Mid- And Small-Caps Lag Large-Caps From Oct ’22 Lows, But Neck And Neck From ’23 Lows; Mid-Caps At Crucial Juncture Technically

posted in: Economy, Equities, Technicals | 0

With the 4Q earnings season nearly over, large-caps were in the black last year, while mid- and small-caps were in the red. The latter two have underperformed the large-caps from Oct ’22 lows but are running neck and neck from … Continued

Bulls Unable To Break Past 3020s On S&P 500, Breakout Retest At 2940s Likely Near Term

posted in: Economy, Equities, Technicals | 0

The bull market is more than a decade old.  Several metrics are at/near record territory.  The energizer bunny keeps marching on.  In recent sessions, bulls have faced difficulty taking out 3020s and may need to defend breakout retest at 2940s. … Continued

Stocks Offer Something For Both Bulls And Bears – Odds Again Favor Latter N/T

The past couple of weeks offered both equity bulls and bears a little something to celebrate.  The bulls got the relief rally, and the bears an opportunity to short.  What next? Since the S&P 500 large cap index peaked on … Continued

Ignore Positive Spread Between SPX Dividend Yield And 10-Year Treasury Yield As Signal

posted in: Economy, Equities | 0

As the third quarter ended, S&P 500 companies were yielding a touch higher than the 10-year Treasury yield – something equity bulls have been stressing to highlight how cheap stocks are.  Is it that simple? Last quarter, the four-quarter rolling … Continued

Weekly Cash-Secured Put On SPY

Third-quarter earnings season begins in earnest this week.  Operating earnings estimates for S&P 500 companies have been persistently coming down for 2015 – from as high as $137.52 at the end of the second quarter last year to $110.98 as … Continued

U.S. Stocks Increasingly Reliant On Buybacks, Even As ’15 SPX Earnings Set To Drop Y/Y

posted in: Credit, Equities | 0

Late last year as the Federal Reserve was unwinding quantitative easing (QE), there was suspense in the air as to how this might impact U.S. stocks.  Bulls argued QE was never a factor in stocks’ surge, rather earnings were.  Bears … Continued

Iron Condor On SPY Assuming Range-Bound Action Continues This Week

posted in: Derivatives, Equities, Technicals | 0

Of late, volatility has been volatile.  Twice in the past 15 sessions, VIX, the S&P 500 Volatility Index, has surpassed 16, only to quickly reverse to the downside, and broken below 12 three times, only to reverse to the upside. … Continued

If SPX Ests Come In As Expected, ’15 Operating Earnings Would Suffer 1st ↓ Since ’08

posted in: Economy, Equities | 0

A July 2nd post discussed the possibility that operating earnings for S&P 500 companies might decline this year over 2014.  The assessment was based on the relationship between SPX earnings and the BEA’s measure of corporate profits (adjusted for inventory … Continued