It was a pleasant opening today for the market with positive results and market activity from Europe, as well as generally positive domestic economic reports this morning.  In particular, pending home sales were up 1.5% versus an expected 0.1% and last month’s -1.0%.  Personal spending was a little better-than-expected while personal income was but a tad less-than-expected and lower than last month.  The week will be fairly full as companies continue to r

Stocks have been on a one-way train all month long. Now, as we approach Groundhog Day, the market appears to be having its own version of it as the Dow faces 14,000 and the S&P 500 struggles at 1500. As investors peer out above these levels, will they collectively see their shadow and retreat to safety for the next six weeks? Or will they bravely march forward into the clear blue skies to challenge the all-time highs from 2007?

JP Morgan (JPM) managed to not only finesse their loss in Q2 from the London Whale trade to slightly less than $5 billion but also save the S&P 500 from its seventh consecutive day of losses. But the smell from the Barclay-led LIBOR fiasco is spreading across the ocean and renewing concern about regulatory actions against major U.S. banks and hence the growth of the economy as well. 

Here we are again wondering what the market wants.  Today, it clearly wasn’t Technology stocks, as various issues dragged both Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) lower.

Okay, Virginia, Maybe There is a Santa Claus . . .

Volatile Market Might be Pounding Out a Bottom

Editor’s Note:  David Brown is on vacation.  Scott Martindale, Sabrient’s senior managing director, is this week’s guest editor.   Scott handles institutional sales & marketing for Sabrient. He also writes the weekly Sector Detector and manages the virtual Select Opportunity Portfolio.

Market Takes a Breather after Last Week’s Sprint

By David Brown, Chief Market Strategist, Sabrient Systems