Market Commentary: $RUT And SP500 Set New Historical Highs

Written by Gary

Midday Market Commentary For 01-15-2014

The $RUT and SP500 made a new historical highs, the DOW is just under its high by 86 points. However, not a very convincing show of market strength as volume falls off at noon. Is this the test of Blue Chip previous highs or is QE going to push the limits again?

By noon the averages pushed back from a weak moment and are slowly melting up again but remaining below previous session highs. This is not the time to take any position.

The short term indicators are leaning towards the hold side at the midday, but I would advise caution in taking any position during this volatile transition period. There will be pressure to climb higher if only to test the previous Blue Chip highs, therefore I do not foresee the markets descending below the sideways channel they are currently in until AFTER those highs are tested.

The longer 6 month outlook still remains 40-60 sell until we can see what the effects are in this almost nothing start of the Fed’s ‘Taper’. By March investors should know how the taper is going to work out in relationship to the stability of the US financial markets and their ability to not to slide downward. For now, I am continuing to expect weak to negative markets for the foreseeable future.

Here is the quandary some investors have now. They have bet on the QE program to bolster their profits and knowing full well they may see some eroding of profits over the next few months, so what should they do? Start reducing positions now, my choice, or let profits ride a bit longer? I would be afraid that if a serious ‘Black Swan’ popped up, the market decent would wipe out a lot of profits. This ‘house of cards’ the Fed has built is fragile and would not take a lot to tear it down.

I would also take chart and other technical indicators with a grain of salt for the time being and watch what the Fed does over the next 4 months. Removing 10 billion from the bond buying program each month isn’t going to do much in reducing the QE program in the beginning, but halving it in 4 months certainly will – IF – the Fed’s continues the taper program.

My instincts tell me that the Keynesian’s are going to be reluctant to stop their grand financial experiment and will want to taper the taper within the next several months – especially if the employment rate increases. Also, watch for QE5 when Obamacare starts drags the economy down into trouble.

Also, many pundits have stated that we may have seen the top – but I wouldn’t count it as long as the Fed continues to hand out ‘Market Viagra’, even if it has been reduced somewhat! I would like to see a blowout candle (shooting star) to verify a top along with heavy volume to signify a market top.

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The DOW at 12:00 is at 16498 up 124 or 0.75%.

The SP500 is at 1849 up 10 or 0.56%.

SPY is at 184.74 up 1 or 0.58%.

The $RUT is at 1170 up 6 or 0.54%.

NASDAQ is at 4212 up 30 or 0.71%.

NASDAQ 100 is at 3611 up 31 or 0.86%.

$VIX ‘Fear Index’ is at 12.01 down 0.27 or -2.20%. Bullish

The longer trend is up, the past months trend is bullish, the past 5 sessions have been sideways and mixed and the current bias is positive.

How Oil Really Gets Priced

WTI oil is trading between 92.63 and 94.70 today. The session bias is positive and is currently trading up at 94.69.

Brent Crude is trading between 105.06 and 106.70 today. The session bias is positive and is currently trading up at 106.41.

Gold rose from 1233.91 earlier to 1241.88 and is currently trading down at 1239.00.

Here’s why copper has lost its indicator role

Dr. Copper is at 3.359 rising from 3.307 earlier.

The US dollar is trading between 80.74 and 81.25 and is currently trading up at 81.12, the bias is currently positive.

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Written by Gary