Stocks find big support; PCLN books after-hours gains

Warren Buffet’s CNBC interview was not well received by the futures market as the market was shaping up to open lower. While I don’t think nor care if Buffet was really pushing the market lower pre-market what I do care about was the market’s ability to find support. A rush of support showed up just after the first fifteen minutes of trade, just as the market appeared to be taking a swan dive. Volume jumped on the day finishing above Friday’s level showing a few institutions joined the party today. It was important to see the market find support at the lows and now we need to see the power behind this potential move.

CNBC can’t get enough tossing headline after headline of asking if this market is tired or not. We have tools to alert us to potential trouble and it isn’t guess work. Using distribution counts we can see whether or not a market is heavy and due for a potential BIG correction. At the moment the NASDAQ has three distribution days and it is not at a point where we are going to sound the alarms. A few more distribution days and/or stalling days would certainly raise high alerts. Do not guess if something is about to occur, always react to the market and its clues. Stay disciplined and stop the guess work.

PCLN was a big winner in after-hours trade after the company beat sales and revenues. Guidance for the first quarter was higher than expectations and the market rewarded the company nicely. The stock now joins GOOG at the $600 level a big priced stock with growth is very hard to come by. Yet again another growth stock posts better than expected earnings. Let’s not forget many stocks took the plunge in October as many took down estimates allowing for comfortable beats here.

The market remains in an uptrend and no matter your opinion on the health of the trend…it remains up. You are not smart enough to know precisely when it will end and if you do I have some south Florida real estate to sell you. Always and I mean always cut your losses short.

Big Wave Trading Portfolio Update And Top Current Holdings

The Big Wave Trading margin and retirement accounts remain fully invested. There have been two distribution days in the Nasdaq in the past week but the selling has been orderly. While we remain cautious on new positions with the market in a non-stop uptrend, we continue to ride the trend higher. We do not know if the market will or will not pullback. We can only prepare for both outcomes. If the market begins to pullback we will continue to sell laggards and look for new leaders. If new leaders do not appear then we know there are problems with the underlying market. As of now, every time we sell off a laggard we are presented with another leader giving a legit BUY signal. As long as this occurs, Big Wave Trading will remain fully invested flipping out the laggards and using that capital to invest in the new leaders. While a pullback seems like the appropriate and necessary thing for the market to do, we know the market usually does the opposite of what we want. Therefore, if the rally continues without a pullback, we at Big Wave Trading will not be surprised and will just ride the wave.

Top Current Holdings – Percent Return – Date of Purchase

IRE – 52% – 1/12/12
KORS – 47% – 1/17/12
MOTR – 46% – 2/2/12
LCAV – 46% – 2/13/12
FFN – 35% – 2/7/12
UMDD – 34% – 1/5/12
YINN – 34% – 1/5/12
RENN – 34% – 1/11/12
FAS – 28% – 1/5/12
TNGO – 28% – 2/3/12
CRMT – 28% – 11/30/11
RF – 28% – 1/5/11
VNET – 25% – 1/10/12

Salesforce.com Dazzles in After-Hours as Stocks Close higher

Volume rose on the NASDAQ as the index was able to find its footing again. The S&P 500 had a good day, but volume continues to be below average a sign institutional investors continue to stake out in NASDAQ listed stocks. Jobless claims fell more than expected and the Kansas City Manufacturing index rose more than expected. A few positive signals from an economic stand point certainly didn’t hurt the market today. in the after-hours session CRM posted positive earnings sending the stock higher by 10%. The cloud computing space is making a bid to become a leading industry again. The end of day surge into the close was another positive signal for this market and we continue to remain in an uptrend.

It is Thursday so we have a look at the release of the AAII sentiment survey as well as the II survey. Yes, these are released on Wednesday, but AAII does not become available to me until today. In the AAII survey we see both Bulls and Bears edge slightly higher, but nothing major in terms of a sentiment shift. There continues to be a bullish tint in investors’ attitudes towards the market, but it is not a surprise given the recent run-up in stocks. Only 51% of II survey respondents are bullish despite the recent run up. Extreme sentiment levels come when the II survey posts 60% or more. Perhaps we’ll get there soon, but for now sentiment isn’t at extreme levels where a possible major pullback could occur.

The NASDAQ does have 3 days of distribution and is something we’d get concerned with if we do see a major distribution day soon. However, concerning ourselves “if” it happens is silliness. We are discipline and react to the situation. Many times guessing is based upon a hunch or fear which rarely works out in your favor. Staying disciplined and following your rules will ensure your survival! Stick with it and follow rule #1.

Enjoy the weekend ahead!

Small caps lead the market lower; Volume slips again

Another quiet day on Wall Street where stocks close near the lows of the session, but volume falling below yesterday’s level avoiding a day of distribution. We did receive downbeat news from the housing sector sending homebuilders lower. Gold (GLD) and silver (SLV) continued to add to their gains today showing the precious metals believe in continued expansion of central banks’ balance sheets. The close was somewhat disappointing not being able to lift off the lows of the session, but with volume really light institutions weren’t selling stock in droves. We continue to consolidate the most recent gains, but we would like to see a bigger push by leaders to emerge from this consolidation.

Existing home sales did disappoint today, not badly, but enough to send home builders much lower today. XHB – the homebuilder ETF was down 1.46% today after the news. It is important to note the homebuilding stocks have been what have led this most recent rally. To see the group struggle certainly signals a possible rotation by the market or worse a top. While we can’t predict tops, or rotation it is best to stock to a sound trading discipline to avoid confusion. Stick with the rules.

Outside the XHB, GLD and SLV took center stage moving higher. Yesterday, the precious metals performed very well and today the group continued yesterday’s strength. Continued strength in precious metals certainly hints at continued expansion, better yet money printing by central banks. Typically, when precious metals rise in the case of balance sheet expansion stocks rise along side the precious metals. Central banks do not have any more ammo other than to print money and they will do so until the system breaks or they are successful. Either way, easy money translates to higher asset prices.

Remember to always cut your losses short.

Big Wave Trading Portfolio Update And Top Current Holdings

The Big Wave Trading Market Model remains under a full BUY signal. This buy signal was signaled on 1/5/2012 and has not had a change since. The distribution day had zero effect on the model and thus being fully invested on the long side continues to be the mode of operation. Big Wave Trading will continue to ride its winners higher while selling off any new long that does not trade higher immediately. The capital raised from selling these losers will continue to find its way into new longs and current winners as long as the model remains under a full buy signal. A string of 3-4 distribution days in 2 weeks would no doubt, following the non-stop uptrend we have had, throw the model into a neutral position until the next follow-through day or BUY signal is alerted. We are ready for a pullback at anytime at Big Wave Trading. We do not know if a pullback will be the start of a new bear market or a pause for the rally to continue. Based on the very heavy and clear accumulation in multiple stocks across multiple sectors, an upcoming FB ipo, and the more than likely event of QE3, we do believe any pullback will lead to better buying opportunities as we come upon the bullish months of March to May. However, Big Wave Trading in no way project these opinions into our trading methodology. If the market rolls over, instead, on huge volume, with multiple leading stocks breaking down everywhere, you can be sure we will not be waiting to buy stocks and will instead be short the market. This is a very strong market and trends can last longer than shorts can stay solvent.

Top Current Holdings – Percent Gain (Non-Margin) – Date of Signal

FFN – 58% – 2/7/12
IRE – 56% – 1/12/12
KORS – 49% – 1/17/12
MOTR – 41% – 2/2/12
RENN – 41% – 1/11/12
YINN – 39% – 1/5/12
UMDD – 34% – 1/5/12
RF – 32% – 1/5/12
FAS – 29% – 1/5/12
JKS – 28% – 1/27/12
CRMT – 27% – 11/30/11
DVR – 25% – 1/13
LNKD – 25% – 1/19

Nasty Intraday Reversal Led by AAPL Sours Uptrend

Positive economic data helped set the tone early for the market. Empire manufacturing and the Home Builders confidence survey both came in better than expected. By noon, the high of the day was set and AAPL’s roll over pushing stocks lower. Volume jumped on the day over on the NYSE giving the S&P 500 another day of distribution. The magnitude of the roll-over gives the NASDAQ a distribution day, but it is only the second day. AAPL was the big disappointment of the day with GIGANTIC volume the stock has run into major resistance and does spell a bit of trouble for the market overall. While one day doesn’t make a market we are certainly on watch with this uptrend, this type of action is not what you want to see.

There are many reasons to like AAPL as a company. The stock is much different than the company itself. Removing emotion and opinions the move in AAPL today does resemble a possible top. Let the hate comments begin! In all honesty, it is too difficult to say AAPL’s run is completely over, but for the time being it appears the upward momentum has come to a halt.

It will take more than one day to knock this market off its kilter. Cluster in a few more distribution days it would certainly mark the end of the rally. A more likely scenario is a 3-5% pull back to digest all the recent gains we have seen from the market since December. One quick look at the QQQs and this rally has been non-stop! A normal reaction to this move is certainly warranted. If you have an exit strategy in place you already know what you are going to do. If you do not, the big question is why you haven’t put one in place. Get one.

Stay the course and stick with the game plan. We have had a nice run and perhaps it is time we see a pullback. What happens is anyone’s guess, but with a plan we’ll profit from it.

Barron’s Declares Dow 15,000 and Stocks Respond Closing Higher

Leading the way Small Cap stocks closed higher followed by the NASDAQ. Volume fell across the board, but coming off a weekend it isn’t entirely surprising volume was off. AAPL pushed through the $500 level for the first time. Another stock hitting $500 was ISRG; two big growth stocks hitting big milestones is a positive sign for the market. While volume wasn’t impressive across the board select stocks saw plenty of volume. Institutions certainly targeted a select few today and despite the overbought conditions this market continues to motor higher.

Besides AAPL and ISRG another stock making a splash was PCLN. The stock has been stagnant for quite some time. For almost a year the stock has been unable to gain much traction, but the move today is certainly a good one with volume up more than 75%. The stock is set to release earnings on 2/27. 2012 estimates have been coming down, but given the move today it appears there is a bit of excitement prior to earnings.

Riots in Athens were broadcasted throughout the world. The markets certainly cheered the passage of the new, new, new austerity bill, but a few folks in Athens weren’t in agreement. I just wonder if Greece will uphold to the agreements they have put in place. My money is they will not meet the austerity guidelines. We’ll be back again where we’ll be hearing another round of haircuts until 99.99% of Greece’s debt is liquidated. If other countries haven’t taken notice they should. Take the initial pain of the budget cuts to be better off later. We are going on year two of the crisis; it shouldn’t have taken this long.

After-hours Moody’s put a few Eurozone nations on negative watch. France was one of the countries and is a big deal. France and Germany have been the two countries financing bailouts. If France’s borrowing costs it will be increasingly difficult for France to support bailouts of the rest of the Eurozone nations.

Despite the Eurozone woes our uptrend continues higher. All the shenanigans going on across the globe really are just a discussion point. Even the cover to Barron’s is a discussion point. Perhaps we’ll look back and say today was the top or we won’t. While it would be fun to call the top, we’ll let price and volume dictate our actions.

The trend is our friend and until it breaks we’ll ride it. Cut those losses short.

Big Wave Trading Portfolio Update And Top Current Holdings

Big Wave Trading Margin and IRA accounts remain nearly fully invested (85%-95%) as our Market Model remains under a full BUY signal. That signal was triggered on 1/5/12. Big Wave Trading is currently watching the current pullback to see if it will result in a short-term top or a normal pullback that will lead to a resumption of the current uptrend. As of Friday, there are no distribution days to signal that anything more than a pullback is occurring. Big Wave Trading will use this pullback to sell off any stock showing a loss or any stock lagging the overall market by a significant degree. The money raised from selling our laggards will be deployed in new long positions or current long positions accordingly as they arise. If the pullback gains steam and distribution days mount, measures will be made to raise cash as indicated via our Market Model as it switches to NEUTRAL or SELL.

Top Current Holdings – Percent Gain (non-margin) – Date of Signal

FFN – 51% – 2/7/12
IRE – 51% – 1/12/12
JKS – 37% – 1/27/12
MOTR – 49% – 2/2/12
RENN – 34% – 1/11/12
YINN – 30% – 1/5/12
UMDD – 26% – 1/5/12
RF – 25% – 1/5/12
FAS – 24% – 1/5/12
HK – 22% – 1/9/12
LNKD – 21% – 1/19/12

Greeks Agree to Austerity; NASDAQ Leads, but Small Caps Lag

The big news of the day was the Greek’s finally were able to come to terms on a new, new, new austerity agreement. Yes, another plan they will fail to deliver on. Volume ended the day mixed as NYSE volume slid underneath yesterday’s levels as NASDAQ volume jumped nearly 10%. AAPL was a clear winner today with their announcement of the iPad3 set to hit store shelves during the first week in March. Small cap stocks did not fare as well today closing in the red; one small blemish on the day. We continue to power higher in the market and the NASDAQ continues to see signs of accumulation. Today was another reminder to avoid fighting the trend.

Sentiment is getting a bit frothy according to the most recent AAII sentiment survey. The Bulls stampeded to above 51%. A level that is quite extreme while the bears finished above 20. Bears didn’t set a new low for this uptrend, but certainly the number of bulls set a new high. Is this “the” top in the rally? It is anyone’s guess given the amount we have run and not to mention the number of bulls. With that said, we still have plenty of stocks looking good and solid accumulation to make us believe we can continue higher.

This uptrend now has a few blemishes that could stall this rally. This does not mean it ends the uptrend completely, but it does signal we could see a quick shake out. So far, we see 1-2 hour shake outs only to power higher. Small caps were certainly a blemish, but today’s breadth was weak considering the market move. NASDAQ breadth favored decliners rather than the advancers today. Normally, an update will sport many more advancers than decliners. New highs continue to be healthy and be a positive force for the market. Given the number of stocks over respected moving averages and breadth weakening it would appear something amounting to a shakeout will occur shortly.

I could be wrong and we never see a shakeout, it is precisely why we react to price moves rather than anticipate them. Our success depends on our ability to react to price changes rather than guessing or anticipate a move. No one individual is that smart and can hit turns in the market often. Don’t anticipate the move, go with it and react as it happens.

Have a great weekend.

Stocks Close in the Green Again; Uptrend continues

Just another day in this uptrend as stocks close higher on the day recovering from early morning lows. Volume rose on the day showing institutions had an appetite supporting the market on the morning dip. It is truly amazing this market is on, a straight line to multi-year highs from what appeared to a market heading for fresh bear market lows. For now, it appears the market is more focused on the Fed’s printing presses than any country from the European Union defaulting. Stop fighting the trend as it has been very painful for those who have been.

Yes, the market is “overbought,” but it has been for quite some time. Sentiment has come down off its highs as of late, so the crowd is anticipating some sort of pullback. Anticipation is a problem if you act upon a hunch. It will lose you money either by missing out on a move or compounding your losses. While it is true we are overbought, the market can continue higher. We have defined rules for exits and until those are met, we’ll stay long.

It will be nice when Greece finally defaults. The past few weeks every morning and night headline has Greece “close” to a deal with its creditors. Just get it over and done with, they are going to default one way or another. Greece has not shown it can stick to any terms it has promised, why even bother with a new set of terms? In the end, Greece cannot pay for its obligations and liquidation needs to occur. This is a painful process for those who are dependent on the government and it will take time for it to resolve itself. Trading off this situation is too difficult; we’ll stick with the trend.

A dangerous tactic here is chasing. It is never wise paying up more than 5% beyond a proper buy point. Often time stocks will reverse shaking out weak holders and late buyers. At this juncture and with the amount of stocks extended it would not surprise me a few of them shakeout weak hands here. If you do chase, make sure you are lightning fast cutting the position if it turns against you.

Stay disciplined and cut those losses.

Stocks Finish off the Lows as Volume Drops

Settling near the highs of the session stocks put in a solid day of consolidation. Volume fell more than 20% across the board, a very good sign institutions weren’t selling. After such a big run up, a day or two of consolidation is a very healthy signal. Crude oil settled lower, but natural gas is in the midst of forming what it appears to be a bottom. While a positive sign for those drilling for the natural resource, but not a particularly good sign for consumers. At the end of the day, we saw a very positive signal out of the market and we continue to ride this uptrend starting at the beginning of this year.

Another few days of the market pulling back would do us some good. 88% of stocks are above their 50 day moving average. Normally, at these extreme levels we do get consolidation. Does this mean you act upon thinking a pull back is about to happen? No, pullbacks are apart of the market and we welcome them as we live within this uptrend. If big volume selling takes place we’ll start taking a different tone, but for now, we stay the course and execute our game plan.

BAC continued its tear leading the Dow Jones Industrial average higher. Financials continue to perform well despite the negative press. It is nice to see banks perform well; they tend to lead the market higher in new uptrends. WFC and PNC are two other stronger BIG banks doing well. A bit of consolidation for the bank stocks around their respective 200 day moving averages would do them a bit of good.

NFLX and GMCR two former top quality stock All-Stars continue to mount comebacks. We are seeing quite a few of these old names like AKAM and CSTR come back to life. DNDN is another former high flyer coming back to life. As always, sound money management is a must and cutting losses should not be avoided at any time. Even these former high flyers coming off their lows are not exempt from the plan.

Solid start to the week and would not be surprised if the market continued pulling back. The uptrend remains strong and there is no reason to think otherwise.

Big Wave Trading Portfolio Update

Big Wave Trading remains fully invested in all margin and IRA accounts. Big Wave Trading has been fully invested since the full BUY signal was generated on 1/5/2012. While many traders/investors tried to deny the uptrend as just another suck out our model told us to expect more via the price and volume action across a myriad of stocks across multiple sectors. The past week the market finally took off and our long positions were rewarded greatly. We at Big Wave Trading could care less how much the market moves up from here. We know that we can not control the gains. We can only control how much we lose in the stock market. Therefore, if the trend persist, we will continue to sell stocks underperforming and move the bad cash to good stocks outperforming the market on a Relative Strength basis. We do not get emotionally involved with gains at Big Wave Trading. We could care less. It is simply doing the process right that gives us the pleasure. Being right is meaningless. Getting rich is meaningless. It is the process that allows us to be right and get rich that matters. The most important ingredient in this process is cutting losses fast. Big Wave Trading never holds losers. If the stock is losing money, we sell it and move on. No questions asked. Big Wave Trading’s win/loss ratio is at a point that we could be right 10% of the time and still not lose money as we refuse to lose 1% of our total account value in any one trade. Losing is not an option. Winning is the only goal. We will continue to stay fully invested until poor action among leading stocks (Relative Strength basis) and distribution days start to litter this market. If many distribution days occur, the Market Direction Model will switch back to NEUTRAL and possibly switch to SELL. Switching to a sell signal depends on the amount of distribution days and time frame in which they occur. We do not expect that to happen any time soon but expectations are resentments waiting to happen. Therefore, we remain completely agnostic towards the future. We are prepared for a continuation of this uptrend, a top, or possible consolidation. All game plans for each outcome have been analyzed and our ready to be used accordingly.

Top Current Holdings – Percent Gain (non-margin) – Date of Signal

IRE – 64% – 1/12/12
YINN – 37% – 1/5/12
RENN – 35% – 1/11/12
FAS – 28% – 1/5/12
UMDD – 28% – 1/5/12
RF – 24% – 1/5/12
DVR – 23% – 1/13/12
MOTR – 23% – 2/2/12
RAM – 21% – 1/9/12
RGR – 20% – 1/5/12
VNET – 20% – 1/10/12
RATE – 20% – 12/28/11

NASDAQ Closes off its Highs as Volume Slides, but Above Average

The market ended off the highs of the session, but with volume coming in lower we avoid a day of stalling. Russell 2000 small cap index raced higher tying the NASDAQ composite for the top index of the day. Interestingly, enough both indexes have yet to have the golden cross yet continue to lead the entire market higher. Bernanke’s testimony on the hill helped spark some buying, but as the testimony wore on sellers began to take over. We continue to play in overbought conditions, but this rally is healthy and remains that way. Tomorrow’s job report will certainly set off fireworks. At this very moment, we have a healthy rally that is a bit over-extended.

The unemployment rate will be the key statistic the market pundits will be paying attention to. Last month’s surprise move to the downside for the rate helped spark some confidence for the market in general. However, the denominator, the total employment pool continues to shrink driving down the percentage of people out of work. It is very difficult to measure unemployment, but judging by the U-6 figures as well as the number of people on food stamps our situation remains weak. Why else would the Federal Reserve hold rates steady near zero percent all the way out to 2015? If employment was actually improving there would be no need to continue to hold rates down. Enough of the economic talk, it’s about the trend.

Trend following is not an art form and trading based upon gut feel is not our style. Disciplined trading, rule –based trading is our game; it’s our edge to outperform the market. I know we harp this one lesson: CUTTING YOUR LOSS SHORT. It is vital, letting losses run ruins capital and ruins traders. Breaking your rules is another major flaw. Jesse Livermore would often break his rules only to see his net worth crumble. If you find yourself in this situation, what separates the best from the rest, the best rise again!

Have a great weekend!

Facebook $FB Files for an IPO as a late day sell-off takes down the S&P 500

The big talk of the town was FB filing for its IPO. Despite the news of the IPO sellers hit the market late day pushing stocks from its highs. Over at the NASDAQ despite sellers on the NYSE the NASDAQ appeared to be somewhat immune. Volume soared on the NASDAQ as institutions pile back into technology stocks. It is clear the leading index of this rally is the NASDAQ and we view this as a positive sign. A solid day for the NASDAQ while it appears the NYSE related indexes continue to lag.

We have a good start to the month of February as we get ready for Friday’s job report. As usual the talking heads will be looking to find clues of an improving economy. More people are fleeing the job market helping out the unemployment rate. As usual we will not try to predict what the number may or may not be and gauge a plan of attack based upon a guess. Discipline is paramount, we’ll stick to our proper buy and sell rules and let the guessing be handled by others.

What to do about FB? We are going to wait and see how it trades. We’d love to see the stock consolidate and form an IPO base. It’s anyone’s guess where the stock will go. Perhaps it will pull a LNKD and catapult on day one. Truly, it’s anyone’s guess and we’ll wait to attack the stock if it meets our buying criteria.

Our uptrend continues and without any major distribution it is hard to be calling for a top here. Perhaps a major reversal day on mega volume would do it, but we don’t have that situation. Anticipating moves will only leave you on the sidelines. Stay disciplined!

January Closes with a Whimper; AMZN Disappoints After Releasing Earnings

The early morning jolt higher the market was hit with unexpected disappointing economic news from the Chicago PMI and Consumer Confidence. While it did appear the market was heading for a day of distribution buyers stepped up just after the lunch hour. Financials reversed course pushing higher a positive sign for the market. The downside was the stalling action as the NASDAQ was unable to hold its gains from the morning. While we did see support, there weren’t enough buyers to erase the stalling action. Volume spiked at the end of the session as monthly rebalancing always ushers in a big volume spike. All in all, today wasn’t too bad of a day for now.

Historically speaking February isn’t typically a month where you would expect a big rally to kick off, but we did see in 2010 where February kicked off a sizeable rally. It is anyone’s guess whether or not we take off from here or reverse course and head lower. A sound plan to attack the market is paramount; if this market is to go higher we want to take advantage. On the flip side, we don’t want to be exposed if this market is to turn lower. Cutting losses and your laggards is a prudent course of action.

The Golden Cross occurred on the S&P 500 a bullish “technical” indicator. We pulled data from Yahoo for the S&P 500 and found 80% of the time this is a bullish indication for the market. What you learn by crunching the numbers is cutting your losses improves your performance. Precisely why we stress the need to cut your losses quickly, it is your insurance policy. We now await the NASDAQ to join the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 to experience the golden cross!

Cut your losses short.

Closing off the Lows, Stocks Show Resilience

While market pundits wait for a Greece and its creditors to come to an agreement, stocks quietly put in a solid day. At the open it did not appear stocks would have a good day as the market pulled back nearly one percent. Small cap stocks were having a difficult time, but a solid reading from the Dallas Fed helped spur buyers step up to the plate. Volume ran lower for much of the day and helped the market avoid a day of distribution. This is the type of action you want to see as the stock market consolidates its gains and if the market continues to act like this it will bode well for the future.

Yes, the market may be a bit overbought still, but the recent action is quite encouraging. Recent price action in AAPL, INTC, and MSFT (the big dogs) is also very encouraging. A sore spot in this rally is the inability for the IBD 85/85 to show any relative strength. This index has been stuck in neutral for quite some time, but pay attention any pick up in strength would be a very positive signal. As we head into February I would expect a choppy month as February tends to be a tough month for the market. If this type of action continues it will only set us up nicely for a big rally.

The backdoor QE 3, the Federal Reserve dollar swap program is a precursor to what will likely be another round of quantitative easing. It is no secret during election years the government will do its best to prop up the market. You can bet your bottom dollar Obama and his administration will pull out all the stops! The problem isn’t just related to democrats as both sides are guilty. This does mean we’ll likely get a rally from another liquidity injection. QE 2 did produce some big winners including NFLX so it would be a prudent move to stay on top of this market. You do not want to miss out on gains!

Always cut your losses short.

Big Wave Trading Portfolio Update

The Big Wave Trading portfolios continue to be fully invested following our full BUY signal on 1/5/2012. Both margin and IRA accounts are fully invested. As we continue to find new longs all that can be done is to sell the losers and place whatever funds remain in new positions as they generate BUY or SELL signals. A quick reminder: Big Wave Trading never carries losses. Every buy signal has a set cut loss level and it is always obeyed. The loss target on any one trade is to never be more than 0.5% of total account value. Once a stock loses 0.5% of the total account value, even if it has not hit its final cut loss target, it will be completely sold.

Big Wave Trading believes that the market may be in tune for a pullback. However, we also recognize that it is impossible to predict what the stock market will do. Therefore, if we continue to grind higher, this would not surprise us. If we do get a pullback, it appears, based on the very strong accumulation in multiple stocks across multiple sectors of the market, that it would simply end up separating the best stocks from the laggards. This would allow us to move the cash raised from the small losses or profit taking to these true leaders. If we pullback on very heavy distribution, obviously, the pullback will not be a buying opportunity. Like we always say, it is impossible to predict the stock market. Those that do are plain fools and usually their results show it in their brokerage statements.

Top Current Holdings – Percent Gain (Non-Margin) – Date of Signal

RENN – 36% – 1/11/12
IRE – 29% – 1/17/12
YINN – 28% – 1/5/12
WPRT – 24% – 12/20/11
FARO – 22% – 1/6/12

Leaders Turn Lower as Stocks Reverse Hard

The NASDAQ notched its first day of distribution after putting in a new high in the most recent rally. A solid durable goods order number helped push the market higher. However, a bigger expected drop in New Home sales didn’t help and put pressure on stocks. It wasn’t until the late afternoon did we see the selling pressure kick up a notch. A little late day surge helped the NASDAQ close off its lows, but failed to protect it from a day of distribution. Distribution happens and it boils down to whether or not you prepared for what you do next.

Once again the number of Bulls in the AAII survey was near 50%. Bears dropped below the 20% mark once again this month. Remember, yesterday the percentage stocks above their 20 and 50 day moving averages was above 80%. A pull back here is NOT surprising and is to be expected. What we need to watch for is how we pull back. Can we avoid heavy distribution? Are leaders going to hold up? Sound money management principles are paramount in this market.

Tomorrow we get a look at fourth quarter GDP and it is expected to come in at 3%. It’ll be interesting to hear the debate about the number and how you should respond with your portfolio. Unfortunately, making a “play” will end up costing you dearly. Price and volume are keys to this market and guide us to making proper decisions.

Have a great weekend and stay safe (and that means cutting losses)

Fighting the Fed is Futile; AAPL and Bernanke Send Stocks Higher

Stocks were weak to begin the day as pending home sales were weaker than expected. The weakness didn’t last very long as traders and investors were positioning themselves ahead of the Federal Reserve policy statement. By noon, stocks were at session highs, but it wasn’t until the market heard the news rates would be held down until the end of 2014. Regardless of what you think of the statement the market went higher and with volume to boot. While the market closed off the highs of the session the day overall was very bullish.

During the after-hours session NFLX reported better-than-expected earnings as the stock jumped more than 15%. NFLX had a terrible time at the end of 2011, but the stock has been able to rebound from its heavy selling. The mishap over splitting the DVD business from the streaming business may be behind the company as the stock has had one heck of a ride off the lows.

The biggest concern here is how to handle a potential pull back. I wouldn’t expect today to be the “top” of this market rally, but a potential pull back of 3-5% is always in the deck. How you handle it is the most important. Have a game plan on where you’ll exit your stocks, cutting losses and taking profits should be in your plan. If not, get it in there! We are at frothy levels with 85% of stocks are above their 50 day average and 82% of them are above their 20 day average. These levels are usually met with some sort of selling, but we aren’t going to try and “guess” when we’ll turn. This uptrend is for real and even a small pull back won’t keep it down for very long.

Stay disciplined!

AAPL Blows Away Earnings in After-Hour Session

Another great day for the stock market as again buyers step up and support the market. The market did get help from the Richmond Federal Reserve Manufacturing index as it came in better than expected. However, the market turned its attention to AAPL’s quarterly earnings report. Volume came in lower perhaps due to the Federal Reserve meeting concluding on Wednesday, but it’s anyone’s guess. More importantly, it was AAPL’s blow out quarter taking center stage. This uptrend will continue tomorrow and for the moment it continues to be strong.

There are a lot of people who are fighting this current trend and it is easily understood. Sure, we can have pullbacks, but to be calling for all out Armageddon is quite funny at this stage. It is anyone’s guess where the market will go from here despite what may appear to be “smart” analysis. We only know what is directly in front of us and we have been in an uptrend. A disciplined, ruled based approach where position sizing, cutting losses, and exiting positions is the best way to attack this market.

Tomorrow we’ll get Ben Bernanke’s take on the economy and its rate decision. Expectations are for the Federal Reserve to really keep their stance on monetary policy. Basically, they are going to decide whether or not they need to print more money. The conundrum they are in at the moment is they justified QE2 with a sluggish jobs market and with the jobs market improving they have little justification for another round. At the rate Washington, DC spends money and its inability to balance the budget the Fed will have to at some point soak up excess supply. Of course, do I know the future; no, but given with how we know DC operates not sure how we don’t go down this path.

Remained disciplined in your trading and do not deviate from the plan. Of course, cut your damn losses.

Volume falls ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two day meeting

The day began with a solid move off the lows and it was looking like the market was going to surrender to the bulls. After the 10 o’clock hour sellers hit the market sending stocks lower, but in a bullish fashion stocks were able to find support. Today’s move would have been better if the morning move did not occur. Perhaps it is a small blemish; we’ll take the pull back as the market consolidates its most recent run up. Our uptrend remains intact and it is without any major distribution or stalling a big positive for this uptrend to continue.

There is some talk about the market being overbought and sure, it is. Given the move since the New Year began it is quite obvious we have a market a bit ahead of itself. The number of stocks above their 50 day moving average is above 81%. 77% of stocks are above their respective 20 day moving average. These figures aren’t at all-time highs, but they are at levels where pullbacks do and can happen. So far, this two day pull back in the overall market is quite normal and is looking very healthy.

Tomorrow kick starts the Federal Reserve’s two day meeting. Many are asking if QE3 is coming and it is a guessing game at this point. The stock market is higher and the jobs market appears to be firming up with the unemployment (as reported by the government) coming down. To make a case for another round of quantitative easing would be a hard sell. I would imagine the Fed needing to step in when demand for US Treasuries dries up. I could only imagine what would happen if there isn’t enough demand to soak up the issuance of debt. It is fun to debate what may or may not happen, but a terrible way to trade and invest.

Stay discipline here and DO NOT chase stocks at all. Cut your losses!

Big Wave Trading Portfolio Update

Big Wave Trading is currently 100% long in our margin and IRA accounts. The Big Wave Trading market model went into a full buy signal on 1/5/2012 following a partial buy signal on 1/3/2012. Since the full buy signal, multiple stocks have set up and broken out of sound consolidation patterns. The one problem with this rally, however, is that we are not seeing any explosive gains right off the bat. Normally at the start of new uptrends, Big Wave Trading will have a handful of stocks up 20% in just a few days to a couple of weeks. This is not happening this time. This is in part due to the slow speed of this rally as we are only moving slightly higher each day, outside of 1/18/2012. Nobody knows if this rally will continue or will end with a reversal. The only right play is to be completely prepared for both outcomes. If this rally comes under distribution, Big Wave Trading will begin cutting losses and pairing back long positions very fast. As of now, we continue to focus on the long side cutting losers quickly and quickly moving that money into new stocks giving new buy signals or current long positions offering up additional buy points. If the market comes under a few days of distribution in a short time frame the model will switch from BUY to NEUTRAL to a possible SELL depending on how much selling pressure shows up in the market and leading stocks. We will see how this new week shapes up. I expect a pullback. However, what I expect does not matter. It is what the market actually does that matters.

current top holdings – % return non-margin – date of signal

RAM – 20% – 1/9/2012

Performance of Big Wave Trading

A big thank you to bjesse a member of BWT for putting this together! It goes to show you the value BWT brings to the table! Take advantage of the value by signing up here.

Performance Analysis 1-21-12

NASDAQ 100 closes at an 11 year high; GOOG closes down big in after-hours trading

Positive news for the job market as jobless claims fell hard, but it was the NASDAQ 100 closing at an 11 year high that stole the show. Yes, it is positive claims almost broke through the -300,000 level and the market certainly liked the figure. Even a slightly negative Philly Fed survey couldn’t hold back buyers from scooping up shares throughout much of the day. Volume on the NASDAQ rose again, but once again over on the S&P 500 volume fell. The S&P 500 continued its “wedge” higher as the NASDAQ remains the leading index.

The number of bulls pulled back from last week’s high, but bulls registered at 47%. Bears were able to climb back above 20%, but they didn’t make a big stand. The II survey continues to be bullish, but well off the extremes we witnessed early this year. I wouldn’t consider this market at an extreme level as far as sentiment is concerned. And with the amount of stocks we continue to find popping up this rally should have legs to run for quite some time. Again, we may see a shakeout here and there it won’t derail the rally currently underway.

Every rally will trick traders/investors to chase stocks at highs only to see the stock reverse and shaking them out. It is best to have a sound approach to buying and chasing stocks SHOULD NOT be a part of the approach. Just as important is money management, knowing how much to buy, cut losses, and exit a position is paramount. Without these tools you will be left behind.

It is clear the NASDAQ is the leading index with S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial lagging behind. This is precisely what we like to see. If it were the other way around, we’d have issues. Enjoy the weekend!

Stocks Close Higher Again above October Highs

Another stellar day for the bulls as stocks rose across the board. The S&P 500 closed higher for the 10th time in 13 sessions but volume fell on the index. For the NASDAQ composite the index closed higher with higher volume and it was above average. Clearly the NASDAQ is the leading index of this current rally a sign we’d like to see. Given the run up as of late, it is hard to continue to knock the ball out of the park each and every day. Use the opportunity to cut laggards and stay on your winners. Today was just another solid day in this uptrend.

The market really got going with a big jump in home builder confidence. Finally, after so long we are beginning to see an uptick in confidence from homebuilders. It remains to be seen whether or not this translates into success, but the way homebuilders are acting higher prices are ahead. Banks were helped out as well, with an improving real estate market the situation should translate well for the “toxic” assets banks continue to hold. Let’s not forget the Federal Reserve holds quite a bit of mortgage paper and continued improvement in the real estate market will surely help the quality of paper held on the Fed’s balance sheet. It all boils down to price and volume and it is positive.

I am still looking forward to seeing Sentiment indicators tomorrow. Most notably the AAII survey as it has been quite bullish for the past two weeks. Bears have been decimated below 20% and you have to wonder if this market will have a quick washout to get the weak bulls out of their positions. This would be an ideal situation for us as it will show who the true leaders are in this rally. It would then allow us to focus in on the very best and take advantage of a new rally. Sentiment is an imperfect indicator and usually works best at REAL extremes. I highly doubt we are at one now, but we are at a point where it’d be nice to shake out some weak bulls then proceed with this nice rally. Remember October of 2010 and November of 2010? Quick shakeouts only to have us lead higher. Don’t be easily shaken out, follow the game plan.

Rally Fizzles as Volume ends Mixed; NASDAQ gains but well off the highs of the Session

The morning started off great for stocks, but the day’s gains were unable to grow. Fresh off a long weekend it appeared overseas markets were brushing off S&P’s downgrade of 9 Euro nations. Little ground was covered for much of the session as the market traded within a relatively small range. A few stocks broke out including MSFT and PNRA. PNRA held onto most of its gains MSFT could not. The days action really boiled down to stalling action on the NASDAQ. In of itself, today isn’t that bad, but over the next few days looking out for distribution will be a key indication if this market can power forward over the next few weeks.

Today’s market action isn’t a glaring sell indication, but it does just raise a simple flag that the market may be acting a bit tired. We have plenty of stocks underneath setting up and looking solid. This doesn’t mean we automatically blast higher, but it does help our chances over the next few weeks/months for this market to set up for gains. For now, it appears the general market has been able to shrug off the negative news pouring out of Europe as of late. I should mention at the end of February Greece is set to default again. Don’t fret, have a game plan and execute it with precision. Big Wave Trading has a plan and we’ll continue to execute.

CNBC continues to harp on the “golden cross.” They did a piece when the Dow Jones Industrial average experienced the cross. Now it is the NASDAQ’s turn and there is a bit of history to back it up. I posted the numbers awhile back and confirmed with 80% of the time you will see gains 180 days from the actual cross. It is quite bullish and I wouldn’t be against the golden cross as history has shown it is a profitable indicator. Given the stocks we are seeing, coupling the golden cross buy signal can set up for a very bullish spring. Stay tuned.

It would not come as a surprise to use for the market to shake out weak bulls. Last week the number of AAII bulls nearly topped out at 50% for the second straight week. Normally, we tend to see shakeouts happen when the retail investor gets a bit too bullish. We are going to follow our rules as usual, will you be able to handle a market shakeout?

Market closes mixed with declining volume

The NASDAQ closed higher for the 6th time out of 7 days as volume continues to remain above average. Today appeared on the onset it would be a day of consolidation, but the NASDAQ would have none of that. While volume remains above average for the NASDAQ the S&P 500 continues to remain below the key volume moving average. A sign Institutions are more interested in NASDAQ composite stocks than the S&P 500. A pull back is certainly in the cards and would be a welcome sign to consolidate the recent gains. However, our trend remains up and until this situation changes we are positioned accordingly.

Tomorrow we get a bit of economic data in the morning and it will be all about retail sales figures. Forecasts are for sales to jump .20% and I wonder to myself: “do economists ever get anything right?” They don’t, it is meaningless to position yourself based upon a hunch or opinion. NO ONE knows the future we only know what we know up to a point. Sure, fiat money has an average shelf life of 35 years, but it doesn’t mean the US Dollar has to end (in one form or another) 35 years to the date Nixon took us off the gold standard. The moral of the story: price and volume tell the story you want to be listening to; follow it!

January always tends to be a tricky month for stocks. Sure, optimism runs high for the new year and as humans we tend to have emotional roller coasters and makes sense for stocks to run at the beginning of the year. However, January tends to be more of a messy month for stocks and it is quite dangerous to think live on hope of a good year. Have a game plan of how you plan to attack the market and execute the plan. There is buying going on underneath, we are finding them and you need to have a game plan to attack those names.

The key to success is using a cut loss strategy to protect your downside. It is always important to cut your losses and move on.

Big Wave Trading Portfolio Update

It continues to be a rough 2011, minus the July to August downtrend, but it is possible another trend is in the process of developing. Following the rally off the October lows, it started to look possible that a new uptrend might take shape as some new CANSLIM quality stocks started to build right side of bases with some breaking out. On top of that, some very pretty green chart patterns began setting up in more speculative quality names (SIMO PKT) with the stocks coming off the lows producing some solid gains fast (PEIX BIOF). During this uptrend from the October lows two partial buy signals were produced with both failing immediately due to the signals coming very late in the uptrend during overbought conditions. While this was occurring, ex-generals of the previous uptrend from the 2008/2009 lows were not participating in the rally. These two major red flags prevented a full buy signal from being produced the whole rally saving Big Wave Trading investors money by keeping new long positions very small in relation to total account capital.

Since November 17th, things have changed. Bank stocks that looked to have been trying to hammer out a bottom have completely rolled over with stocks like BAC and GS hitting new lows, the new CANSLIM quality long setups (VMW TIBX SPRD RHT) have failed immediately, the speculative longs have reversed hard/crashed (LGND OPNT GMCR), the inverse ETFs have come under heavy accumulation, the 3x bull ETFs have come under heavy distribution, the ex-generals (AMZN AAPL PCLN CRM) have all created very bearish chart patterns (most have H&S tops), and the SP500 and Nasdaq have resolved themselves below the triangle pattern they were creating in November. All of this threw our market model into a 66%-75% sell signal on November 17th.

This signal has proven quite profitable in the very short term but it remains under a 66-75% signal and not a 100% sell signal due to the fact that volume on the NYSE on the distribution days continues to be below the average daily volume of the past 50 market sessions and we still have some current long positions that are holding above key support. If the market can rally on the short term and fail at recent resistance levels on higher volume, a full 100% sell signal will be triggered (despite above average volume or not on the NYSE). The nine long positions that remain in the margin account (4 in the IRA) are all on the cusp of triggering their final cut losses. If this happens, along with the NYSE failing at resistance (even if volume is lower than the day before), then the model will go 100% sell.

Currently, the Big Wave Trading margin account is 55%-60% short 10 stocks, 10-15% long 9 stocks, and 25-35% cash. The Big Wave Trading IRA account is 70% long 4 inverse ETFs, 6% long 4 stocks, and 24% cash.

Top Current Holdings – % Return – Date Of Purchase:

EDZ – 23% gain – 11/18/2011

My Interview With The Rouge Investor Website

I had the chance to re-interview Josh Hayes from Big Wave Trading in an effort to learn about his methods to consistently profit from trading stocks. Let me stress that Josh does what I consider to be an art and he is one of the highest performers around. I’d argue he is mainly a momentum investor, mixing technical and fundamental analysis to achieve superior returns.

There are two options for getting more information about Josh and his analysis. First, he has a premium subscription service at BigWaveTrading.com with different membership levels for different needs. Second, he has BigWaveTrading.net which is a site dedicated to free commentary. Check them out!

We started off getting revised answers to the questions I asked in my previous interview and then moved on to a new set of questions.
Interview 1.0 Revisited

How would you describe your trading system?

Simple without noise. I simply pay attention to my charts. I don’t watch CNBC or read other financial publications. I do not even subscribe to IBD anymore. I just use Daily Graphs, Telechart, Scottrade, and IB. I keep it very simple and the most important thing is I never “try (it’s impossible to do)” to let my stupid opinions influence me.

How has your trading system changed, if any, ever since the economic downturn?

No, It hasn’t. I started looking at charts in 1996 and in 1999 I had learned-in-my-head the CANSLIM methodology and have kept to that simple (yet very hard to initially learn) methodology since 1999. I know and knew, thanks to my laborious reading of about 100 stock market books, that nothing ever changes in the stock market but the players. The patterns always remain the same thanks to basic insecure human emotions like greed, fear, and hope. They are completely useless in this game.

I noticed that on your telechart, you keep your price very small compared to most charts. What is you reasoning for such a setup?

It allows me to, very, clearly see the basing patterns such as a cup w/ handle, cup, ascending, double bottom, or HTF pattern. By “squishing” the price the chart goes from big and what appears to be loose to tight. If a stock is not completely tight on my price settings I know I want to avoid it. Visually, it is just what I prefer. To someone else, it might not be their cup of tea. To each their own.

Is it an advantage or disadvantage to be located in Maui?

If we are talking about surfing, YES! If we are talking about life, YES! If we are talking about the stock market, YES! Maui no ka oi. Being so far away from NYC and CNBC has to have nothing but 100% advantage towards my investing. Getting rid of all that mainland noise is the reason I can completely be objective towards the stock market. I never know what is happening in the macro environment anymore. I could care less. It’s all about sun and fun for me and that equals profits thankfully. Once again, I say, for me.

About how long did it take you to get to a level where you could make consistent profits?

Four years (1999 was too easy and we will never see that again in our lifetimes). 2000 was the first year, when the market tanked, and I beat the market by 1000%+ that I realized that I could do it. I have always beaten the market returns but trust me the market still beats me at being very difficult. I can not stress enough how difficult this really is. If you do not get any luck and have only skill in the stock market, you will not make money. You seriously need skill and luck. Since I have no luck, I am very fortunate to be beating the market every year since 1999.

What single piece of advice would you give to personal investors as we all fight to find and keep profits?

Never give up. Either you have it or you don’t. If you struggle for 10 years and are still interested TRUST ME in 20 years you will be very wealthy. However, wealth will never equal happiness. Live and love life. Have fun. Make sure you do what you love. If you do not love this game do not do it. Honestly, I hate this game so much that I love it. But if someone asked me “surfing or stocks?” The answer is simple and I do not even have to think about it. Surfing.

Interview 2.0

To start off, would you highlight your average return on a position, your success rate (% of stocks from which you profit), and the size of your average position in dollars?

All of that information can be found here. I was tracked by a subscriber in an excel spreadsheet going over my purchases and sells over the past year.

We’ve seen a bull market with significant gains since the bottom in early ’09 (Dow). What do you expect from the market in the coming years? Also, do you subscribe to IBD’s method for determine market trends?

I can not predict the future and never will try to. Nobody knows what will happen in the future and when they say they think this-or-that will happen it is completely ego driven and they want to be seen as “important and smart.” The truth is, nobody, and I mean nobody, can completely look at all the data and be correct about the future. It is a total crap-shoot. I play the now. I live in the now. There is no room for the future. It is what it is and that is that. Also, 130 years of data of facts proves that IBD’s way of determining market trends is correct. However, in all fairness, I think some of the writers of IBD might not be investing money in the stock market. They don’t have what I would say is “the touch.”

I’ve been studying the articles you’ve written about your trading strategy (which I will include links to) and was curious if you are still using the same chart setup? (The setup consisted of price with a moving average up top, volume and TSV in the middle, and BOP, MS, and RS to the S&P 500 in the bottom.)

To keep it simple, yes. The same setup I’ve had since 1999.

Click to Enlarge.

Using your chart setup, what exactly to do you look for that triggers a buy or short signal?

Volume, price, and BOP. Just like always. Big volume, a clear breakout/bounce, and heavy BOP either to the upside or downside.

Do you have a written/typed checklist of some sort that you follow when trading?

No, it is all in my head. The routine is like breathing. You just do it at this point.

How do you determine the point when you take profits/limit losses? Do you have an exact system for exiting positions?

The chart tells me what to do. Sometimes you get it right and look like a genius. Other times you get it wrong and look stupid until you get it right again and look like a genius. I take every buy/sell signal from my charts. It’s definitely more of an art than a science. I laugh at most “mechanical/black box” systems.

Do you add to existing holdings? If so, what is your strategy for this.

The chart. It is all about the signal. Breakouts/bounces on volume. I have added to positions on pullbacks in my IRA in high-priced CANSLIM quality stocks but it must be coming right off the 50 DMA on volume with a very low risk to possible reward.

How about ETF’s? Do you stick to stocks or have you started to trade other securities?

Only stocks. No ETFs. Not the same ballgame. Lazy man’s game.

Lately, I’ve started to add the IBD composite score as a screen component (only going long companies with a score of 80 or higher). Do you have a level of fundamental analysis in your system? Does share price influence your picks?

Share price and quality of fundamentals matters everything. I don’t care how nice the chart is, if fundamentals are not there, it will be small. An ugly chart but making a clear move with fantastic fundamentals will always beat a perfect chart with ugly fundies.

What would you say was the tipping point when you transitioned from an amateur to a professional?

That will never happen. I am and always and forever will be an amateur in this game. You just got to cut losses and learn your history and have amazing patience for learning. This is the hardest “game” to ever play and win at. Harder than blackjack, harder than poker, and harder than almost anything you can think of.

I want to thank Josh for his time and help in putting this together. Much appreciation! Again, if you would like to get in touch with Josh or get more information check out his site, BigWaveTrading.com.

Stocks Rally On Higher Volume Following The Light Volume Holiday Trading

While MarketSpeculator/BigWaveTrader is on vacation on my stomping grounds of Maui, I will fill in with some brief comments, until he returns. — Josh Hayes



The market had a very strong session today and despite finishing off the highs overall it was a great day. The biggest positive of today is two fold. For one, my current holdings had a fantastic day with the biggest CANSLIM positions having some of the bigger gains. Second, my main long scan is full of stocks. These two events tell me that today was a great day, despite us finishing off the highs.

For those of you familiar with me, you know that I do not read or watch anything anywhere on the stock market. I simply use charts on the indexes and individual stocks. When I see a chart pattern that is extremely bullish based on the past 130 years of historical data about the markets biggest winners then I dive a bit deeper into the fundamentals. However, when it comes to macro events, I could care less. When you live on Maui and have made your living via charts the past 12+ years, you realize more and more everyday what a pile of junk most traders infect their brains with.

The bottom line to that is that if you are looking for a “reason” as to why the market did what it did today well I can’t help you with that. If you are looking to make money on the actual actions of the market based on what people “believe” caused the market to move well that I can help you with.

This market continues to be in a strong uptrend establishing itself well above the 50 day moving average. Until the market turns lower on heavier volume making lower highs and lower lows, along with my current holdings showing distribution, then and only then will I entertain a possible topping scenario. Until this occurs, I am just riding the trend higher. That is how you make the real money, and not just scraps, in the stock market.

As Big Wave Trader knows by now Maui is a beautiful place and I doubt you will be hearing from him until he returns to the mainland. Can you blame him? I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and while it may not be an easy transition back into work mode, I will be here doing as much as I can to make sure you continue to profit from this rally. Aloha everyone.

Stocks Escape Distribution, but Leaders Weaken a Bit

The market gets a late day save as the NASDAQ escapes back to back distribution days as the Federal Reserve rate announcement induces volatility. In the early going the market did stumble, but buyers stepped up and supported stocks prior to the Federal Reserve rate announcement. Stocks spent the majority of time heading sideways prior to the rate announcement. Then came the volatility, the Federal Reserved announced its decisions and stocks went into a volatile mode. By 3:30pm EST it appeared stocks were headed for a deep dive. However, buyers stepped up and saved the market, especially the NASDAQ from back to back days of distribution. Despite the market avoiding distribution today was another day of stalling and a bit of underlying weakness casting doubt on the current uptrend.



Precious metals started the day off well, but ended in negative territory. A big key was the reversal in the EURUSD reversal and pop in the US Dollar. Perhaps this was a one day wonder, but it does appear there is underlying weakness in some leaders casting shadows over the overall market uptrend. By no means does this indicate the “end” to the uptrend, but we need to be prepared for what the market has in store for us. Be prepared and stay focused.

Breadth has been waning and it can be seen in the McClellan oscillator a measure of breadth. While this indicator is a piece to the puzzle it doesn’t fill out the entire picture. The underlying weakness in some leaders is concerning and should be taken notice. However, we aren’t jumping the gun. A few of our leaders may be forming right sides of their bases rather than breaking down. However, any further selling here will certainly cast a very dark shadow on the market. Be prepared.

Cut your losses short.

Stocks Stage Reversal as Volume Soars

Current market rally stalls on volume

A brokered deal in Washington on tax cuts and the unemployment extension helped boost futures in the morning. Stocks jumped at the open only to face selling pushing stocks to lows by mid day. Volume on the NYSE was lifted by Citigroup after the government unloaded its remaining shares of the company. Citigroup traded 3.26 billion shares accounting for the majority of the change in volume on the NYSE. However, on the NASDAQ volume jumped more than 18%. The market at the end of the day looked poised to push into the highs of the day before the 3 o’clock hour. Rumors on the street of more insider trading probes helped sellers dump stock on the market. By the end of the day stocks finished on the lows putting in a terrible stall day.

Today is not the end all be all, but more importantly you must be aware of your stocks and how they are acting. One must take profits and cut losses. However, you have to go stock by stock and sell appropriately. If your stock is giving you profit signals ignoring them will only have you wishing you would have sold earlier. With today’s action there are a few stocks that appear to be flashing sell signals and we’ll adhere to them.

Sentiment remains high, last week we saw the AAII Bulls jump to 49.66 and has yet to see sub-40% for quite some time. Coupling the reversal today with sentiment a shake out or a deeper correction may be our midst. If today was not a signal of what is to come we’ll certainly see the market reverse course and continue higher. However, if our market leaders which took a hit today; decide to fall apart we’ll certainly see this market push lower.

Before today, the market and leaders were looking decent. Today’s action certainly put a dent into our leaders and we would like to see the damage limited to today. Regardless of what happens always play great defense and that is to cut your losses short. We may experience further selling, but the importance should be placed on your portfolio of stocks.

Gold and Silver Shine as Small Cap Stocks Lead Stocks

Bernanke’s interview on 60 minutes spark fear over his handling monetary policy

Gold and silver soar after Bernanke’s 60 minutes interview on Sunday night. Stocks consolidated nicely with the Russell 2000 index leading the way finishing higher by 4.44 (+.59) points. Volume was lower across the board, but Monday’s have become light volume affairs. Without economic news stocks moved lower during the morning and gained traction just after noon time. Only late day selling put a negative spin on the day, but with market leaders pushing higher the close was only a blip on the day. The markets consolidated nicely with market leaders pushing higher and our accounts higher.



Bernanke continues to push his loose monetary policy forced investors to gold and silver. The moves in the precious metals are an indication the market does not trust Ben Bernanke handling monetary policy. Gold and silver have been a measure of “money” for thousands of years, it has real history. The dollar is in effect a paper currency and is being devalued by the Fed’s loose monetary policy. It really boils down to the Government running surpluses and the Fed tightening monetary policy before gold and sliver stop their run.

Small cap stocks are taking the lead and this observation is a positive sign for the market. When small caps lead it signals risk adversion is taking a back seat and traders are willing to pay up for stock. When large cap stocks lead, the Dow and S&P 500 is a sign the market is getting tired. We saw this in October and November of 2007. In addition, with the NASDAQ showing positive signs and the Russell 2000 leading this market is poised to continue its run.

Not much in the way of economic news out this week and the headlines will certainly be pointed to the Jobless claim figures on Thrusday. In addition, the EURUSD will continue to be a cross currency rate to watch as the market has traded in concert with the rate. At some point the market will break the correlation, but for now they appear to be trading in tandem.

IBD went back into rally mode last week. They used the Dow Jones Industrial Average to turn the market in correction mode. As it turns out, this was not a wise move. We pay attention to our leaders and the NASDAQ, the Russell 2000 is not too far behind. Stick with the leaders and the laggards should be left behind.

Always cut your losses short.

Stocks Advance as the Euro Rebounds

Stocks approach 2010 highs as European Debt fears subside

A bigger drop in jobless claims then expected, did not stop the market from pushing higher closing just off the highs of the session. What did help the market was a jump in pending home sales figures suggesting buyers were out procuring new homes. Preliminary volume figures showed volume dropped on the day, but the underlying action was still poisitive. Financial and retail stocks were the big winners of the day as the European debt crisis fears subsided giving a boost to banks. Along side the rise in the market was the Euro stabilizing after its most recent run in with sellers. Leaders acted well today and the market had a decent follow-through from yesterday’s action.

It would have been better to see volume jump on the day as if institutions were rushing in to gobble up shares of stocks. Unfortunately, we may be seeing a similar story as we did last year with the market pushing higher without volume. The strong price action is enough to override the lack of volume we are seeing in the overall market. Again, pay attention to your stocks.

Bullishness once again jumped as the survey out of AAII showed bulls heading to 49.66% and bears at a lonely 26.21%. Bulls are off of their highs just from a few weeks ago, but the recent Euro news and market reaction failed to scare bulls from their positions. Perhaps this is the reason why we saw the market hold up on its 50dma. For whatever the reason the fact remains the market still is in position to push back into new high territority before any substantial move lower.

Tomorrow’s headlines will certainly highlight the jobs report set to be released at 830am EST. The market so far appears to be pricing in a decent report showing gain of 145k jobs. This week the market saw a better than expected rise in private payrolls from ADP and an upside surprise tomorrow should help the market. However, we aren’t in the guess/gambling game. We’ll take our clues from our stocks and act accordingly. Panic buying and selling only nets you red in your portfolio. Stick with your market leaders and use their action to navigate the market waters. Remember, “thinking” in this game is a dangerous thing.

Cut your losses and enjoy the weekend ahead.

Stocks Jump on Global Economic News

“Simplicity is the key to brilliance” – Bruce Lee

Stocks turn in a big rebound as economic data in the US and China along with a positive Portugal bond offering help ease the fears of a European debt crisis. ADP Employment change was better than expected as its payroll survey showed an increase of 93,000 private payroll jobs. ISM manufacturing index edged down from October, but was slightly better than expected at a reading of 56.6. Mid-day a rumor of the US backing the IMF bailout fund for Europe pushed stocks to their highs only to have the rumor to be false. Stocks closed just off the highs of the day, but in line with the highs before the rumor mill picked up. Regardless, today was a positive day for the market as stocks jump pushing the NASDAQ above its April high.

Volume was lower, but there was a volume surge at the end of yesterday’s session skewing volume. Many funds have November year-ends and we cannot rule out some funds adjusting their portfolios heading into their year-ends. However, for much of the day the pace of volume outpaced Tuesday’s session which is a positive sign for the market. Like September 1st the first day of the month has been helpful to stocks and today was no exception.

Market leaders enjoyed today session despite some negative action a few yesterday. However, we stress we must pay attention to our own stocks and make decisions based upon their action. Your holdings are your most important decision making tool you have to gauge the market. Are your stocks going through “normal” corrections? IGTE is one of example of an abnormal correction where the stock took a dive to its 50dma on big volume. The stock was a leader until yesterday and its weakness carried forward into today’s action. If all our holdings acted like IGTE we’d be out of the market, but fortunately it was the only one despite the broad market sell-off. Stick to your stocks.

There are a few certain things in the market and that is you will never be able to OUTRESEARCH the big instiutions in the market. They have vasts amount of resources at their disposal to conduct research, it is best to follow their movement rather than to outdual them. Many traders feel they can outsmart the big boys as well as the market in general. Unfortunately, you will never outsmart the market despite all your efforts Accept the reality of the situation and it will only be then you’ll be able to become a successful trader.

A positive day for the stock market and as the greats like to say: the trend is your friend.

Stocks Jump on Global Economic News

“Simplicity is the key to brilliance” – Bruce Lee

Stocks turn in a big rebound as economic data in the US and China along with a positive Portugal bond offering help ease the fears of a European debt crisis. ADP Employment change was better than expected as its payroll survey showed an increase of 93,000 private payroll jobs. ISM manufacturing index edged down from October, but was slightly better than expected at a reading of 56.6. Mid-day a rumor of the US backing the IMF bailout fund for Europe pushed stocks to their highs only to have the rumor to be false. Stocks closed just off the highs of the day, but in line with the highs before the rumor mill picked up. Regardless, today was a positive day for the market as stocks jump pushing the NASDAQ above its April high.

Volume was lower, but there was a volume surge at the end of yesterday’s session skewing volume. Many funds have November year-ends and we cannot rule out some funds adjusting their portfolios heading into their year-ends. However, for much of the day the pace of volume outpaced Tuesday’s session which is a positive sign for the market. Like September 1st the first day of the month has been helpful to stocks and today was no exception.

Market leaders enjoyed today session despite some negative action a few yesterday. However, we stress we must pay attention to our own stocks and make decisions based upon their action. Your holdings are your most important decision making tool you have to gauge the market. Are your stocks going through “normal” corrections? IGTE is one of example of an abnormal correction where the stock took a dive to its 50dma on big volume. The stock was a leader until yesterday and its weakness carried forward into today’s action. If all our holdings acted like IGTE we’d be out of the market, but fortunately it was the only one despite the broad market sell-off. Stick to your stocks.

There are a few certain things in the market and that is you will never be able to OUTRESEARCH the big instiutions in the market. They have vasts amount of resources at their disposal to conduct research, it is best to follow their movement rather than to outdual them. Many traders feel they can outsmart the big boys as well as the market in general. Unfortunately, you will never outsmart the market despite all your efforts Accept the reality of the situation and it will only be then you’ll be able to become a successful trader.

A positive day for the stock market and as the greats like to say: the trend is your friend.

* Setting Euro Fears Aside The Market Rallies off the Lows of the Session

Stocks rebound as buyers step up and support the market

The market returned from a holiday shortened week greated by hefty selling as fears over deapening of the European debt crisis. Stocks hung around the lows after a steep sell off heading into the 10am hour. Even a positive Dallas Federal Reserve Manufacturing activity report could not hold off sellers from pushing the markets to their lows. Many leaders were holding up during the sell-off, a positive sign for the markets in general. Just before 2:30pm EST the markets found solid footing and pushed higher back to the day’s high and closing just off the highs of the day. Another positive move by the market bouncing off support and as market leaders continue to act positive the uptrend remains intact.



Market pundits have been pounding the table the market had reached a top. CNBC has been running articles on the market topping and we have seen the highs of the year. While this may be true, as no one person knows the future what we have in front of us says we will push higher. Market leaders remain positive and in control. Not too mention smalal caps are indicating strength and when small caps lead it signals traders are willing to take on risk rather than unload it. The moral of the story is to pay attention to the market leaders and their price/volume action.

In the early going the VIX jumped considerably as fears over a market collapse continued to put pressure on stock prices. By the end of the trading session the VIX index reversed its gains and closed lower indicating further decline in the index is instore. The VIX certainly indicated near capitulation type selling just without the volume. Panic selling over the European crisis is noteworthy, but the action at the end of the day is the most important indication of where the market wants to go.

This week is going to be a big week as far as economic reports. Tomorrow kicks off the week with the following reports: S&P Case Shiller, Chicago PMI, NAPM-Milwaukee report. The Fed’s beige book is out later in the week and CNBC’s favorite the Non-Farm Payroll report on Friday. There should be plenty of noise generated this week, but we’ll be focused on the market action and a laser focus on our leaders.

Tomorrow closes out the month and there will be talk about window-dressing in terms of the market action. We are looking for the market to build upon today’s move off the lows and push higher.

Top Current Holdings, Total Return, And Date Of Purchase

I am currently fully invested in all of my regular accounts and my IRA. Don't forget to check out the 2010 Big Wave Trading Performance.

ticker symbol – total % return since first purchase – date of purchase

URRE 137% 10/26
MIPS 119% 8/20
RES 89% 7/13
JOBS 81% 8/16
SPRD 59% 8/27
GGAL 54% 10/19
TZOO 47% 9/28
CPWM 44% 11/15
XXIA 40% 8/31
FFIV 37% 10/22
IGTE 34% 9/17
AXTI 34% 9/20
ARUN 30% 8/27
TRS 30% 10/1
IVN 27% 9/14
CGNX 27% 9/24
FVE 27% 9/10
NSU 25% 8/20
MHR 24% 10/12
EPHC 24% 10/15
ACOM 24% 10/4
NNBR 21% 9/1
BIDU 21% 9/20
CWEI 21% 11/2

Performance of Big Wave Trading Ideas

Great performance, but an important lesson to be learned

Cutting your losses makes a big difference in performance and the following charts prove by riding winners and cutting losses you can outperform the market.

How profitable are trade ideas from Big Wave Trading?



Our batting average



Check out our Membership levels here and sign up here.

If you have any questions please email us at sales@bigwavetrading.com

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A BIG THANKS TO BJESSE (BWT MEMBER) FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER!

UPDATE TO THE POST ABOVE BY BJESSE:

A couple days ago I posted Josh’s YTD trade performance for all but 68 of his 2010 trades. Today I filled in the holes, which consisted of trades closing early in the year. Here are the results for all 614 of his trades YTD. Again, any errors are mine.





Note this confirms Josh’s long term average of 60/40.

I have also included a plot of the Gain/Loss percentage for each trade. If anyone ever doubted the wisdom of “keep your losses small” this should convert you. Going through the trades I was struck again by just how disciplined Josh is at following his sell rules, and how that preserves profits far more often than it results in missed gains.

I have always found it difficult to let my winners run. JH is a master, as this shows; his average gain is 33% with a standard deviation of 44%.

I find these results nothing short of remarkable. Awesome even. It is not a trivial matter to translate Josh’s trades into profit dollars in your own portfolio. But as I said before, there is gold to be mined here.

Thanks Josh and BWT! The CEO should give you a huge bonus :)

North Korea and PIIGS Weigh on Stocks as Volume Rises

Fears rise over PIIGS bailouts and potential war in the Korean Peninsula scare traders away from stocks



The markets were rocked with news out of the Korean peninsula where North Korea and South Korea fired upon each other. Futures weakened considerably throughout the early morning session as European fears continued to put pressure on stocks. A better than expected GDP results and a spike in the Richmond Fed Index couldn’t help push stocks higher. Volume on the NYSE rose much higher than Monday’s level where the NASDAQ only saw its volume barely above Monday’s level. Market leaders were largely positive, but overall the damage was done with the banks. Today’s action was not ideal, yet we were able to find support at the lows with a few leaders finishing in the green.

Panic certainly struck the market today as fears regarding Ireland’s bailout, but now attention is turning to other countries making up PIIGS. Spain is the real issue here whereby its bailout will certainly be the grand daddy of them all. It is surprising the European Union hasn’t set up a TARP like program to deal with its banking issue, but what really needs to occur is for governments to run surpluses with slashing entitlement programs. Many will cry foul and ask for bigger taxes, but increasing taxes does not solve the problem of insolvency. It is an easy equation and for it to balance out spending needs to be drastically cut. But, all of this, for our markets with leaders showing promise we may have seen one giant shakeout.

It is entirely possible to see the market roll over here and we’ll be very quick to cut our losses and push to the short side of the market. However, with the market showing support at the lows today along with plenty of leaders finishing in the green today it shows a positive direction for the market. Let’s not use “we are oversold” as an excuse for the market to go higher. We can certainly stay oversold for quite some time, but with the recent selling we should see a drastic reduction in AAII and II Bulls. Stick with the leaders and your stocks.

Tomorrow morning we are going to get a flurry of economic data the market will get a chance to digest. More importantly will be how the market reacts to this as well as any news coming out of Europe and the Korean Peninsula. Any further downside should throw caution to the wind and should get you on the defensive. Always be prepared and have a plan and as always cut your losses.

Reversing Course Stocks End the Day off the Highs but with Big Gains

Better than expected jobless claim figures and a big jump in Philadelphia Fed index pushed stocks higher. Volume rose across the board as traders rushed to get back into stocks. Late day selling did knock stocks off their highs of the day, but gains were plentiful and solid. Today’s action does go a long way in to bring back the current uptrend. Given the gains and volume it is highly probable the rally will continue.

The index I focus on is the NASDAQ and second would be the S&P 500. Outside of these indexes there really isn’t any other index I want to pay attention to. The Dow Jones Industrial average is an ancient index and using this index to put the market in correction is not something I would put much stock into. Recently, the Dow had 6 distribution days yet the NASDAQ had only suffered 3 days worth while the S&P 500 had 4. The leading indexes, NASDAQ and S&P 500 didn’t have the heavy distribution you normally see at a market top. If we do see distribution over the next few days it would signal major weakness, but for now the uptrend still lives.

Many are comparing our recent market with the April highs. Why not, it is recent history and we all tend to think history repeats itself. The major difference is the February through April run came off a 3 week 8% decline in the market. Our recent uptrend came off the back of a longer and deeper correction. Thus, the probability of a 5% pullback and the uptrend remaining intact is high. Perhaps we do roll back over, but until we get full sell signals in our stocks and the NASDAQ/S&P 500 pile on the distribution this uptrend will continue.

Well, my McClellan is still in oversold territory, but that will hardly mean anything if distribution creeps back into the market. One index did see a 17 point drop was the AAII Bull index while the index dropped to 40% while the bears jumped to 33%. Sentiment took a big hit and it isn’t out of the ordinary for a market to shakeout nervous bulls. Especially if sentiment gets out of hand like we saw over the past few weeks. The drop in Bulls does not guarantee we will rip higher over the next few days, but it is a good sign the shakeout over the last few trading days has cut down sentiment.

Tomorrow is an option expiry Friday where volume will be exaggerated in the early going. It’ll be important to see who the market reacts throughout the entire day as well as leading stocks. The most important thing would be to cut your losses short.

Late Day Volatility Brings Excitement as the Market Awaits GM’s IPO

Market leaders did little to inspire, but we held Tuesday’s low

The market did very little to calm the nerves of anxious bulls as the Dow closed slightly lower while the S&P 500 closed just higher. Volume ran lower across the board as the market was able to hold off from moving past Tuesday’s low. Closing slightly higher the NASDAQ fared better, but the index ran into a brick wall in the last hour as sellers slammed the index. A wild ride in the last hour made the day interesting and kept traders on their toes. We did see the market close off their lows, but overall the market lacked an impressive rebound after Tuesday’s heavy volume selling.



We may be oversold, but like the market was overbought we can see this market stay oversold for quite awhile. One thing is for sure, we have cleared the overbought conditions from the September 1st market uptrend. It all boils down to your stocks and what they are telling you. Are they giving you complete sell signals? Profit taking signals? Ignore the noise and hoopla from the financial media and focus on your stocks.

Much will be made of the GM IPO as it starts trading tomorrow. At this time we do not have a specific view on GM simply due to the lack of trading history. No one really knows how the stock will act, but it does appear most feel the stock will quickly sell off as the stock begins trading. Speculation is swirling around the company, but at least in its latest quarter it did not lose money on every car it sold. Wait for the stock to trade for a few days and set up a possible IPO base before jumping in. Despite your feelings on the bailout or how the car company has been handled it may present an opportunity to make some money.

If we are to move higher will need to see a better showing out of our market leaders. Today a few leaders did make a move higher, but there wasn’t a contingent of leaders pushing the market higher. It’ll be important for the market to have the leading stocks push higher like we saw on September 1st. Remember to cut your losses short!

Stocks Tumble in Heavy Trade As Fears over Economic Conditions Grow

European Debt Crisis 2.0 and Chinese Inflation strike fear in the market.

“If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around, does it make a sound?”



There were plenty of traders around to see the market make take a dive to close lower (NASDAQ) for the fourth straight day. Volume jumped across the board as traders feared the worse in the European Debt crisis 2.0 and Chinese worries over inflation. Late day selling tried to collapse the market, but buyers were able to push stocks off the lows of the session. Despite the last ditch effort the market still closed near session lows.

Investors Business Daily put the market into correction mode after signaling the market in correction. IBD has had a streak of bad luck when putting the market into correction mode. After putting the market in correction we saw the July rally and again in September. While leading stocks have been beat up pretty good after a few days worth of selling they still are holding their moving averages. Remember, taking profits, working a position is a wise strategy and if you failed to take profits on the way up you will not forget in the next rally.

The McClellan Oscillator has moved further into extreme oversold conditions. Remember, these conditions may last longer than you might think. However, the oscillator is about at the same levels we saw at the February, July, and August/September lows just before the market rallied. At the very least, we should see some sort of bounce from the market. Will it turn into a new run, that remains to be seen and quite frankly we’ll need to see some serious strength from leadership. Anything is possible, but panicking and selling out because you panic will only net you heart ache.

It appears many pundits are rushing to be the first to call a top in the market and get on the short side. This includes IBD, who I respect greatly and appreciate the information they provide and that I pay for! At any rate, we did suffer quite a bit of damage, but we have yet to see “the great unwind.” The market is the ultimate pricing mechanism, but speculating on what may happen is gambling. Take cues from your tocks and if they are flashing classic sell signals.

Stay prudent in this market and avoid panicking!

Volume Slides, but Late Day Sellers Push the Market to the Day’s Low

Merger Monday fails to spark buyers

Late day weakness left a sour taste in traders’ mouths as late day sellers closed out the market near session lows. Mixed economic data got the day started with a better than expected Advance Retail Sales figures surprised the market. However, a very disappointing Empire Manufacturing report did not help ease traders’ minds about the economic recovery. Volume ran light throughout the day with the exception of the early morning gap where the NASDAQ experienced volume running higher than Friday levels. At the end of the day we were able to hold Friday’s lows, but the late day selling suggests we have further to go on the downside.

Friday’s sell off did some damage, but left the S&P 500 with 3 days of distribution and the NASDAQ with only 2. Given the bullishness from AAII investors last week it is no surprise this pull back has gone as far as it has. The market is, at the moment digesting more than 10 week’s worth of gains and to expect the market to continue to rise is foolish. Remember, markets do not move in straight lines and history shows us little intermediate corrections will occur in market rallies. While we certainly could be seeing a top form we have yet to see the signs of a “top.” Right now, we are simply in an intermediate correction.

One indicator I have neglected is the McClellan Oscillator. Price and volume reign supreme, but the McClellan oscillator has been a decent indicator regarding oversold and overbought conditions. Keep in mind the oscillators including the McClellan shouldn’t be used in absolute terms but as a guide. Right now the Oscillator, depending on how you calculate it is in oversold territory. Oversold conditions can last much longer than you expect and May/June certainly proved this, but the current pull back certainly seems to be nearing an end. Whether or not a bounce will produce much remains to be seen, but for now we must be prudent investors.

We did see a few big cap technology stocks take a bit of a hit as sellers really took to these stocks as they have been leading the market higher. Even with heavy volume selling these stocks have held key long term moving averages. Intermediate pullbacks like we are seeing right now highlight the importance of buying right and not chasing including these big cap technology stocks. If you had chased these stocks you would be sitting on hefty losses and being forced to cut loose your positions. Staying disciplined is the best course of action.

Be defensive right now; keep any new positions on the lighter side until this market can prove its worth by pushing higher on volume. As always cut your losses!

Stocks Rebound on Federal Reserve Announcement

The market responds positively to the Federal Reserves $600bn asset purchase plan

Big two market events down, one to go for this week. The Republicans stormed the elections with big wins in the House of Representatives, but failed to make a big push in the Senate. Even with a big Republican victory the market quickly turned its attention to the Federal Reserve’s Rate Decision. More importantly the market was looking for language specific to a fresh round of asset purchases from the Federal Reserve. Ben Bernanke and company announced a $600 billion ($600,000,000) round of buying of the long end of the curve. In true post Federal Reserve announcement action the market swung wildly as it tried to digest the news. By the end of the day the market closed just off the highs of the day with volume jumping above yesterday’s level and our uptrend remains intact.

For most of the session stocks spent a good amount of time in the red as traders feared asset purchases may NOT be as big as previously thought. Fear can lead you to mishandle your stocks and cause you to sell out too early. We have a strong trend with plenty of stocks moving higher. It is best to stick with them rather than to cut out of them too early. Today is a prime example you must stick with your winners until they begin to show signs of major weakness especially in a strong uptrend. Taking a portion of your position off to lock in gains is wise, but removing an entire position will cause you to sit out major moves in some big stocks.

A major hurdle today was cleared with the April highs with big volume. The market along with our leaders will continue higher with such a strong move today. If we do turn with leaders breaking down we’ll adjust accordingly, but all signs right now are pointing for this market to continue higher. Regardless of what you think about the Federal Reserve printing money or if we were pricing the market in gold the bottom line higher prices are to come.

The market will set its sight on the Unemployment release on Friday. Perhaps a worse than expected jobs report will bring on talk of Quantitative Easing part three, but at this point any is pure speculation. So far, this week we have seen the market move in a positive manor despite what we may have seen as headwinds. Friday’s number in the long run may not even matter with strong corporate earnings with the Federal Reserve and elections behind us. The key takeaway is our stocks are acting well, the market is acting well, and our stock leaders are continuing to show strength. Until this changes, all systems are go for higher ground.

Remember, always cut your losses short and ride your winners!

The Market Advances on Mixed Volume

Traders anticipate positive news from the mid-term elections and the Federal Reserve Rate Decision



Election Day is here and the market cheered its arrival. Volume on the NASDAQ slid higher while he NYSE volume skidded slightly compared to yesterday’s levels. Mid-term elections and the Federal Reserve were the talk of the market as many debated the effects we may see. Clearly the market was giving a vote of confidence today with the NASDAQ extending its gains. The one drawback was the inability for the NASDAQ to take out its April highs, but we did close just below those levels. All in all, a good day for the market and helped erased any doubt yesterday and last week may have brought.

Today was a great example of why opinions DO NOT MATTER in the stock market. Yesterday’s commentary was cautionary, but I highlighted the fact we need to focus on our stocks and not our opinions. Too many traders try to time the market perfectly and suffer great losses. Identify a trend and find the leading stocks and get long. Fighting a trend is a futile effort and will only lead to you losing more money. For example, in October Doug Kass was shorting stocks because the “rally has gone on too long.” If you stuck with Mr. Kass’ investment philosophy you have been beaten up as of late.

A big win was the move in small cap stocks as the Russell 2000 closed up 2.05%. Volume figures I won’t have available to later, but the move in small caps showed this uptrend more than likely has a lot more room to run. Small caps had been consolidating and lagging the NASDAQ, but today’s move was a good signal small caps are looking to make another big push.

The Federal Reserve’s key decision tomorrow has the dollar moving lower once again. Commodities have been flying as cotton has made another all time high. Sugar and coffee have seen decent runs as of late and with the Federal Reserve continuing to print more money commodities and stocks will continue to reap the benefits of money slushing around. Crude oil continues to push higher as it too as it benefits from the excess money. Clearly the dollar is in a downtrend as it continues to price in the Federal Reserve’s monetary accomodation.

Regardless of what is going in terms of news flow it is all about the stocks. So far we continue to see our stocks acting well and not giving us major sell signals. Of course, as a stock moves higher we want to take profits and to lock in gains. Stick with your winners and cut loose your losers!