$tockMarketDirection

Market Direction Change Alert: Election Day Tuesday

2020-11-01T12:26:00.001-05:00

It's official we have a new bearish alert. The stock market confirmed a correction. The corona virus and Election Day Tuesday continue to derailed the stock market. There are other geopolitical issues as well that are creating uncertainty too. This is not an environment to take new long positions now. Don't fight the tape.

Our proprietary model has turned BEARISH our recommendation is to go SHORT the stock market at this time. The current closing numbers of the indexes for this recommendation are:

Stock Market Closing Numbers
10/29/2020
Dow	26,659.11
Nasdaq	11,185.60
S&P 500	3,310.11

DBX: The Rising STAR October 12, 2020

2020-10-11T23:40:00.002-04:00

Register for FREE today to stay ahead of the crowd and be the first to know when a new trade is posted. See below, the potential play for this week.

Not only does this website provide “FREE” content about the stock market direction (Our Bullish and Bearish Alerts), which have helped many people enjoy amazing profits. Now, I share with you what I call "The Rising STAR" my option trading strategy, and at the end of a trade, profitable results is what matters. You will become a believer in time, if you follow along and stay the course. No pressure or commitment it's yours for the taking.

One thing I have observed through the years is the stock market can be life-changing. The challenge is achieving this type success is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and there are still no guarantees, but the opportunity is possible.

This is where you come in the equation with me. Together we can establish a community to learn, discuss, and execute in the stock market. Then repeat this process over and over, like clockwork ( as they say; wash, rinse, and repeat). The end result, you transform and achieve all the goals you have in mind. Always check the website for any updates that may be posted. Let's get started... Share with friends.

THE IF WHEN, THEN STRATEGY GOAL: When you buy an option strategy, you then immediately place a sell price goal on the option you just purchased.

Vote THUMBS (Up) or THUMBS (Down) in the upper right side bar, if you like like our new trading strategy. Leave a comment. Here's the trade…

Weekly Closing Numbers: Fast Start for Bullish Alert

2020-10-11T04:42:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BULLISH alert issued 10/8/2020

What is the current stock market direction?

Vote BULLISH (Up) or BEARISH (Down) in the upper right side bar, the current stock market direction weekly closing numbers. Leave a comment. Now for the news…

The economy

Technology stocks performed well this week but not as well as many small cap/value/cyclical stocks, as investors felt more confident in a recovery. The Russell 2000 rallied 6.4%, comfortably outpacing the S&P 500 (+3.8%), Nasdaq Composite (+4.6%), and Dow Jones Industrial Average (+3.3%).

Highlighting the week's biggest stories: President Trump essentially recovered from the coronavirus, removing some political uncertainty. The White House was reportedly drafting a $1.8 trillion stimulus bill, bolstering relief expectations. Eli Lilly (LLY) and Regeneron (REGN) requested emergency use authorization for their COVID-19 antibody treatments, potentially aiding consumer sentiment.

The market rose four of the five days, and every sector in the S&P 500 ended the week in positive territory. The materials (+5.1%), energy (+5.0%), information technology (+4.6%), and utilities (+4.6%) sectors advanced more than 4.0%, while the real estate sector underperformed with a 1.4% gain.

The semiconductor space was boosted by Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) reporting strong revenue growth in September, NXP Semi (NXP) raising Q3 revenue guidance above consensus, and news that Xilinx (XLNX) is in talks to be acquired by AMD (AMD) for $30 billion. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged 8.0%.

The one day the market closed lower was when President Trump said he called off stimulus negotiations until after the election. He later clarified that he still wanted stimulus but in the form of standalone bills for airlines, small businesses, and households -- this was ultimately superseded by the $1.8 trillion news at the end of the week.

U.S. Treasuries declined amid the risk-on mindset among investors, pushing yields higher in a curve-steepening trade. The 2-yr yield increased three basis points to 0.16%, and the 10-yr yield increased eight basis points to 0.78%. The U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.9% to 93.06. WTI crude futures rose 9.9%, or $3.59, to $40.64/bbl.

$tockMarketDirection proprietary model is currently BULLISH. We strongly encourage you to monitor positions closely, exercise proper money management strategies and follow us at $tockMarketDirection for ALERTS we may issue advising a change in the current market direction. Stay tuned and follow us. If you have a testimonial or comment of how this website has helped you we would like to know, write us. Share with a friend.

The market direction weekly closing numbers for the indexes this week compared to the initial BULLISH recommendation closing numbers:

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	10/8/2020	10/9/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	28,425.51	28,586.90	161.39
Nasdaq	11,364.60	11,579.94	158.96
S&P 500	3,446.83	3,477.13	30.30

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Market Direction Change Alert: Election Just Days Away

2020-10-09T02:14:00.001-04:00

Still a lot of uncertainty but the market direction has changed after 4 weeks of bearishness. Headlines, President Trump contracted the corona virus and upcoming election is still a distraction. Once these things clam down and the market knows what the election outcome will be the stock market could rally even more.

Our proprietary model has turned BULLISH our recommendation is to go LONG the stock market at this time. The current closing numbers of the indices for this recommendation are:

Stock Market Closing Numbers
10/8/2020
Dow	28,425.51
Nasdaq	11,420.98
S&P 500	3,446.83

Weekly Closing Numbers: President Trump has Coronavirus

2020-10-02T17:40:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BEARISH alert issued 9/10/2020

The economy

The S&P 500 (+1.5%) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (+1.9%) snapped four-week losing streaks this week, and the Nasdaq Composite performed comparably with a 1.5% gain. The real winner, however, was the Russell 2000 with a 4.4% gain.

Ten of the 11 S&P 500 sectors finished in positive territory. The real estate (+4.9%), financials (+3.3%), utilities (+3.3%), and consumer discretionary (+2.5%) sectors outperformed. The energy sector (-2.9%) was the lone holdout, as sentiment was pressured by an 8% decline in crude prices ($37.05/bbl, -3.17) amid growth/demand concerns.

Prior to Friday, the market had already established the week's gains, largely on technically-oriented trading activity in oversold stocks. Early in the week, cyclical stocks benefited from M&A activity, better-than-expected economic data (although less consequential reports), analyst upgrades, and stimulus optimism.

The mega-caps also participated in the rebound, with the market shaking off any residential weakness that followed the first presidential debate on Tuesday. Friday, however, is when the real news flowed in and the mega-caps sold off to end the week.

Briefly, President Trump tested positive for COVID-19, September nonfarm payrolls increased by 661,000 (Briefing.com consensus 800,000), and there were indications that a fiscal relief bill could soon be reached. The latter remains a show-me story, but value/cyclical stocks did benefit from the hopeful-sounding reports.

Highlighting other key economic reports, weekly jobless claims remained elevated at 837,000 (Briefing.com consensus 850,000), personal income declined 2.7% m/m in August (Briefing.com consensus -2.0%), and the ISM Manufacturing Index for September decelerated to 55.4% (Briefing.com consensus 56.0%) from 56.0% in August.

U.S. Treasuries finished lower on the longer-end of the curve. The 2-yr yield was flat at 0.13%, and the 10-yr yield increased four basis points to 0.70%. The U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.9% to 93.84.

The underperformance of the small-cap and mid-cap stocks, which have a predominately domestic orientation, stood out as a manifestation of those concerns. $tockMarketDirection proprietary model is currently BEARISH. We strongly encourage you to monitor positions closely, exercise proper money management strategies and follow us at $tockMarketDirection for ALERTS we may issue advising a change in the current market direction. Stay tuned and follow us. If you have a testimonial or comment of how this website has helped you we would like to know, write us. Share with a friend.

The market direction weekly closing numbers for the indexes this week compared to the initial BEARISH recommendation closing numbers:

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	9/10/2020	10/2/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	27,534.60	27,682.81	148.21
Nasdaq	10,919.60	11,075.02	155.42
S&P 500	3,339.19	3,348.44	9.25

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Weekly Closing Numbers: Losing Streak is Extended

2020-09-25T20:42:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BEARISH alert issued 9/10/2020

The economy

This week was a classic roller coaster ride for the market that ultimately left the S&P 500 down 0.6% -- its fourth straight weekly decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.8%, and the Russell 2000 declined 4.0%. The Nasdaq Composite, however, gained 1.1%.

There wasn't one thing market participants could point to and say this is why the broad market struggled. Instead, it was another week filled with events that fed into the general uncertainty and the negative momentum seen this month.

Growth concerns were evident in the declines in the cyclical energy (-8.6%), materials (-4.6%), financials (-4.2%), and industrials (-2.6%) sectors. The information technology (+2.1%), consumer discretionary (+1.2%), and utilities (+1.2%) sectors closed higher.

The Nasdaq turned positive at the end of the week, as shares of Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT) rebounded nicely on no news. These stocks rose between 3.5% and 5% this week.

In Washington, the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg, as viewed through the lens of the market, was another factor that investors initially thought could take focus away from a fiscal relief bill before the election. Democrats are reportedly preparing a $2.4 trillion relief bill, but it's unlikely to have the support of Republicans.

On the coronavirus front, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) advanced its COVID-19 vaccine candidate to Phase 3 trials, while several countries in Europe reinstated business restrictions to help curb a resurgence of the virus. On China, Beijing updated its trade blacklist without naming any affected companies.

U.S. Treasuries finished mostly higher, particularly on the longer-end of the curve. The 10-yr yield declined three basis points to 0.66%. Gold futures fell 4.9% to $1866.30/ozt. The U.S. Dollar Index gained 1.8% to 94.59.

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	9/10/2020	9/25/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	27,534.60	27,173.96	360.64
Nasdaq	10,919.60	10,913.56	6.04
S&P 500	3,339.19	3,298.46	40.73

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Weekly Closing Numbers: Correction Continues

2020-09-19T03:55:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BEARISH alert issued 9/10/2020

The economy

It was another bad week for the mega-cap stocks, but some rotation into cyclical and value stocks did limit the index declines. The S&P 500 (-0.6%) and Nasdaq Composite (-0.6%) both lost 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (-0.03%) finished just below its flat line. The Russell 2000 rose 2.6% in a catch-up trade.

The week started on a bullish note, with the market rebounding from back-to-back weekly declines, but general weakness originated on Wednesday after the FOMC policy decision. The Fed did as expected, so one can't really blame the central bank this week. Briefly, the Fed kept rates unchanged and signaled they will remain near zero through 2023.

The mega-caps showed weakness way before the decision and extended losses throughout the rest of the week amid valuation concerns following a spectacular IPO from Snowflake (SNOW), options-expiration activity on Friday, and news that TikTok and WeChat will be banned from U.S. downloads on Sunday.

Apple (AAPL) fell 4.6% this week, dragging the S&P 500 information technology sector (-1.0%) down with it. The communication services (-2.3%), consumer discretionary (-2.3%), and consumer staples (-1.7%) sectors fell even more, while the energy (+2.9%), industrials (+1.5%), materials (+0.9%), and health care (+0.8%) sectors benefited from a rotational trade.

Factors that contributed to the rotation included AstraZeneca (AZN) resuming its COVID-19 vaccine trials in the UK, rebounding oil prices ($41.09/bbl, +3.75, +10.0%) that favored energy stocks, upbeat guidance out of the steel industry, and General Electric (GE) providing positive cash-flow expectations. GE shares rose 15% this week.

The financials sector (-0.2%) outperformed on a relative basis, but the Fed's acknowledgement of lower rates for longer, and profitability concerns, weighed on sentiment. Citigroup (C) fell 12% on news it could get reprimanded for failing to improve its risk-management systems.

In other developments, NVIDIA (NVDA) agreed to acquire Arm Holdings from Softbank for $40 billion in cash and stock, and House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) repeated that a stimulus deal must be at least $2.2 trillion. Ms. Pelosi's comments came after centrist lawmakers proposed a $1.5 trillion relief bill that President Trump said he liked.

U.S. Treasuries traded near their flat lines all week. The 2-yr yield remained unchanged at 0.13%, and the 10-yr yield increased two basis points to 0.69%. The U.S. Dollar Index declined 0.4% to 92.95.

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	9/10/2020	9/18/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	27,534.60	27,657.42	122.82
Nasdaq	10,919.60	10,793.28	126.32
S&P 500	3,339.19	3,319.47	19.72

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CLX: The Rising STAR September 14, 2020

2020-09-13T22:29:00.000-04:00

THE IF WHEN, THEN STRATEGY GOAL: When you buy an option strategy, you then immediately place a sell price goal on the option you just purchased.

Vote THUMBS (Up) or THUMBS (Down) in the upper right side bar, if you like like our new trading strategy. Leave a comment. Here's the trade…

Market Direction Change Alert: Stocks Declining

2020-09-11T15:32:00.000-04:00

It's official we have a new bearish alert. The stock market confirmed a correction Thursday and the bullish run lasted 12 weeks. The corona virus and the political election environment have finally derailed the stock market. This is not an environment to take new long positions now. Don't fight the tape.

Our proprietary model has turned BEARISH our recommendation is to go SHORT the stock market at this time. The current closing numbers of the indexes for this recommendation are:

Stock Market Closing Numbers
9/10/2020
Dow	27,534.60
Nasdaq	10,919.60
S&P 500	3,339.19

The Stock Market is Under Pressure: A Meltdown

2020-09-08T23:19:00.000-04:00

Our proprietary models today, signaled the stock market is under pressure. Investors should not open any new long positions at this time.

Consider taking profit or monitor positions very closely. This is the first time the stock market has shown considerable weakness after 110 days when the stock market confirmed a new bullish alert. What’s next... coronavirus continues to disrupt economies and President Trump continues his attack on China for the pandemic.

Weekly Closing Numbers: Is The Sell-off Just Profit Taking

2020-09-04T19:52:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BULLISH alert issued 5/21/2020

The economy

The market's August momentum bled into September to start the week, as the S&P 500 notched its 22nd record close of the year, but profit taking in the mega-caps and growth stocks ultimately took the major indices sharply lower by week's end.

The S&P 500 fell 2.3%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 3.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.8%, and the Russell 2000 fell 2.7%.

While the profit taking started on Thursday from an index perspective, it really started on Wednesday in Apple (AAPL), Tesla (TSLA), and Zoom Video (ZM). The day before, shares of Zoom surged 40% after crushing earnings expectations.

The top-weighted information technology sector (-4.2%), which was -- and still is -- this year's best-performing sector, was among this week's laggards amid a 6.4% decline in Microsoft (MSFT). The energy sector (-4.5%) declined the most, while the utilities (+0.4%) and materials (+0.8%) sectors were spared.

Granted, there wasn't that much profit to take from the beleaguered energy sector, but it continued to get pounced amid weaker oil prices ($39.70/bbl, -3.27, -7.6%).

At the end of the week, the encouraging Employment Situation Report for August contributed to the relative outperformance of value/cyclical stocks and some curve-steepening activity. The Russell 1000 Value Index declined 0.3% versus a 3.4% decline for the Russell 1000 Growth index.

Note, the curve-steepening activity on Friday essentially undid the curve-flattening activity from earlier in the week. The 2-yr yield increased one basis point to 0.16%, while the 10-yr yield decreased one basis point to 0.72%. The U.S. Dollar Index advanced 0.5% to 92.79.

The CBOE Volatility Index spiked 33.9% to 30.75, as investors assumed some protection against further weakness in equities. For some context, the S&P 500 ended the week at levels it last traded on August 21.

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	5/21/2020	9/4/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	24,474.12	28,133.31	3,659.19
Nasdaq	9,284.88	11,313.14	2,028.26
S&P 500	2,948.51	3,426.96	478.45

Register at: http://www.stockmarket-direction.com/

INTC, delivered as a rising STAR option trade!

2020-09-02T11:40:00.002-04:00

At the end of the trade, what matter most is profitable results. This is what we aim to do and INTC delivered as a rising star option trade. To all our registered followers that purchased the 8-31-2020 (STAR) stock option strategy, INTC hit the target price if you closed it out today you have an awesome profitable return. Register today for "FREE" the next time it can be you. Cha-ching!

INTC profits, in 3 days since the option strategy was posted.

64.13%

ALXN, delivered as a rising STAR option trade!

2020-08-31T16:05:00.000-04:00

At the end of the trade, what matter most is profitable results. This is what we aim to do and ALXN delivered as a rising star option trade. To all our registered followers that purchased the 8-24-2020 (STAR) stock option strategy, ALXN hit the target price if you closed it out today you have an awesome profitable return. Register today for "FREE" the next time it can be you. Cha-ching!

ALXN profits, in 7 days since the option strategy was posted.

126.42%

INTC: The Rising STAR August 31, 2020

2020-08-31T11:38:00.000-04:00

THE IF WHEN, THEN STRATEGY GOAL: When you buy an option strategy, you then immediately place a sell price goal on the option you just purchased.

Vote THUMBS (Up) or THUMBS (Down) in the upper right side bar, if you like like our new trading strategy. Leave a comment. Here's the trade…

Weekly Closing Numbers: New Highs

2020-08-30T00:27:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BULLISH alert issued 5/21/2020

The economy

This was the fifth straight weekly gain for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, which ended the week higher by 3.3% and 3.4%, respectively. Both set new record highs while the Dow Jones Industrial Average turned positive for the year with a 2.6% gain. The Russell 2000 increased 1.7%.

Financial stocks were among the week's biggest winners, benefiting from some curve-steepening activity after Fed Chair Powell outlined a shift towards an average inflation target. Under the new framework, the central bank would allow PCE inflation to run moderately beyond 2.0% over time to make up for years when it ran below 2.0%.

The S&P 500 500 financials sector rose 4.4%, following closely behind the communication services (+4.8%) and information technology (+4.5%) sectors atop the standings. Only the utilities sector (-0.7%) closed lower.

Sprinkled throughout the week were positive coronavirus updates: the FDA approved emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, Abbott Labs (ABT) received emergency use authorization from the FDA for its $5.00, 15-minute COVID-19 antigen test, and Moderna (MRNA) said its COVID-19 vaccine generated a promising immune response in ten elderly patients.

Notably, the latest gauge on consumer confidence offered a pessimistic perspective. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index dropped to 84.8 in August (Briefing.com consensus 93.0) from 91.7 in July for its lowest reading since May 2014. Clearly, investors were more optimistic.

Microsoft (WMT) and Walmart (WMT) rose more than 6.5% this week, helped by reports that the companies are teaming up to possibly acquire TikTok US. Facebook (FB) rose 10.0% in a momentum trade.

Separately, the Dow will look slightly different on Monday. Salesforce (CRM), Amgen (AMGN), and Honeywell (HON) will replace Exxon Mobil (XOM), Pfizer (PFE), and Raytheon Technologies (RTX) prior to Monday's open. Salesforce gained 30% this week, with a bulk of those gains coming after its earnings report.

The 2-yr yield was unchanged at 0.15%, while the 10-yr yield rose nine basis points to 0.73%. The U.S. Dollar Index fell 1.0% to 92.32. WTI crude futures gained 1.6%, or $0.66, to $42.97/bbl.

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	5/21/2020	8/29/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	24,474.12	28,653.87	4,179.75
Nasdaq	9,284.88	11,695.63	2,410.75
S&P 500	2,948.51	3,508.01	559.50

Register at: http://www.stockmarket-direction.com/

PETS, delivered as a rising STAR option trade!

2020-08-26T00:43:00.002-04:00

At the end of the trade, what matter most is profitable results. This is what we aim to do and PETS delivered as a rising star option trade. To all our registered followers that purchased the 7-27-2020 (STAR) stock option strategy, PETS hit the target price if you closed it out today you have an awesome profitable return. Register today for "FREE" the next time it can be you. Cha-ching!

PETS profits, in 29 days since the option strategy was posted.

94.07%

ALXN: The Rising STAR August 24, 2020

2020-08-23T22:31:00.000-04:00

THE IF WHEN, THEN STRATEGY GOAL: When you buy an option strategy, you then immediately place a sell price goal on the option you just purchased.

Vote THUMBS (Up) or THUMBS (Down) in the upper right side bar, if you like like our new trading strategy. Leave a comment. Here's the trade…

Weekly Closing Numbers: What's Next

2020-08-22T13:42:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BULLISH alert issued 5/21/2020

The economy

There is weakness in the futures market this morning. That will translate into a lower start for the stock market, yet one can't necessarily take for granted that it will translate into a lower close for the stock market.

That's due in part to the fact that the futures indication is only an opening indication, but it's also due to the well-known fact that this stock market has generally greeted any weakness as a buying opportunity, particularly in the mega-cap stocks which did their thing yet again yesterday.

Now, the narrow breadth on this latest leg up to new record highs, and the eye-opening realization that the S&P 500 climbed 55% in roughly five months, are enough to lead to a reasonable conclusion that the stock market is due for a pullback.

A pullback at this juncture is by no means a "pain trade." The pain trade is higher simply because there is a lot of chatter about the narrow breadth, the huge move in a short period of time, the ongoing struggles of the real economy, and the understanding that it is not uncommon to see the market retreat after establishing a new record high.

That was all in yesterday's mix before the market opened, and, well, the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.1%, the S&P 500 gained 0.3%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.2%, bolstered by gains in none other than Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon.com (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG), Facebook (FB), and a few other mega-cap stars.

Those stocks are all indicated lower this morning, with the exception of Apple, which is trading 0.6% higher.

Currently, the S&P 500 futures are down 11 points and are trading 0.3% below fair value, the Nasdaq 100 futures are down 10 points and are trading less than 0.1% below fair value, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are down 85 points and are trading 0.3% below fair value.

The easy explanation for the weakness is just what we described above. Many market participants are expecting a retreat of some kind at this juncture.

Otherwise, there are some connect-the-dot explanations for the weakness that point to concerns about flash August Composite PMI readings for the eurozone, Germany, and France showing a deceleration from July, the Trump administration not acknowledging plans put forth by Chinese officials yesterday to have trade talks "in coming days," and House Speaker Pelosi pooh-poohing the notion of working toward a compromise on a skinny coronavirus relief bill at this time.

Perhaps the best sign that there is some rally exhaustion is that the futures market has buckled a bit this morning in spite of the encouraging news from Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) that they think their COVID-19 vaccine candidate could be ready for regulatory review as early as October.

Not that long ago, such news would be a hydraulic lift for the futures market. Today, it looks almost as if it is inconsequential.

In turn, there was better than expected earnings news from Deere (DE) and Foot Locker (FL). Those stocks are indicated 3.1% and 4.8% higher, but then again, those stocks are not named Microsoft, Amazon.com, Alphabet, or Facebook, all of which are indicated lower.

At this moment, then, the cast for a soft open has been set, but don't discount the potential for another pain trade in the event the mega-cap stocks pivot to being a source of safety as opposed to a source of funds

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	5/21/2020	8/21/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	24,474.12	27,930.33	3,456.21
Nasdaq	9,284.88	11,311.80	2,026.92
S&P 500	2,948.51	3,397.16	448.65

Register at: http://www.stockmarket-direction.com/

LLY: The Rising STAR August 17, 2020

2020-08-16T14:17:00.000-04:00

THE IF WHEN, THEN STRATEGY GOAL: When you buy an option strategy, you then immediately place a sell price goal on the option you just purchased.

Vote THUMBS (Up) or THUMBS (Down) in the upper right side bar, if you like like our new trading strategy. Leave a comment. Here's the trade…

Weekly Closing Numbers: Market Making Record Highs

2020-08-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BULLISH alert issued 5/21/2020

The economy

It was another positive week for the market, and it was almost a record-setting week for the S&P 500. The benchmark index gained 0.6% and nearly closed at a record high twice this week amid relative strength in the cyclical and value-oriented stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average outperformed with a 1.8% gain. The Russell 2000 increased 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.1%.

With the majority of Q2 earnings behind the market, investors looked to economic data for the latest indications on the economy. It remained mostly positive.

Weekly initial claims decreased by 228,000 to 963,000 (Briefing.com consensus 1.150 mln), which was the first time since March that claims checked in below one million; retail sales increased 1.2% in July (Briefing.com consensus 1.8%), and Q2 preliminary labor productivity climbed 7.3% (Briefing.com consensus 5.5%).

Cyclical sectors took the data in stride. The industrials (+3.1%), energy (+2.3%), consumer discretionary (+1.6%), materials (+1.5%), and financials (+1.3%) sectors advanced the most. The utilities (-2.1%), real estate (-1.8%), and communication services (-0.3%) sectors were the only sectors that closed lower.

There were no coronavirus relief talks this week, but that didn't deter trading sentiment. The Senate adjourned for August recess until after Labor Day, and House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) said she will only resume talks with White House officials if they are willing to agree to at least a $2 trillion deal.

Separately, Tesla (TSLA) surged 20% in three days after announcing a 5:1 stock split on Tuesday.

The U.S. Treasury curve steepened noticeably this week amid a sell-off in longer-dated maturities. The 10-yr yield rose 15 basis points to 0.71%, while the 2-yr yield was unchanged at 0.13%. The U.S. Dollar Index declined 0.3% to 93.10. WTI crude futures rose 2.1%, or $0.88, to $42.05/bbl.

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	5/21/2020	8/14/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	24,474.12	27,931.02	3,456.90
Nasdaq	9,284.88	11,019.30	1,734.42
S&P 500	2,948.51	3,372.85	424.34

Register at: http://www.stockmarket-direction.com/

JCOM, delivered as a rising STAR option trade!

2020-08-11T21:31:00.000-04:00

At the end of the trade, what matter most is profitable results. This is what we aim to do and JCOM delivered as a rising star option trade. To all our registered followers that purchased the 8-10-2020 (STAR) stock option strategy, JCOM hit the target price if you closed it out today you have an awesome profitable return. Register today for "FREE" the next time it can be you. Cha-ching!

JCOM profits, in 2 days since the option strategy was posted.
157.14%

JCOM: The Rising STAR August 10, 2020

2020-08-09T14:55:00.000-04:00

THE IF WHEN, THEN STRATEGY GOAL: When you buy an option strategy, you then immediately place a sell price goal on the option you just purchased.

Vote THUMBS (Up) or THUMBS (Down) in the upper right side bar, if you like like our new trading strategy. Leave a comment. Here's the trade…

Weekly Closing Numbers: No Relief Money Yet

2020-08-08T13:45:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BULLISH alert issued 5/21/2020

The economy

It was a strong week for stocks, as the S&P 500 closed higher in every session for a 2.5% weekly gain. The Russell 2000 rose 6.0%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.5%.

The gains were broad, with all 11 S&P 500 sectors finishing in positive territory. The industrials (+4.8%), financials (+3.3%), energy (+3.1%), and communication services (+3.0%) sectors outpaced the benchmark index, while the health care (+0.9%) and real estate (+0.7%) sectors increased the least.

Within the communication services sector, Walt Disney (DIS) surged 11% after reporting a surprise quarterly profit and posting strong subscriber numbers for its streaming platform. Facebook (FB) gained 6%, as investors chased the stock higher in a momentum trade.

In other well-received corporate news, Microsoft (MSFT) resumed talks to acquire TikTok, and Novavax (NVAX) provided an encouraging vaccine update on a Phase 1/2 trial for healthy adults ages 18-59.

This week's economic data continued to depict a rebounding labor market. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 1.763 million in July (Briefing.com consensus 2.000 million), the unemployment rate improved to 10.2% (Briefing.com consensus 10.5%) from 11.1% in June, and weekly initial claims decreased by 249,000 to 1.186 million (Briefing.com consensus 1.400 million) for its lowest level since March.

In addition, data from the ISM showed manufacturing activity and non-manufacturing activity continue to expand in July.

Separately, Democrats and the White House remained far apart on key relief provisions and were unable to strike a deal. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said he will recommend to President Trump signing executive orders that extend the eviction moratorium and enhanced unemployment benefits.

U.S. Treasuries declined modestly this week. The 2-yr yield increased three basis points to 0.13%, and the 10-yr yield increased two basis points to 0.56%. The U.S. Dollar Index increased 0.1% to 93.41. WTI crude futures rose 2.6%, or $1.04, to $41.17/bbl.

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	5/21/2020	8/7/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	24,474.12	27,433.48	2,959.36
Nasdaq	9,284.88	11,010.98	1,726.10
S&P 500	2,948.51	3,351.28	402.77

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TW: The Rising STAR August 3, 2020

2020-08-02T15:57:00.003-04:00

THE IF WHEN, THEN STRATEGY GOAL: When you buy an option strategy, you then immediately place a sell price goal on the option you just purchased.

Vote THUMBS (Up) or THUMBS (Down) in the upper right side bar, if you like like our new trading strategy. Leave a comment. Here's the trade…

Weekly Closing Numbers: FED On Hold

2020-08-02T12:21:00.000-04:00

Market Direction: BULLISH alert issued 5/21/2020

The economy

The S&P 500 rose 1.7%, and Nasdaq Composite rose 3.7% in a busy week that concluded with stellar mega-cap earnings results (and reactions). The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.2%, and the Russell 2000 declined 0.9%.

Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG), and Facebook (FB) exceeded quarterly expectations, sending shares, except GOOG, noticeably higher on Friday. Naturally, investors entered the weekend wondering if these stocks can sustain these gains and, consequently, mitigate a possible market pullback. Earlier in the week, shareholders were unfazed by the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust hearing.

The S&P 500 information technology (+5.0%), real estate (+4.1%), and consumer discretionary (+2.1%) sectors advanced the most this week, while the energy (-4.3%), materials (-1.8%), financials (-0.9%), and industrials (-0.2%) sectors underperformed.

These cyclical sectors were pressured by economic data that showed Q2 GDP decline at an annualized rate of 32.9% (Briefing.com consensus -35.0%), initial and continuing jobless claims increase on a weekly basis, and consumer confidence and consumer sentiment decline in July versus June. In addition, lawmakers extended their coronavirus relief bill talks into the weekend.

The Fed was in the spotlight, too. The FOMC left rates unchanged, Fed Chair Powell made it abundantly clear that the central bank is not going to raise rates anytime soon, and the Fed extended its lending facilities through the end of the year.

Other notable developments included the U.S. Dollar Index (93.46) falling to a 2-year low and gold futures ($1986.20/ozt) breaking out to new highs. The 2-yr yield declined four basis points to 0.10%, and the 10-yr yield declined four basis points to 0.54%. WTI crude fell 2.3%, or $0.95, to $40.13/bbl.

Stock Market Closing Numbers
compared to Recommendation Numbers
	5/21/2020	7/31/2020	Difference
Dow Jones	24,474.12	26,428.32	1,954.20
Nasdaq	9,284.88	10,745.27	1,460.39
S&P 500	2,948.51	3,271.12	322.61

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