index. Here are the key takeaways for investors:

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Investing in Japan One Year After Disaster / Stock-Markets / Japanese Stock Market

By: Money_Morning

Keith Fitz-Gerald writes: Like it has been for other Japanese families, this past year has been a tough one in my household, too.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Sunday's one-year anniversary brought long-buried emotions to the surface 12 months to the day after the horrific earthquake and the tsunami it spawned devastated Japan.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Trading the Sun : The influence of the sun on the financial markets and the macro economy / Stock-Markets / Financial Markets 2012

By: John_Hampson

There is an 11-year (average) cycle of solar activity, measured in sunspots. Solar activity causes geomagnetic disturbance on Earth. The sun is also responsible for a cycle of nocturnal lunar illumination on Earth that lasts approximately a month.

Psychological and behavioural research links geogmagnetism and lunar phasing with human mood, and sunspots with human excitability. Studies also link altered moods to more cautious behaviour, including financial decisions. In the last 150 years there have been several papers published demonstrating correlations between these natural phenomena and the financial markets and the macro economy. However, perhaps due a lack of scientific consensus over causality, solar phenomena remain niche disciplines in trading and economics, largely ignored by the financial and business media. In this document I will attempt to provide evidence that solar phenomena are the underlying cause of several financial and macroeconomic phenonema, and therefore deserving of a more central role in trading stocks and commodities.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

How to Use Options to Hedge Against a Stock Market Correction / Stock-Markets / Options & Warrants

By: Money_Morning

Larry D. Spears writes: Stocks have been mostly higher the past five months, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently topping 13,000 for a few days and the Nasdaq Composite touching the key 3,000 mark on the final day of February.

However, the markets have turned erratic the last week or so, and big moves like last Tuesday's plunge have left many investors to worry about a looming stock market correction.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Stock Market Investing, The Case for Spitting into the Wind / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Money_Morning

Shah Gilani writes: You've heard the expression "You don't spit into the wind," haven't you?

Well, it's true when it comes to trading and investing, too. You keep the wind at your back, and you don't give up easy profits by bucking the trend.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Stock Market Volatility, Trouble In Paradise / Stock-Markets / Stock Markets 2012

By: Tony_Pallotta

A chart is considered good when you do not have to add any commentary to make a point. The following is one such candidate.

Below is a chart of the spread between the volatility skew and the vix compared to the SPX. For those new to skew it simply measures the distribution of option implied volatility. When speculators price in tail events they buy out of the money options which "skews" or shifts the distribution of volatility from a normal bell curve.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Investors Appreciating China to its Fullest / Stock-Markets / Chinese Stock Market

By: Frank_Holmes

Wine expert and social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk attributes his ability to detect subtleties in wine that others might not recognize because of his unique taste-testing as a teen. Because drinking wine was illegal, he says he tasted the flavors associated with wine instead. He not only ate fruits and vegetables, but also chewed on chunks of grass, dirt, tobacco and wood so he could learn to recognize the complex flavors that wine has to offer.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Sun is Rising in the East, The Asian Century / Stock-Markets / Asian Economies

By: Chad_Bennis

Check out what Australia’s largest exchange operator(ASX) had to say about the Asian century.

“Australia will only truly advance its long-term position in the Asian region and fully participate in the Asian century by developing deeper partnerships and true integration with the region.”