All Entries Tagged With: "NASDAQ"
Video Review of the Indexes 8-9-2009
August 9, 2009 at 2:52 pm
The upside momentum off the July lows continued last week as the indexes surged higher once again. Strength on Monday and Friday made the difference, taking the market to its best levels of the year.
We’ve seen very little rest in recent weeks, and certainly no pullbacks lasting longer than just a few hours. With the bulls having clearly established their dominance, will they finally move to book some profits this week or instead will they continue to frustrate the bears?
Let’s examine some important levels in the indexes to keep an eye on in the days ahead, as that will have the greatest influence on how individual stocks are going to move.
This clip was also posted over on the Trading Videos site (as always), and perhaps you’ve seen it there – but in case you didn’t, I wanted to put it here on the blog for you.
Let me highly suggest clicking the “HD” on the video player and then going full-screen for best quality.
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you here soon with more. Until then…
Trade Like a Bandit!
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you here soon with more. Until then…
Trade Like a Bandit!
Jeff White
Are you following me on Twitter yet?
Video Review of the Indexes 8-2-2009
August 2, 2009 at 2:12 pm
We’ve seen some nice moves in the past few weeks, with many stocks awakening from their slumber to sprint to higher levels. The indexes have done the same thing over the same stretch.
Although we’ve seen some incremental gains in recent days, overall the pace has definitely slowed. And that’s actually a good thing.
Rest is needed after a huge surge higher. Traders re-evaluate their positions, those with cash wonder if they might be chasing, and the shorts get concerned that perhaps a pullback won’t arrive in the timeframe they desire. So things get quieter, and some consolidation is seen. That’s exactly where we are right now.
But following this rest phase, momentum may well return, and we’ll need to have some clues to watch for in case that starts to happen. So, let’s examine some important levels in the indexes to keep an eye on in the days ahead.
This clip was also posted over on the Trading Videos site (as always), and perhaps you’ve seen it there – but in case you didn’t, I wanted to put it here on the blog for you.
Let me highly suggest clicking the “HD” on the video player and then going full-screen for best quality.
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you here soon with more. Until then…
Trade Like a Bandit!
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you here soon with more. Until then…
Trade Like a Bandit!
Jeff White
Are you following me on Twitter yet?
Video Review of the Indexes 7-26-2009
July 26, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Moving out of a multi-month trading range has been a very welcomed sight for many traders in the past week. It has meant an expansion in volatility, greater momentum than we’ve seen in a while, and new recovery highs for the market from the March low.
However, the way in which it has happened obviously caught quite a few people off guard. The emotions have combined for a panic buying atmosphere, ripping bears in the process while sparking fears among bulls with cash that prices may never again retreat.
That’s not a logical view of course, but anytime there’s a big move taking place it’s common to see emotions behind the action.
Nonetheless, the indexes are getting back on the move. And although a rest or pullback from here would be welcomed and healthy, we’re still waiting on it to arrive. While we wait, it’s a great time to examine some important levels for the indexes to keep an eye on in the days ahead.
This clip was also posted over on the Trading Videos site (as always), and perhaps you’ve seen it there – but in case you didn’t, I wanted to put it here on the blog for you.
Let me highly suggest clicking the “HD” on the video player and then going full-screen for best quality.
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you here soon with more. Until then…
Trade Like a Bandit!
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you here soon with more. Until then…
Trade Like a Bandit!
Jeff White
Are you following me on Twitter yet?
We Now Interrupt Your Normal Programming
May 14, 2009 at 7:21 am
Perhaps the automatic buy button got disconnected somehow, but Wednesday’s decline marked the 3rd consecutive decline in as many days – something we’ve not seen since early March when this market caught fire for 9 very green weeks.
And although a 3-day losing streak is far from the worst thing this market could see, it begs the question of whether or not it’s the beginning of, um… a change of character.
A short-term turnaround.
Ok, a reversal, to put it bluntly.
After all, a pullback is going to happen eventually which lasts for a few weeks – not just a few days, and now might be just as good a time as any for that to happen.
No Crystal Ball
Now, I’m not one to make big bold predictions, but some of you might recall that on the day of the low in March – yes, 9 weeks ago – I showed you right here the “technical threat of a short-term reversal.” I wasn’t going out on a limb, just calling it as I saw it.
It turned out pretty well.
So here I am again, simply pointing out what I see.
And if this does prove to be the early portion of the first meaningful pullback we’ve seen since early March, it’s important to first recognize that it would be a healthy event. The strongest markets do have pullbacks along the way, and that actually can help to perpetuate a trend.
Think of it like a rest – nobody can run nonstop forever, and the market is the same way. Some time on the bench can be a good thing.
Winds of Short-Term Change
This question of whether conditions are shifting or not is at the forefront of the discussion right now. Most individual stocks will take their cues from “the market,” which is developing a bit of a rolled-over appearance on the daily charts here, I might add. Stated otherwise, it might play out to be more than merely a 3-day dip, with a pretty big if. (See the caption on the chart below.)
StockFinder Chart courtesy of Worden
3 Positives of a Pullback
And so it may very well be that a decent correction is finally starting here, which if it does, could serve to do a number of things – all of which are good. Assuming we don’t go straight back to the March low, that is. Here they are:
1. The widespread overbought conditions we’ve seen for the past several weeks can finally go away. That means when a bullish setup appears, it’s less likely to need a “stay away” sign in front of it for those of us who prefer to manage our risk accordingly.
2. Stocks should (once a good pullback is completed) be able to set up some new bases, patterns, and support zones for trading. While this might take more than just a few days, it’s ultimately great news – especially if your preferred timeframe is swing trading. The stocks which have produced nothing but steady climbs without rest can finally pull back and establish some new support – like a higher low. Combined with the higher highs we’ve already seen in recent weeks, that would keep the uptrend intact.
3. A meaningful pullback is going to help separate the men from the boys. During this run from the March lows, few stocks have failed to participate. It’s almost like everybody’s doing it. It seems virtually everything has joined in the rally, making it difficult to determine which stocks are merely being squeezed higher and which ones are developing into true, lasting leaders. Separating the also-rans from real leadership should help to narrow our focus as traders, and give us higher quality plays on both sides of the tape. That’s something we all stand to benefit from, whether bull or bear.
So in closing, let me just say I’m no perma-bear. But don’t hate me if I’m rooting for a little more of a correction here. It sure doesn’t have to last forever, and I think it’ll lead to much better things for those of us trading this market.
Jeff White
President, The Stock Bandit, Inc.
Swing Trading & Day Trading Service
www.TheStockBandit.com
[tags]Stock Market, Day Trading, Stock Trading, Investing, Swing Trading[/tags]
Steep Trend Lines Beg to Be Crossed
March 9, 2009 at 12:41 pm
This market is ugly – as in really hideous.
Fear & Panic aren’t really even the appropriate words at the moment for this price action. It’s more like sheer disgust.
Would-be buyers are trusting that they’ll see lower prices (almost by the day) to put their cash to work, so what’s the hurry? And at the same time, bears who will eventually cover aren’t having to tiptoe around – they’re strutting. Likewise, they sense no urgency for needing to exit short sales.
Such is the nature of a downtrend.
From the Mood to the Technicals
But as is often the case, there is a technical threat of a short-term reversal. And it isn’t based on the oversold indications which are quite prevalent right now. Simple is usually better in technical analysis, so in this post I’m just going to point to a couple of trend lines which are looking a bit too steep.
It’s important to note that the steeper a trend line tends to be, the more likely (and the sharper) a short-term reversal becomes. So this is no prediction, but watch for a cross of these trend lines in the coming days should it happen to occur. If it does, it just might produce a playable bounce. (Notice I said bounce.)
A Look at the Charts
Up first: the DJIA. Keep in mind this trend line is descending daily, so it changes daily. At the moment though, a push back above the 6760 area would clear it. Have a look:
StockFinder Chart courtesy of Worden
Next: the S&P 500. Here again, the trend line descends daily and therefore should be double-checked to determine its exact value. For now, a push back above the 700 level would produce an upside break and might result in a tradable bounce. Here’s the chart:
StockFinder Chart courtesy of Worden
I hope your trading week is a good one!
Jeff White
President, The Stock Bandit, Inc.
Swing Trading & Day Trading Service
www.TheStockBandit.com
[tags]Stock Market, Day Trading, Stock Trading, Investing, Swing Trading[/tags]
