Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Bear Radar


Style Underperformer:

  • Mid-Cap Value (-2.21%)
Sector Underperformers:
  • Alternative Energy (-3.74%), Agriculture (-3.20%) and Gaming (-3.15%)
Stocks Falling on Unusual Volume:
  • CPY, ECOL, AIXG, KB, TXT, BBD, SKM, CBEY, LGCY, REP, LLY, NVS, ABFS, CSGP, SPMD, VECO, GTIV, POOL, HSII, CBRL, CEDC, ASMI, STX, TZOO, VPRT, ASML, PSMT, CMED, BLUD, SANM, SIVB, EWQ, FEZ, GRR, JKH, AIR, REP, VPU, PUI, IXN, DGT, UIL, NPK, IVW, DSG, LUX and IWS
Stocks With Unusual Put Option Activity:
  • 1) FRE 2) PHM 3) CAM 4) AZO 5) XLNX
Stocks With Most Negative News Mentions:
  • 1) BP 2) XOM 3) WMT 4) GS 5) PJC

Bull Radar


Style Outperformer:

  • Large-Cap Growth (-2.07%)
Sector Outperformers:
  • Gold (+.56%), Defense (-1.39%) and Retail (-1.67%)
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
  • AU, GFI, OSIS, ADTN, DCTH and AZO
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
  • 1) ATVI 2) CVS 3) CTIC 4) AEO 5) AXL
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
  • 1) AAPL 2) AZO 3) BA 4) MDT 5) YHOO

Tuesday Watch


Night Trading

  • Asian indices are -2.75% to -1.75% on average.
  • Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 158.0 +9.0 basis points.
  • S&P 500 futures -1.65%.
  • NASDAQ 100 futures -1.45%.
Morning Preview Links

Earnings of Note
Company/Estimate
  • (FLO)/.43
  • (DSW)/.51
  • (CBRL)/.58
  • (AZO)/3.59
  • (MDT)/.88
Economic Releases
9:00 am EST
  • S&P/Case-Shiller US HPI YOY% for 1Q is estimated to rise +3.2% versus a -2.5% decline in 4Q.
10:00 am EST
  • Consumer Confidence for May is estimated to rise to 58.5 versus a reading of 57.9 in April.
  • The House Price Index for March is estimated unch. versus a -.2% decline in February.
Upcoming Splits
  • (EW) 2-for-1
Other Potential Market Movers
  • The Fed's Bernanke speaking, Fed's Plosser speaking, Fed's Bullard speaking, Treasury Secretary Geithner speaking, 2-Year Treasury Note Auction, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, weekly retail sales reports, ABC Consumer Confidence reading, (NICE) analyst day, (FLEX) analyst day, (MFE) analyst meeting, Stephens Spring Investment Conference, BofA Merrill Services Conference, UBS Global Oil & Gas Conference and the UBS Electronic Payments Summit could also impact trading today.
BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are sharply lower, weighed down by financial and technology shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open lower and to maintain losses into the afternoon. The Portfolio is 50% net long heading into the day.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Stocks Slightly Lower into Afternoon on Disorderly Euro Decline, Rising Sovereign Debt Angst, Increasing Financial Sector Pessimism


Broad Market Tone:

  • Advance/Decline Line: Lower
  • Sector Performance: Most Sectors Declining
  • Volume: Slightly Below Average
  • Market Leading Stocks: Outperforming
Equity Investor Angst:
  • VIX 32.76 +2.25%
  • ISE Sentiment Index 113.0 +22.83%
  • Total Put/Call .90 -27.42%
  • NYSE Arms 1.29 -42.46%
Credit Investor Angst:
  • North American Investment Grade CDS Index 120.68 bps +3.41%
  • European Financial Sector CDS Index 159.96 bps +7.51%
  • Western Europe Sovereign Debt CDS Index 132.50 bps +.38%
  • Emerging Market CDS Index 279.92 bps +.76%
  • 2-Year Swap Spread 45.0 -1 bp
  • TED Spread 39.0 unch.
Economic Gauges:
  • 3-Month T-Bill Yield .15% unch.
  • Yield Curve 249.0 -2 bps
  • China Import Iron Ore Spot $144.0/Metric Tonne -.83%
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index +18.10 -3.6 points
  • 10-Year TIPS Spread 2.0% -3 bps
Overseas Futures:
  • Nikkei Futures: Indicating -26 open in Japan
  • DAX Futures: Indicating -30 open in Germany
Portfolio:
  • Slightly Higher: On gains in my Medical, Technology and Retail long positions
  • Disclosed Trades: None
  • Market Exposure: 75% Net Long
BOTTOM LINE: Today's overall market action is bearish as the S&P 500 trades near session lows despite some more positive economic data and a bounce in the euro. On the positive side, Gold, Software, Telecom, Drug, Retail, Food and Tobacco stocks are slightly higher on the day. Oil continues to trade very poorly, despite a significant escalation in Middle-East tensions, a bounce in the euro, the recent plunge in oil spec longs and today's positive economic reports. Several key stocks, such as (AAPL), are trading very well today. On the negative side, Gaming, Homebuilding, Construction, Networking, Disk Drive, Paper, Steel, Oil Service, Energy and Coal shares are under significant pressure, falling 2.0%+. Cyclicals and Small-Caps are underperforming. The Spain sovereign cds is jumping +10.3% to 235.95 bps, the Portugal sovereign cds is surging +11.3% to 340.30, the UK sovereign cds is rising +5.1% to 84.4 bps and the Russian sovereign cds is gaining +6.5% to 183.42 bps. Underneath the surface, the market's action is more bearish than the major averages indicate. Energy-related stocks are crashing in many cases and breadth is very poor. A test of recent market lows is looking increasingly more likely. I expect US stocks to trade mixed-to-lower into the close from current levels on rising sovereign debt angst, technical selling, rising energy sector pessimism, tax hike worries and regulatory fears.

Bear Radar


Style Underperformer:

  • Large-Cap Value (-.31%)
Sector Underperformers:
  • Oil Service (-2.41%), Oil Tankers (-1.44%) and Banks (-1.07%)
Stocks Falling on Unusual Volume:
  • TOT, TI, DWA, GXDX, KNM and LUX
Stocks With Unusual Put Option Activity:
  • 1) ETFC 2) MYL 3) LDK 4) XL 5) BCSI
Stocks With Most Negative News Mentions:
  • 1) BP 2) ATVI 3) BA 4) TSN 5) MEE

Bull Radar


Style Outperformer:

  • Large-Cap Growth (+.15%)
Sector Outperformers:
  • Gold (1.50%), Medical Equipment (+1.22%) and Gaming (+1.02%)
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
  • COO, SA, GOOG, KSU, AAPL, DELL, ARII, BEXP, WLL, ODSY, GTIV, CBRL, HAYN, CTRN, CEDC, AFAM, CLDA, CRUS, PRAA, APKT, CME, CAAS, DLTR, PCLN, THOR, NFLX, TEVA, PII, IIT, GSH, LNY and ZNH
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
  • 1) AXL 2) TLB 3) DLTR 4) AEO 5) SYK
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
  • 1) AAPL 2) IBM 3) CPB 4) GOOG 5) F