Market Rallies On Strength Of Jobs Report

Hello traders everywhere. All three major indexes are looking to finish the week on a strong note and post back to back winning weeks for the first time in nine weeks. The reason for the surge after a terrible day on Thursday, jobs.

Nonfarm payrolls jumped by 312,000 jobs last month, the largest gain since February, as employment at construction sites snapped back after being restrained by unseasonably cold temperatures in November.

jobs

There were also broad gains in hiring last month. Data for October and November were revised to show 58,000 more jobs added than previously reported. The economy created 2.6 million jobs last year compared to 2.2 million in 2017.

Average hourly earnings rose 11 cents, or 0.4%, in December after gaining 0.2% in November. That lifted the annual increase in wages to 3.2%, matching October's rise, from 3.1% in November. The average workweek increased to 34.5 hours in December from 34.4 hours in November. Continue reading "Market Rallies On Strength Of Jobs Report"

Stock Market Ends Volatile Week Higher

Hello traders everywhere. Whew, what a week! We went from having the worst Christmas Eve trading day ever when the DOW lost over 600 points trading below 22,000, and the S&P 500 entered a bear market to have the best post-Christmas trading day ever when the DOW skyrocketed more than 1,000 points on Wednesday, the largest one-day point gain in its history. The S&P 500 gained 4.96%, its best day since March 2009 and the NASDAQ also had its best day since March 23, 2009, surging 5.84%.

Volatile Week

Thursday was not to be outdone when early trading saw a widespread sell-off with the DOW trading down over 600ptt only to see furious afternoon buying action pushing the DOW into positive territory to end the day, which has extended into today with all three indexes looking to close out the week on a three-day winning streak. All three indexes seem to be ending a three-week streak of losses with gains this week. The S&P 500 is posting an increase of +3.3%, DOW +3.5% and the NASDAQ with a +4.3% gain.

Key Levels To Watch Next Week:

Continue reading "Stock Market Ends Volatile Week Higher"

Brutal Week Comes To A Disappointing End

Hello traders everywhere. There is no doubt that this week has been brutal for traders with the stock market posting one of the worst weeks of the year. You only have to look at the DOW, and it's over 1300 point loss on the week for evidence. The DOW and S&P 500 will close down around 6% on the week. Both indexes are in corrections, and both are on track for their worst December performance since the Great Depression in 1931, down more than 11% each this month.

DOW

The NASDAQ is having it's worst week in nine months losing over 7% and officially entering a bear market. It's actually trading at a new fifteen-month low. With that move lower we finally got the red weekly Trade Triangle that we've been waiting on. The NASDAQ has now joined the DOW and S&P 500 with negative long-term downtrends. It looks like that death cross may have been right after all.

Key Levels To Watch Next Week:

Continue reading "Brutal Week Comes To A Disappointing End"

U.S. Indexes Erase Weekly Gains

Hello traders everywhere. Mid-week things were looking positive for the stock market overall as fears of a long-term trade war with China lessened on news that the U.S. and China began to talk about settling the disagreement. However, weak economic data from China and Europe rekindled fears of slowing global growth, and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is leading the lower sustaining significant losses after Reuters reported the company knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder.

weekly loss

All three indexes are suffering losses over 1.3% on the day which has effectively erased the weekly gains that all three indexes were looking to post. The DOW will end the week in negative territory losing almost one percent at -.90%. The S&P 500 will post a weekly loss of around -.80%, and NASDAQ is trying to finish the week unchanged floating between and gain and loss for the week. Continue reading "U.S. Indexes Erase Weekly Gains"

Stocks Jumped On China Trade Talks

Hello traders everywhere. Stocks jumped higher at the open of trading after news broke that the U.S. and China started the latest round of trade talks with a phone call involving Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. It's been reported by people familiar with the call that they discussed Chinese purchases of agricultural products and changes to fundamental Chinese economic policies.

But the markets soon fell from those highs and have settled in what I would call muted trading today, which is a far cry from the recent volatility.

Stocks jumped

The DOW finally joined the red monthly Trade Triangle club issuing a new one at 24,122.23 on Monday when it traded below 24,000 for the first time since June 28th of this year. Not to be outdone the S&P 500 issued a new red weekly Trade Triangle at 2,621.53 pushing the Chart Analysis Score to -100 once again. The NASDAQ remains in a sidelines position with a red monthly Trade Triangle and green weekly Trade Triangle. A move below 6,830.76 will trigger a red weekly Trade Triangle indicating that a move lower could be ahead. Continue reading "Stocks Jumped On China Trade Talks"