| Note:
Not all stock links will work as some of the aforementioned stocks
have been removed from my public list.
Aug
31st: And the tug-of-war continues. Bulls took this
battle, bringing solid gains on heavier volume. The tech markets
[NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] followed through to the upside on their respective bullish
harami crosses just as their bearish haramis from early August
confirmed a top. The NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100 also closed over their respective 50-day and 20-day MAs
as the semiconductor index
breached near term resistance. The latter index is the one to
watch for leads on the NASDAQ
100 and NASDAQ.
If there are new highs in this index it would be reasonable to
assume the tech markets will follow suit - it sits some 14 points
away from new highs so a few solid days could drive a decent
market rally. What of the secondary indicators? The $NAA50 whipsawed
back in the bulls favor although Wednesday's gains do look like
they could stick around for longer than previous attempts. The
decline in the $BPCOMPQ slowed,
but we still need a trigger line 'buy' before we can get optimistic
here. The $NASI remained
resilient and acted as if the bulls didn't exist. I do think
after the bank holiday weekend we will see all three indicators
in the green which will be a 'Buy'/'Bull' signal for the market.
How long such a rally would last remains debatable, but 1-2 months
sounds reasonable given the relative position of the secondary
indicators with respect to oversold/overbought conditions.
What of the remaining indices? The Russell
2000 was the days winner (another tick in favor of the bulls
as traditionally small caps lead) as it cleaved resistance. The
larger caps had mixed fortunes; both the Dow and S&P chalked
up accumulation days but ended the day below resistance.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: Today's buying kicked
out a slew of short plays as buyers forced shorts to cover; TLWT was
a Gold member short play from August
10th. The play closed for a 5% loss. PVX was
another Gold member short play to
hit its stop, it featured for August
24th. The stock closed for a 2% loss. SJT featured
as a short play for August
30th and closed for a 5% loss. CONN never
made it out of the gates as it was stopped for a 5% loss. CYPB hit
it stop price for a 5% loss and looks a decent counter long side
play (stop at $12.09 target price of $24.14). It had featured for August
9th. ENB from August
29th also had its stop clipped for a 4% loss. EENC was
a swing play with a downside break which counter rallied to hit
its stop. The stock is now a decent long side play at Wednesday's
close. The stock featured for August
25th and closed for a 1% loss. FORM was
a short play from August 2nd which
closed for a 4% loss. POOL was
a short play from August 19th and
also closed for a 4% loss. Of the failed breakout play; NSOL from August
30th hit its stop for a 15% loss.
Aug
30th: There was some volume interest in the market
as damage from
Hurricane Katrina was brought into focus. The usual suspects
of woe rallied; oil and construction, while the 'victims' otherwise
know as the insurance industry paid the price. Markets closed
lower but there was sufficient support in the tech markets
[NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] to close at the highs of the day, completing bullish
harami crosses in these indices. The Dow ended
the day above 10,400 marking a potential tweezer bottom at
10,350. A similar tweezer bottom at 1,201 could also be developing
in
the S&P.
But there remained concerns; neither tech index closed over
its 50-day MA and both possess a downtrending 20-day MA, leaving
bears in control. As a footnote, the Russell
2000 held resistance. Chief kill joy remained the secondary
indicators; yesterday's sliver of light in the shape of the $NAA50 whipsawed
back in favor of the bears, leaving all three secondary indicators
[$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
in the red and no closer to a bullish reversal. Until these
turn green there will be no bull market.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: NICE hit
its stop following a gap down move last week, closing Tuesday below
its 50-day MA. The stock featured as a Breakout play for April
13th, July
5th and August
2nd, closing for a 18% and 7% gain with the August feature
closing for a 5% loss. Gold member oversold
pick LLLI featured
for August 25th but looks
like the worst is not yet behind it.
Aug
29th: Bulls came out swinging, but it was a 90 lb
boxer doing the punching. The day closed good but lacked the
volume
to suggest there was a fundamental shift to demand
buying. Short covering probably reflected a large amount of
today's trading. The only index which managed some measure
of higher
volume was the Dow,
but with the 20-, 50- and 200-day moving averages overhead
it is a long away from emerging out of the darkness.
Although the NASDAQ
100 failed to excel in volume buying it did manage to close
over declining resistance, including 1,569 support and the 50-day
MA. The move in the tech markets [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] was assisted by Monday's reversal of Friday's bear flag
breakdown in the semiconductor index.
The secondary indicators continued their downward descents (the $NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ are
great ways to read market direction without the intraday volatility),
with the exception of the $NAA50 which
reversed to a "buy" signal, but this is the indicator
most prone to whipsaw. As a sidenote, Monday's Russell
2000 rally didn't do enough to close about its declining
resistance.
Morning weakness was enough to knock out another
slew of Breakout and Gold Member plays. If still holding I have
listed revised stops that could be used as a last resort.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: AEIS was
hit by an aggressive stop placement. The stock closed strong so
if still holding I would use a stop at $10.89 but for my purposes
the August 15th Breakout
closed for a 3% gain. EGLF took
a dive down, but for a penny stock this was not so surprising.
It featured for August 25th. LKQX was
another Breakout stock knocked out by aggressive stop placement.
If currently holding one could place a stop at $29.19. The stock
was a Gold Member pick for July
26th and was a Breakout feature for August
26th. MMSI stop
was also clipped. The stock featured for August
17th as a Breakout and as Gold Member pick for May
13th. If still holding place stops on a loss of $16.79. WCG hit
its stop after an extended consolidation. It featured as Breakout
play for July 7th. WWW was
a Gold Member overold play from August
23rd which hit its stop for a 2% loss although it did find
support at the 200-day MA.
Aug
27th: Bears made their second appearance for the week,
just the kind of welcome the Bulls were looking for as the
vacation season winds down for another year. Downside volume
climbed higher
in the Dow as
Thursday's narrow gains were gobbled up. The S&P was
similarly affected, although selling volume was not as great.
Bad news for the tech indices came in the form of a breakdown
in the bear flag of the semiconductor index
which combined with the confirmed loss of the 50-day MA in
the NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100 will have traders looking at the respective 200-day
MAs at 2,073 and 1,534 for support. As for that proposed bounce
in
the secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ],
look again - both the $NAA50 and $BPCOMPQ took
sizable steps down and away from the 5-day EMA trigger line,
leaving all three indicators back on the firm decline. The Russell
2000's attempt at a breakout failed as it reversed off
resistance and below the last reaction low, holding 648 support
by its finger
tips.
The precious
metal sector provided little solace for the bulls either
as silver broke
below major support and gold failed
to build on an earlier breakout. Rough times ahead for the mining
sector.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: SIVBE featured
for April 14th and July
11th as a Breakout play but continued to deterioate after losing
its 50-day MA. The delayed
filing of its 10-Q hasn't helped matters. PTA was
a Gold Member pick for July
19th was stopped out by an overly tight stop. USTR was
a Gold Member swing play for August
22nd which broke upside intially, but reversed to cut below
its stop (and now looks a strong short play using targets as set
on August 22nd) on Friday.
Aug
25th: Bulls will have been happy there was no follow
through to the downside after yesterday's selling. The day
saw the bears back on the beach leaving few traders willing
to dip
their toes into the water. What was of interest to me was a
potential flattening of the secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ].
Its still a little early to say we have a tradable bottom (likely
to last 3-6 weeks) but it is worth keeping an eye on. The $NASI is
the weakest of the three indicators and will likely be the
last to confirm a (bullish) reversal.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: CCK featured
as a Gold Member play for August
22nd but cut below gap support. PETC was
an oversold play for August
12th which failed to live up to expectations.
Aug
24th: Looks like the Bears caught the early flight
home as selling volume climbed above average in all markets.
The NASDAQ was
the biggest loser on the volume front, but it was the Dow and S&P which
were slapped hardest on the face. Early bullish momentum quickly
evaporated. The selling was enough to push the tech markets
[NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] below their respective 50-day MAs, but it was the
point loss in the Dow and S&P which
left the bulls in freefall. The Dow looks
set to test the 10,200 mark, some 200 points+ away from where
it ended Tuesday. The S&P has
the 200-day MA to look forward too, it lurks at 1,194 - some
15 points away from Tuesday's close. The Russell
2000 is trying to hang on but the approach of the 20-day
MA (its downturn is bearish) will likely send what few bulls
remain scampering. The semiconductor index
is interesting as it hasn't suffered to the same degree as
the NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100. That is not to say it looks particularly bullish but
at least there is still an opportunity to get out with little
net loss. The 20-day MA acted as a lid on the day's rally and
I would watch for some follow through downside on Thursday
to complete the bearish flag. The secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
maintained their bearish focus and have barely skipped a beat
since the early August top.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: CKR after
climbing to gains of 23% falling just over a $1 short of my target
it gapped down on heavy volume, declining all the way back to its
original stop for a 13% loss. It featured for December
15th. PAL featured
for August 4th but never recovered
from the black candlestick which followed its feature. GMRK was
a Gold Member short play for August
11th which hit its stop price on the back of strength in oil.
One to watch for the bulls.
Aug
23rd: Another lacklustre day. The Dow was
the only index to watch as the bears turned the screw. The
index closed below the key moving averages as yesterday's on-balance-volume
breakout reversed into todays potential bull trap. The S&P had
a similar sort of day as it closed below its 50-day MA on a
slight uptick in volume (but well below average volume). The
other point
of note was the bearish crossover in the +DI/-DI line of the $BPCOMPQ.
Bears hold the power but light volume makes for a dull tape.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: WFR hit
its stop after last weeks gap down. It featured as a Breakout play
for June
9th and August
12th. The June trade closed for a 7% gain while the August
trade closed for a 10% loss.
Aug
22nd: Bulls made an attempt at a rally in the morning
which was kicked back curbside in afternoon trading. Volume
climbed higher but was still well below average and typical
for a day
when Big Money traders are on vacation. The only index of note
for the day was the Dow which
managed a break of resistance in on-balance-volume to new 6-month
highs as price continued to struggle to regain support of the
July/August consolidation. Are bulls setting the bears up?
or is the breakout of on-balance-volume misleading? The MACD
trigger
line (of the Dow index)
is holding on to the bullish mid-line although bullish momentum
as measured by slow stochastics has declined from July highs
(but managed a modest tick up). If this index can close over
the 20-day MA it could set up a nice longside play. Tech markets
[NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] remained above their 50-day MA as tech secondary indicators
[$NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
continued to slide. No change here.
Breakout targets met: SYNC featured
as a Breakout play for August
10th, tested resistance and reached its suggested price target
for a 23% gain.
Breakout failures: ATMI featured
as a Breakout for July 21st and
closed for a 11% loss. CNET clipped
its stop but still managed to close at support. For my purposes
it is a stop hit. If still holding sell a loss of $12.85. It featured
as a Breakout for August 18th and
as a Gold member play for July
1st. The latter closed for a 10% gain, the former a 6% loss. FLSH,
like CNET, closed on a bullish hammer but not before clipping its
stop. If still holding I would set a stop at $24.19. For my purposes,
the August 4th Breakout play
closed for a 13% loss while the Gold Member plays for December
6th and July 25th closed
for a 32% and 5% gain respectively.
Aug
20th: All eyes were on Merck as
it stung by the $253m judgement against it. There was little
else to take the interest of market participants as markets
were flat on light volume. The NASDAQ continued
to hang around its 50-day MA as it ended Friday on the second
of two dojis, a mark of indecision, although the MACD trigger
line managed a new near term low suggesting further downside
may be on the horizon. The NASDAQ
100 also ended on a doji, but above its 50-day MA and with
no new near term low in the MACD trigger line. It also remains
above 1,569 support and while the secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
remain weak (and weakening), bulls will hope it can trade sideways
along this important support level. The Dow again
floundered at new resistance although the 50- and 200-day MA
held for another day. It remains debatable how long this index
can trade at these levels without making a substantial move
one way or the other. The S&P managed
a third doji in a row right on 1,219 support. Like the Dow it
is unlikely to linger long at these levels without making a
rapid move one way or the other. Given new near term lows in
its MACD
trigger line and slow stochastic the evidence points to a continuation
of the earlier downward move. The Russell
2000 remains ill and Friday's small gains will do little
to ease bull fears. The [39,1] slow stochastic dipped below
the bullish mid-line as its MACD trigger line similarly passed
below
its bullish zero line; its prognosis negative here. Volatility has
cleared its earlier downward decline marking a modest return
of fear into the markets although market participants remain
deeply complacent ($VXN=16)
relative to the bear heyday of $VXN=72.
I see little reason to be buying here.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: CPHD was
a Gold Member oversold play from August
11th which further weakened on Friday to cut into its stop.
It closed for a 5% loss. IM also
a Gold Member play from August
15th was similarly stopped out for a 2% loss. JEC clipped
its stop but closed on a bullish doji so still has long side merits
with a new stop at $55.89. The stock was a Gold
Member play from July
27th, it closed for a 4% loss.
Aug
18th: Light volume made today a non-event. The NASDAQ finally
made it to its 50-day MA ending the day on an indecisive doji
- no real commitment from traders one way or the other. The NASDAQ
100 also ended with indecision but has yet to test its
50-day MA or 1,569 support. All Tech secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
spent another day in decline - tech indecision lies more with
the bulls wanting to sell than the bears wanting to buy. The Dow spent
the day below support but above its 50- and 200-day MA while
the S&P lingered
for another day at 1,219 support. The Russell
2000 tested 648 for the first time since its reversal from
688. It remains debatable if it can generate anything positive
at this support level. Neither MACD, ADX, Slow Stochastics,
or CCI suggest this index is going upside anytime soon.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: KAR featured
as a Breakout play for February
14th and again for August
1st - but the latter follow through never happened. KEYW last
featured on June 21st but
failed to build on its modest breakout, retreating below support
and into its stop. IMAX has
been caught in a period of indecisiveness which was enough to knock
the position out. The stock featured on October
29th as a Gold member play and
as a Breakout play for June
10th, and January 12th.
The October feature closed for a 49% gain, the January feature
gained 9% and the June feature took a 10% loss
Aug
17th: Interesting day. In the tech markets [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] there was a modest accumulation day, only the second
for the month of August. The Dow regained
its 50- and 200-day moving average also on a accumulation day
but it failed to close above support. The Russell
2000 closed flat but there was a bearish crossover in the
+DI/-DI line (of the ADX indicator) - this in itself isn't
too worrisome as it is in a period of whipsaw but it, like
the Dow,
remained below support. The S&P fared
better as it enjoyed a strong bid (= higher volume) at support.
The question here is whether it can build on it?
The secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
remain weak so even if a bounce was to materialize (and there is
little to suggest we have a strong shift to the bulls) it will
likely last less than 3 weeks.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: ANF finally
fell to its earnings. The stock featured for January
7th and closed for a 15% gain. APCC hits
its stop on a larger than expected consolidation. Potential bullish
doji at support on Wednesday's close - so there may still be upside
merits. The stock featured for February
7th and July 27th. PUMP featured
for June 27th and continues
a decline begun following a gap down. ESLR featured
as a Gold Member play for June
16th but ducked below recent $6.10 near term support.
Aug
16th: Today showed who was in charge of the markets.
Yesterday, the bulls made a modest attempt to bid the markets
up on low volume. Today, the bears reappeared with force leaving
the bulls chasing their tails. Inflationary fears
sent market participants running and this was keenly felt in
the large caps, both of which broke downside from their consolidations;
the Dow's
sideways trading and the bear flag in the S&P.
The Russell
2000 also lost near term support having failed to make
any inroads into its early August losses. A mixed bag of after
hours
earnings saw ANF crushed
on a profit miss (likely ending our interest in the stock since
its feature on January 7th)
while HPQ surged
as it raised guidance. This has left futures up
a point but there is still plenty of time to change this.
The tech indices [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] and the semiconductor index
continued their downward march, their weakness supported by further
declines in tech secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ].
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: DRI broke
a bear flag to the downside and through its protective stop. It
featured for March 28th and July
18th as a Breakout play.
Aug
15th: Weak volume bounce in the tech markets [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100]. Looks to be a relief rally at best as we ride into
the peak vacation season. Back to school should see the return
of some higher volume action as crisped up traders return to
work. The sideways consolidation in the Dow is
perhaps the only point of interest depending on how it breaks.
The S&P was
little changed in its bearish flag while the secondary indicators
remained unchanged. Gold members should note there will be
no list for tomorrow (Tuesday).
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: WEL managed
to crawl back to its stop price after gapping down following its earnings release.
It featured for December 17th and August
1st. The former closed for a 48% gain, the latter a 10% loss.
Expect supply to emerge on further moves above $1.35 (lots of trapped
bulls here). Also stopped out of model portfolio at
the same price. MCEL didn't
last a week as it reversed its breakout for a 19% loss. The stock
featured for August 9th. The
only positive was its position above the 50-day MA. TKO was
a Gold member oversold play from August
12th which closed the day below support and below its stop
price. It closed for an 8% loss.
Aug
12th: Another down day although this time lower volume
came with the bears. The NASDAQ ended
with a small doji at the lower Bollinger band but there is
still some 33 points to go to reach the 50-day MA. NASDAQ slow
stochastics lost near term support leaving a void to fall to
oversold levels and further downside. The NASDAQ
100 was the only index to log in a distribution day and
it is stuck in a limbo between its lower Bollinger band (1,575)
and its 20-day MA (1,601). Strong support should be found around
1,569. The governing semiconductor index
managed to caress its lower BB band which should give one an
indication of what the NASDAQ
100 will do next week. Tech secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
remain firmly bearish.
Large caps continued their intraday roller
coaster but a larger 5-week consolidation is shaping up in the Dow.
With the 50-day and 200-day MA lurking at 10,534 and 10,523 there
may be some potential for upside if these moving averages can hold
as support. Its probably the 'safest' index to be in at the moment
(although staying on the sidelines remains favored). The S&P is
shaping a bearish flag and with the wide divergence between the
50-day (1,216) and 200-day (1,191) moving average I would be selling
this index and perhaps going short with a stop running at 1,246-8.
The drop in Breakout and Gold Member failures
signals short term oversold levels. Don't be afraid to cut your
losses or take your profits. I suspect we will see strong bullish
conditions re-emerge in November and there is no reason to experience
headaches while the market sorts itself out.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: WIRE was
stung by the second day of selling to hit its stop intraday. The
stock is still holding support of $13.80 but for how much longer?
The stock featured for July
27th and August 11th. VRSN featured
as a Gold Member play yesterday but
opened lower and continued to drop beyond its suggested stop before
rallying to close with another hammer. If you bought today and
are still holding then run a stop on a loss of $12.49.
Aug
11th: Low volume gains in all markets. The large caps
managed to close in the vicinity of their recent highs. For
the Dow we
will be watching for a break of 10,711 while the S&P has
a little more to go to break 1,246. Both of the large cap indices
regained their 20-day moving averages although the same could
not be said for the tech indices [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] although the NASDAQ
100 got close to it. After hours disappointment from Dell won't
help these indices get back on track. Chief change today was
in the $NASI where
the +DI/-DI line of the directional indicator crossed in favor
of the bears. The last time these lines crossed was in early
May and signaled a three month rally. What the current cross
means remains to be seen but it can't be good. The once former
high flyer, the Russell
2000 I have not forgotten but there is little action of
note going on here.
Breakout targets met: TOM featured
as a Gold Member pick
for June 16th and closed
for a 22% gain and still looks good for further gains. Next target
$20.
Breakout failures: DDS limped
out after 5 months of declines from a prior gain of 16% to a loss
of 12%. It featured for November
8th. NTE hit
its stop but not before it closed on a bullish hammer. Still looks
to have good support here, a revised stop could be placed at today's
lows. It featured for Feburary
4th and closed for a 19% gain. OI was
a Gold Member was
a short play which clipped its stop for an 8% loss. It featured
for July 22nd.
Aug 10th: That was one very
brief bounce. Bears stamped their authority at the bullish rebellion
with a solid heavy volume day of selling. The tech markets [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] were hit by CSCO's
disappointment. Oil did its usual and rose to $65 a
barrel, by 2025 it will be cheaper to use milk to fuel our cars.
The rise in oil prices was trundled out by media folks as the
excuse for the failure of the large cap Dow and S&P to
hold its early gains following the Fed's
positive outlook on the economy. No market closed over its 20-day
MA and we can expect this moving average to act as resistance
over the coming days. The next point of support to watch for
is the
50-day MA/lower BB band. Another slew of Breakout and Gold Member
stocks were whipped out of their current, or raised stops as
the summer clear out continues.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: EFX plummeted
on none company specific news - its earnings were
released mid-July. The stock had featured for April
22nd and July 5th. The
former closed for a 6% gain, the latter trade for a 4% loss. HSP clipped
its stop intraday but ended the day with a bullish hammer on heavier
volume. For my purposes it is considered stopped out - but long
positions with a new stop at $36.79 would have merit here. The
stock featured for May 13th and
as a Gold Member play
for June 29th. TRDO gapped
down through its stop following yesterday's after hours earnings release.
The stock featured for June
7th and July
8th. IPMT beat
a hasty retreat following its feature for August
5th - it did, however, end the day strong. ULTI clipped
its stop intraday on low volume. The stock had featured on March
17th and July
1st. The former closed for a 11% gain, the latter a less than
1% loss. TWTC is
clinging on to $6.50 support but it hit its revised Gold
Member stop of $6.49. The stock featured for May
11th and August
9th. NGPS featured
on June 6th and closed
for a 15% loss after racking up a 33% gain at one point.
Aug 9th: After three days
of selling markets took a breather, moving higher on a slight
increase in volume but well below the turnover of a typical buyers
day.
All three tech secondary indicators [$NAA50, $NASI and $BPCOMPQ]
have topped which means the next bounce will likely be short
term in nature. A top in the secondary indicators does not necessarily
mean we can't go higher - indeed an exhaustive style rally with
numerous open gaps could still emerge here but such a rally would
likely come down as quick as it went up. It is a time for consolidation
of current gains, not one for new positions, or if tempted as
such
to do so on reduced capital exposure. The NASDAQ
100 was the only index to regain its 20-day MA at the close
even the Dow in
its attempt to trap bears couldn't close over this important
intermediate term moving average. The ease at which this moving
average was
sliced suggests we could be in for a longer decline, going anywhere
from 3 weeks to 6 months (or more). We will again use the secondary
indicators as a guide to this turninig point. If there is anything
bullish to say about them it is the $BPCOMPQ reversal
at 55 which is still well below its high of 77. A short, sharp
drop in the secondary indicators could set up a nice oversold
rally but this will depend on the rate of decline.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: Gold
Member feature BLKB revesed
its breakout and looks a short candidate given the higher volume
bull trap left by the move above then below $14.12. The stock
featured for July 29th and
closed for a 6% loss. CGI drifted
from its June buy trigger
to clip its stop intraday. It closed for a 5% loss. CTT was
an oversold play which failed to hold the lows of its hammer
and closed for a 12% loss. It featured for July
27th. EXAR disappointed
as it too drifted into its stop on a lack of buying demand. It
featured for July 20th and
closed for a 6% loss. FARO gapped
down for a second time over the space of a few weeks to hit its
original stop after been up 36% at one stage. The stock featured
for October 18th and
closed for a 10% loss. JSDA failed
to cling onto $5 support, slicing through its 200-day MA. The
stock featured for July
28th and closed for a 13% loss. ILMN never
got out of the gates -
although it did fit for a counter bull play for a move to $14.60
resistance (stop at $10.69).
Aug 8th: Secondary indicators
are slow to update today but markets were little changed from
the last couple of days selling. Higher oil
prices sparked by a terrorist warning was enough to keep
a lid on any buying from value players. Assuming the $BPCOMPQ hits
a 'sell' it will complete the three red markers for the secondary
indicators necessary to mark a 'top'. The 20-day MA has failed
to act as support in any of the market indices. The ease at which
this intermediate term support line was breached suggests a larger
reversal is at play (i.e. one which could last longer than 6
months).
Breakout targets met: CERS featured
as a Breakout play for June
28th and July 26th.
The stock closed for a 68% and 39% gain. Next upside target is
$13.50 assuming a break of psychological $10 resistance.
Breakout failures: LFB featured
as a Breakout play for March
17th and as a Gold
Member feature for August
2nd. The failure of the late July breakout gap to hold as support
is bearish and this has short side merits which will be confirmed
on a loss of $19.90. RRI featured
as a Breakout for July 28th and
as a Gold Member play
for October 26th. The
latter closed for a 18% gain. UHCO featured
as a Breakout play for June
6th and for July
7th closing for a 10% gain and 6% loss respectively. This is
another stock which now has shorting merits on the next bounce. BFT was
a recent Gold
Member feature for August
5th but was stung by a note
default. The play closed for a 7% loss. GLB was
a Gold Member feature
for April 19th. The stock
closed for a modest 2% loss. NVLS featured
as Gold Member play
for July 25th but last
week's gap down looks to be holding as resistance. The stock closed
for a 4% loss.
Aug 5th: The jobs
report had all the makings for a good day and had this
data been released in April or May it would have sparked a
significant
rally. But in the space of a few months the table has turned
to the extent that strong job growth is attributed to inflation
(as if oil prices haven't suggested this already) and so the
market continued its Thursday retreat. Volume, or lack thereof,
pointed to retail selling as the Big Boys are not likely to
get excited until September once the vacation season comes
to an
end. Of interest was the 'sell' signal in the $NASI to
complement the July signal in the $NAA50.
The $BPCOMPQ sits
on the verge of a 'sell' signal which if it occurs on Monday
will complete 2,219 as a top in the NASDAQ and
1,628 as a top in the NASDAQ
100. My 'sell' recommendation for August will remain in
place until we see all three indicators giving 'buy' signals
- and
even then I would not expect the rally to last more than a
couple of months given the overbought nature of the secondary
indicators.
If we enter September with indicators in the 'red' I will shift
to a blue cash signal (i.e. sit on the sidelines until we see
favorable buying conditions).
The Russell
2000 completed a 'three
black crow' sequence of candlesticks which can be traded
by shorting a bounce to the open of the second of the three candlesticks
and placing stops at the highs of the first candlestick. Shorting
here is more aggressive but short term oversold conditions will
likely see a relief bounce either Monday or Tuesday - so it is
best to wait. I have marked in the fib retracements to get an
idea how far this may drop and the 200-day MA looks the best
place to watch for a bounce or a downside target for a short
position. The large caps were a day late to the breakdown; the S&P broke
its sideways consolidation to the downside as the Dow did
likewise.
Further hits taken on the Breakout and Gold
Member stocks. Even those which failed to hit their stops
took significant downside hits. Stocks which took a big enough
hit to warrant a 'sell' but have yet to hit their suggested
stop price include; SE, ANF, AVX, BOL, BSTE, CCCG, GTF, DRI, EFX, HAYZ, LFB, MAC, RRI, UHCO, CPN, ELON, GLB, LEAP,
and PPS.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: DESC gapped
down after yesterdays after hours earnings report
disappointed. The stock featured as a Breakout Play for June
20th and July
26th and as a Gold
Member play for June
10th and August
1st. The largest gain of 81% was attributed to the Gold
Member feature. NSM clipped
its stop but could still be considered bullish given the tight
trading - for my purposes it is a stop hit, if you haven't acted
then place stops around $23.69. The stock featured as a Breakout
on August
3rd and as a Gold
Member play for June
10th. The Gold
Member play closed for modest 10% profit. SCH featured
as a Breakout play for July
7th and August
2nd and as a Gold
Member play for April
22nd. The Gold
Member play closed for a 32% gain and the Breakout play for
a 10% gain and 5% loss respectively. SWK stumbled
after its big one day gain. Shorts take note - it has merits here.
Featured as a Breakout Play for July
19th and closed for an 8% loss. TSA featured
as a Breakout play for June
15th and as a Gold Member play
for March
28th. The Breakout play closed for a 5% loss, the Gold
Member play closed for a 18% gain. CRME was
a Gold Member play for July
20th got stop whipped in afternoon trading for a 6% loss. FBP was
a recent Gold Member play for August
4th but didn't find support at the bullish hammer eventhough
the consolidation still looks normal for a retracement. Closed
for a narrow 2.6% loss. MLI was
a Gold Member play for July
11th and closed for a 5% loss. PWEI featured
as a Gold Member play for August
2nd but was whacked by earnings for
a 14% loss.
Aug 4th: The thin air rally
exhaled today, sending markets below short term support levels.
The tech indices [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] and the semiconductor index
confirmed bearish haramis while the Russell
2000 sliced below support. The larger caps remained relatively
unaffected by the sell off. Lower retail
sales was the push over the edge of uncertainty driven by
Friday's job report (to come). The secondary indicators were
mixed. The $NAA50 is
now firmly in retreat with a crossover in the +DI/-DI line, the
last time this occurred was at the May bottom. The $NASI retreated
to its 3-day EMA but held its 5-day EMA, no bearish signal here.
The $BPCOMPQ has
remained firm against each of the mini-pullbacks and consolidations
and today was no exception. As long as this indicator stays in
the green the rally is intact.
Not surprisingly, retail associated stocks
took a hit after today's figure, these included ANF,
and TSA.
Plenty of Breakout and Gold
Member stocks also took a switch in the opposite direction,
and some never even left the blocks (CGNX).
Taking money to the sidelines looks the best course of action if
in the market and wait for the Big Money folks to return from their
vacations before deciding if there is still value to be found in
this market. Not much value left for August buyers.
Breakout targets met: ENWV was
a Gold Member swing
trade from July 26th reaching
its downside target.
Breakout failures: AFCO mentioned
yesterday as a potential failure, today it didn't disappoint. The
stock featured as a Gold
Member pick for February
28th, closing for a 13% gain, and as a breakout for July
18th closing for a 7% loss. DRRX featured
as a Gold Member long
side pick for June 14th,
a swing trade pick for July
29th, and as a Breakout play for June
29th. The Swing trade buy signal was stopped out today exiting
the entire position at $5.79. This marked a 4% loss for the Gold
Member swing trade, a 42% gain for the Gold
Member long play, and a 20% gain for the Breakout feature. HIH was
hit by the low liquidty as it experienced a roller coaster day.
The stock featured as a Breakout feature for July
19th 2004 and again as a Gold
Member feature for August
3rd. It was a major underperformer managing only a 4% gain
on the year and closing for a 4% loss as a Gold
member feature. NOVA got
stop whipped in lunchtime trading, $7.30 is now resistance. Interesting
the sell off would come well after today's donwgrade was
issued. The stock was a Breakout play for July
29th and a Gold
Member long play for July
5th. Both closed for a loss. CGNX featured
for as a Gold
Member pick for today but
was soon whipped out for a 4% loss. EPIX eventually
hits its stop after failing to regain its 50-day MA. The stock
was a Gold Member long
play for June 28th. FRED featured
as a a Gold Member for July
7th 2005 and was hit hard by earnings,
losing 19% on the day but closing for a 7% loss on the suggested
trade. LOJN hit
its stop after 3 days of selling in a row. This was a Gold
Member feature for August
1st closing for a 6% loss and a Breakout play for June
13th closing for a 11% gain. Technicals remain favorable as
part of a bullish consolidation but this go on to test $15.50.
Aug 3rd: In a relatively quiet
day for the markets it appeared the return of the 30-Year
Bond was the only point of discussion. Markets continued
to inch along with the secondary indicators advancing in line
with
recent form. It was interesting the $NAA50 remained
weak since the 'sell' signal in this indicator in late July,
and immune to the tech markets [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] recent gains. The tech markets (and the semiconductor index)
ended on bearish haramis - the strength of which is increased
by the overbought nature of the technicals (slow stochastics
in particular).
It will take a close below Tuesday's lows to confirm, or Tuesday's
highs to negate.
Points of weakness in a number of breakout
stocks reared their ugly head. None of these 'failures' are close
to their suggested stop price (yet), but given the disappointment
further declines appear likely. BGC most
recently featured on July 5th shed
over 5% on disappointing earnings. LUK gapped
below its recent consolidation but there was no company specific
news for the drop. The stock featured on July
6th, the current stop price lurks at $37.69. PSTI was
hardest hit as it lost over 11% on its earnings.
The stock had been a sterling performer up to today. It last featured
on May 5th. AFCO featured
on July 18th but was hit
with a downgrade which
erased three days of gains.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: none
Aug 2nd: The media may have
given the day to the small
caps, but it was the semiconductor index
which was the key mover and shaker. After days of sideways trading,
the semiconductor index
made a soild leap above 478 resistance (now support) and should
be good for a run to 530. The impacts on the tech indices [NASDAQ and NASDAQ
100] were obvious as they closed higher on increased volume.
Overall in all markets, volume was higher - but in the context
of average trading volume it wasn't that impressive. To give
the media its dues, the Russell
2000 did have a strong day, but it remains confined by the
ever tightening wedge which should eventually bring a breakdown.
Its good to see the index rally but today's gains were not a
solution to an overbought market. The larger caps also improved,
the S&P was
the chief beneficiary. The Dow also
closed higher, but yet remained trapped below last week's highs
with a technical picture still awaiting a confirmation breakout.
Given tech strength it was not surprising to see gains in the
appropriate secondary indicators - however, it should be noted
there was only
a narrow point gain (+5) in the NASDAQ stocks above their 50-day
MA ($NAA50) indicator. For the hoopla over the upward leap in
the tech markets, this gain in the indicator is disappointing
- we
are seeing an ever decreasing circle of stocks carrying this
rally. Buyer beware.
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: NXTP was
a Gold Member short play feature for July
15th but managed to recover to hit its stop price. OSCI had
a volatile day, clipping its stop at the lows of the day. The stock
featured on July 22nd.
Model portfolio: KSWS added
Aug 1st: Very little change
in the markets. The surge in oil
prices did not spark a sell off which is bullish. The lower
volume is not, but we are now in the vacation/holiday season
so volume information is going to be less useful for us. As with
the
key indices, the secondary indicators remained relatively unchanged,
closing up slightly. In summary, wake me up when its done....
Breakout targets met: none
Breakout failures: AM was
a Gold Member feature for July
28th gapped down at the open but closed the day strong. Gap
down may be a tick error but for my purposes this has been stopped
out. AMIS was
another Gold Member feature from June
20th which was stopped out although on-balance-volume is running
contrary to price trend which should be bullish for the stock. Pease remember to vote!
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