The Dow Jones Transportation Index is up an impressive +16.7% year-to-date through Wednesday, as it runs interference for the broader Dow Industrials (up +10.8%) and tries to prod the bulls ahead.

I was watching the ABC World News the other evening, and I was struck by the commercials they ran. The target demographic is obviously an older crowd (and since I was watching, I guess that includes me). Advertised products within the short 30-minute newscast addressed a variety of age-related ailments like low-T, erectile dysfunction, overactive bladder, constipation, hemorrhoids, and loose dentures.

Despite last Friday’s disappointing jobs report, stocks are staying strong. The S&P 500 hit yet another new high on Wednesday—its highest level since January 2008, while the Nasdaq is at a level not seen since toppling from its “irrational exuberance” days of late-2000 as the Internet bubble was bursting. The ECB seems to be getting a workable plan together to support the eurozone banking system and sovereign debt.

A Slightly Better Outlook

By David Brown, Chief Market Strategist, Sabrient Systems