The Big Picture for the Week of February 5, 2012
After 22 trading days so far this year the S&P 500 is up 6.94%. Anyone may have a bullish outlook or bearish one but right here right now the market is rallying and seems like it has a good head of steam behind it.About two months ago I posted abou...
Market Favoring Risk Assets Right Now
A few weeks ago I shared an opinion (or hunch if you prefer) that I thought the US market was going to be in for a range busting rally that I think will then retrace. It is too early at this point to know whether this is yet correct or incorrect but I ...
It’s The End of the World and Paul Farrell Knows It
Paul Farrell had a column up yesterday that detailed ten reasons why 2012 will be a doomsday. Included in the list are failings of US democracy, class warfare and some disturbing prognostications about global warfare.If you read the paragraphs that Far...
Market to BAC and T; Drop Dead
Or should it be the other way around?Bank of America (BAC) closed below $5 yesterday during the regular session although traded above the figure after hours. The whole sector was down a lot yesterday; I saw articles blaming Europe and others blaming th...
Portfolio Expectations
Over the weekend I spelled out a scenario where I think at some point in 2012 there will be a large, fundamentally unjustified lift in the S&P 500. I also said that I would sell the rally if it happened. I think it is plausible as opposed to the im...
Our Current Reality
Wednesday's market action had all the music, lighting, choreography and party-like atmosphere of an Earth Wind and Fire concert (I tried to find a picture of the Ohio Players in this context but couldn't find one I liked).We are in a period where we ha...
Round Up All The ETFs
I've really gotten a kick out of all attention ETFs have gotten in the last few days but I wasn't sure exactly why and then it clicked; scapegoatism. We are having severe financial problems on an almost global scale (I say almost because there are plen...
The Stock Market Dropped Yesterday Because It Did
This appears to be the market we have right now, it was up on Friday just because and that was the same reason why it was down yesterday. I say this not to point out something new as it has been going on for a while but simply pointing out that this is...
Herb Greenberg Says Markets Are Broken
There seems to be a lot of commentary around the interweb lately about various aspects of markets, financial systems and ideologies (like capitalism) being broken. These are worth exploring in terms of trying to figure how to get along if these really ...
The Game is Rigged?
One byproduct of conversations like the one yesterday about the Occupy Wall Street protests is the sentiment that the stock market is rigged, that the little guy does not have a chance, that the individual investor cannot possibly compete.This raises a...
The Uselessness Of SPX Price Targets
The WSJ had an article about SPX price targets from brokerage firm strategists coming under scrutiny, or maybe fire is a better word. You probably heard that BofA bumped its equity strategist about ten minutes (slight exaggeration) after he reaffirmed ...
