Stocks Lower into Final Hour on Fed Rate Hike Worries

BOTTOM LINE: The Portfolio is slightly lower into the final hour on losses in my Semiconductor longs, Medical longs and Internet longs. I took profits in some existing longs and added to my (IWM) and (QQQQ) shorts this afternoon, thus leaving the Portfolio 75% net long. The tone of the market is mildly negative as the advance/decline line is slightly lower, most sectors are declining and volume is heavy. The ECRI Weekly Leading Index fell slightly to 138.20 this week from 138.30 the prior week. This is still near last week's cycle high and up from 132.00 during the last week of May 2005. This gauge of future economic activity is still forecasting healthy U.S. growth. Measures of investor anxiety are mostly lower. I expect US stocks to trade modestly higher into the close from current levels on lower long-term rates and short-covering.