Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Bull Radar

Style Outperformer:

  • Mid-Cap Value -.2%
Sector Outperformers:
  • 1) Computer Services +1.5% 2) Cyber Security +1.3% 3) Software +1.2%
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
  • FSLY,. QMCO, SECZ, MAAS, CBRL, ACMR, IONQ, CRWD, AAON, AR, ONON, IRTC, VG, LKFT, SSL, AVT, DVN, INOD, OKTA, VICR and IR
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
  • 1) EXPE 2) U 3) SG 4) JETS 5) ABUS 
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
  • 1) IONQ 2) SECZ 3) NNBR 4) TLSI 5) CBRL
Sector ETFs With Most Positive Money Flow:
  • 1) SMH 2) XBI 3) MAGS 4) XLF 5) XLV
Charts: 

Tomorrow's Earnings/Economic Releases of Note; Market Movers

Earnings of Note 
Company/Estimate 

Before the Open:
  • (DRI)/2.05
  • (SNX)/4.70 
After the Close: 
  • (BB)/.04
  • (COST)/6.54
  • (FDXF)/1.39 
Economic Releases 
8:30 am EST
  • The 2Q Current Account Deficit is estimated at -258.1B versus -$226.8B in 1Q.
  • Initial Jobless Claims are estimated to rise to 200K versus 196K the prior week.
  • Continuing Claims is estimated to rise to 1740K versus 1730K prior. 

10:00 am EST

  • New Home Sales for Aug. is estimated to rise to 615K versus 607K prior. 

11:00 am EST

  • Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Activity for Sept. is estimated to fall to 8.0 versus 10.0 in Aug. 

Upcoming Splits

  • None of note
Other Potential Market Movers
  • The Trump/Xi meeting, Fed's Barkin speaking, Fed's Williams speaking, 7Y T-Note auction, weekly EIA natural gas inventory report, Fed's weekly balance sheet report, (SHW) investor meeting, (AVAV) annual meeting, (KFY) annual meeting and the Davidson Industrials/Services Conference could also impact global trading tomorrow.
US Equity Market Hours
  • 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST

Mid-Day Market Internals

NYSE Composite Index:

  • Volume Running -3.8% Below 100-Day Average 
  • Nasdaq/NYSE Volume Ratio 17.2 +.1
  • 3 Sectors Rising, 8 Sectors Declining
  • 24.3% of Issues Advancing, 74.4% Declining 
  • TRIN/Arms .88 -26.7%
  • Non-Block Money Flow -$262.6M
  • 23 New 52-Week Highs, 318 New Lows
  • 44.1% (-3.4%) of Issues Above 200-day Moving Average
  • Average 14-Day RSI 37.5 -3.5
Polymarket: 
  • Will China invade Taiwan by June 30th 2027? 9.0% unch.
  • Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by October 31st 8.0% -1.0 percentage point
  • Iran agrees to end enrichment of uranium by Dec. 31st 13.0% unch.
  • Israel withdraws from Lebanon by December 31st 5.0% unch.
  • US Invades Iran before 2027 15.0% -1.0 percentage point
  • US announces end of Iranian blockade by October 31st 33.0% -32.0 percentage points
Other
  • Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk-Off Index 134.1 +.8%
  • Global Monitor Iran Instability Index 60.0 -4.0
  • Strait of Hormuz Oil Tanker Traffic Curtailed Estimate 90.0% unch.
  • US High-Yield Tech Sector OAS Index 403.25 +4.5 basis points
  • Bloomberg Cyclicals/Defensives Index 271.7 +.4%
  • Morgan Stanley Growth vs Value Index 153.6 -1.0%
  • CNN Fear & Greed Index 35.0 (FEAR) -1.0
  • 1-Day Vix 10.0 +14.0%
  • Vix 15.3 +8.0%
  • Total Put/Call .89 +15.6%

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Wednesday Watch

Night Trading 

  • Asian equity indices are unch. to +1.5% on average. 
  • Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 68.75 -.75 basis point. 
  • China Sovereign CDS 33.25 unch.
  • China Iron Ore Spot 96.90 USD/Metric Tonne +.8%. 
  • Crude Oil 94.59/bbl. -1.2%. 
  • Gold 4,384.0 USD/t oz. +.19%. 
  • Swiss Franc/Offshore Chinese Renminbi Cross 8.16 -.04%.
  • Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 34.01 -.06%.
  • Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk Off Index 133.1 +.1%.
  • US 10-Year Yield 4.96% unch.
  • Japan 30-Year Yield 4.08% n/a.
  • Volatility Index(VIX) futures 17.4 +.2%.
  • Euro Stoxx 50 futures +.24%. 
  • S&P 500 futures -.04%.
  • NASDAQ 100 futures -.04%.
Morning Preview Links

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly higher, boosted by technology and metals & mining shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed and to rally into the afternoon, finishing modestly higher.  The Portfolio is 100% net long heading into the day.

Stocks Rising into Final Hour on De-Escalating Mideast War Tensions, US Earnings Outlook Optimism, Lower Oil, Biotech/Consumer Discretionary Sector Strength

Economic/Market Gauges:

  • North American Investment Grade CDS Index 55.9 -.4% 
  • BofA Private Credit Proxy Index 70.9 +.1% 
  • Bloomberg US Securitized MBS/ABS/CMBS Avg. OAS .35 unch.
  • BofA Global Financial Stress Indicator -.14 -4.0 basis points
  • European Financial Sector CDS Index 61.9 +.3% 
  • Emerging Market CDS Index 143.2 -.5% 
  • Israel Sovereign CDS 56.2 -3.8% 
  • Bloomberg Global Trade Policy Uncertainty Index .8 +.1
  • US Morning Consult Daily Consume Sentiment Index 85.0 -.2
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index 24.2 -3.0
  • Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index 62.6 -1.2
  • Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index 18.8 +.6
  • S&P 500 Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(4 of 500 reporting) +19.0% -.8 percentage point
  • S&P 500 Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 402.61 +.57:  Growth Rate +22.7% +.1 percentage point, P/E 19.3 unch.
  • S&P 500 Current Year Estimated Profit Margin 16.29% +1.0 basis point
  • NYSE FANG+ Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(0 of 10 reporting) n/a
  • NYSE FANG+ Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 1,046.83 +61.38: Growth Rate +55.9% +9.1 percentage points, P/E 18.5 -1.0
  • Bloomberg US Financial Conditions Index 1.26 -1.0 basis point
  • US Yield Curve 21.0 basis points (2s/10s) +.25 basis point
  • Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index 182.3 +.6%
  • Dutch TTF Nat Gas(European benchmark) 71.8 euros/megawatt-hour -2.0%
  • US Recession Within 6 Months Probability(3M/18M Forward Yld Curve Spread) 9.4% unch.
  • US Atlanta Fed GDPNow Q3 Forecast +5.1% unch.
  • US 10-Year T-Note Yield 4.96% unch.
  • 1-Year TIPS Spread 2.33 -1.0 basis point
  • Highest target rate probability for Dec. 9th FOMC meeting: 47.4% (+1.4 percentage points) chance of 4.0%-4.25%. Highest target rate probability for Jan. 27th meeting: 43.9%(-1.0 percentage point) chance of 4.25%-4.5%. (current target rate is 3.75-4.0%)
Overseas Futures:
  • Nikkei 225 Futures: Indicating +2,000 open in Japan 
  • China A50 Futures: Indicating +63 open in China
  • KOSPI 200 Futures: Indicating +25 open in South Korea 
  • DAX Futures: Indicating +28 open in Germany
Portfolio:
  • Higher: On gains in my tech/consumer discretionary/industrial/biotech sector longs
  • Disclosed Trades: None
  • Market Exposure: 100% net long

Bear Radar

Style Underperformer:

  • Large-Cap Value -.2%
Sector Underperformers:
  • 1) Shipping -2.7% 2) Banks -2.1% 3) Telecom -1.6%
Stocks Falling on Unusual Volume: 
  • VLO, FRO, DGX, TEN, ABVX, EXPE, FSLY, VIK, SECZ, SCHW, TRMD, DBX, ECO, LTH, LPLA, BSP, NYT, RCL, CLDX, NKTR, WGS, GSHD, PLNT, QNST and EVER
Stocks With Unusual Put Option Activity:
  • 1) ABUS 2) EXE 3) MTUM 4) FEZ 5) RXT
Stocks With Most Negative News Mentions:
  • 1) GDDY 2) LINC 3) DGX 4) AVEX 5) GUTS
Sector ETFs With Most Negative Money Flow:
  • 1) SMH 2) XOP 3) HACK 4) UFOX 5) DTCR