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The Standard and Poors index (SPX) essentially traded sideways this week, closing Friday at 4395, down 24 points on the day and down 0.3% for the week. The trading volume of the S&P companies ran at or below the 50 day moving average (dma) all week with the exception of Friday when it came in at 2.27 billion shares with the 50 dma at 2.06 billion shares.
VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, wandered sideways with the market this week, hitting intraday lows at 17.2% and intraday highs at 20.4%, before closing Friday at 18.2%. Traders remain on guard and are buying protection.
I have plotted the prices of the IWM ETF below to track the Russell 2000 index. The owners of Russell have priced everyone out of Russell 2000 index and option data. That is why I plot the IWM prices. IWM closed Friday at 221.05, down 1.47 or 0.7% on the day, but managed to close up 0.3% for the week. I don’t want to read too much into this, but it is at least worth noting that IWM booked a positive gain for the week while the S&P 500 blue chips lost 0.3%.
The NASDAQ Composite index didn’t fare as well as the S&P 500 or the Russell 2000, closing Friday at 14,673, down 106 points on the day or -0.7% and down 1.0% for the week. NASDAQ’s trading volume continued to come in below its 50 dma and decreased steadily all week.
Roughly speaking, we have endured a week of severe declines, followed by a strong recovery week and now we have just traded sideways all week. Maybe the market is trying to digest the cost data and fears of inflation. The FOMC met this week and continues to assure the market that they aren’t preparing to raise the federal discount rate and are continuing to pump money into the economy by buying bonds each week. Market gurus are split on whether inflation will be good or bad for the stock market. I think both groups are probably correct at the extremes. I still remember moving to Chicago in 1980 and trying to buy a house at 13% interest rates. That puts a damper on the market.
I watched a presentation from Merrill Lynch this week (I know, but they remain Merrill Lynch to me). An interesting tidbit: they predict corporate earnings will grow by over thirty percent during the remainder of this year. They base that prediction on a continuing recovery from the economic shutdown. If they are correct, that will definitely fuel the market’s climb higher.
I started the week 54% in cash and ended the week at 74%. This result surprised me as I computed it just now. As I analyze my cash basis, I realize I entered several new positions this week, but scaled back the size from what would be normal for me. I have also allowed several naked puts to expire worthless this week without rolling them out. I am reminded of the day traders who always go to cash at the end of each trading session to avoid overnight risk. I am wary of weekends. My rational mind sees pretty solid economic numbers but the whipsawing of this year’s market has left me a little gun shy (I don’t hunt but it is a very appropriate expression).
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The Standard and Poors index (SPX) posted a very bearish day last Friday and followed with even more losses on Monday. Similar to the past several pullbacks this year, SPX bounced off its 50-day moving average (dma) on Monday and began its dramatic recovery, closing today at 4411, up 1% on the day and 2.7% for the week. Monday morning’s gap opening lower after a large downturn on Friday was very disheartening. I closed several positions and hedged others. The S&P 500 index motored higher the rest of the week, as though nothing had happened. The trading volume of the S&P companies declined all week from its high on Monday.
VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, spiked upward to 25% on Monday but declined all week to close today’s market at 17%. Don’t become complacent. First of all, 17% isn’t very low, and secondly, VIX dipped to 16% today but could not hold it. Traders remain on guard and are buying protection.
I have plotted the prices of the IWM ETF below to track the Russell 2000 index. The owners of Russell have priced everyone out of Russell 2000 index and option data. That is why I plot the IWM prices. A single glance at the chart below stands in dramatic contrast to the large cap stocks that dominate the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite. IWM recovered some of the earlier losses today, closing at 219.50, up 0.4% on the day and up 4.2% for the week. SPX and NASDAQ are both well above their 50 dma, but IWM remains 2.4% below its 50 dma. The caution flags are out.
The NASDAQ Composite index mirrored the recovery of the S&P 500, closing today at 14,837, up 152 points on the day or +1% and up +4.2% for the week. NASDAQ’s trading volume continued its below average track record and decreased significantly today.
As I observed last week, this year’s market has been a series of fits and starts with traders being whipsawed in and out of the markets. After Monday’s large gap opening lower, many traders were spooked, and I was among them. The S&P 500 index has consistently pulled back this year only to find support at its 50 dma. That happened again on Monday and the rest of the week was a dramatic run higher with four gap openings higher. You don’t see that very often.
The crucial question remains. When will buying the dip be a costly mistake? It has worked seven out of seven times this year…
I started the week 58% in cash and ended the week at 54%. I opened some new trades this week, but I remain cautious. This market remains nervous and twitchy. Be careful to maintain a moderate risk exposure.
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The Standard and Poors index (SPX) posted a very strong day today, closing at 4370, up 49 points or +1.1%. But today’s gains barely pushed SPX back into the positive column since SPX opened the week at 4356. SPX did set a new all-time closing high today, but that followed an extremely weak day yesterday. The markets essentially made a round trip this week and the trend of consistent below average trading volume continued.
VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, spiked up over 21% yesterday and pulled back a bit to close at 19%. VIX opened today at 18% and closed at 16.2%, a little more reasonable level of volatility.
I was concerned about the Russell 2000 index earlier this week as it sold off much more strongly than its big brothers, SPX and NASDAQ. The ETF for the Russell 2000, IWM, gapped down on Thursday but recovered most of that loss by the close. IWM opened today with a gap opening higher and continued its climb all day, closing at its high for the day. IWM also recovered its 50 dma today for a dramatic two day recovery of a substantial portion of its earlier losses this week.
The NASDAQ Composite index posted a strong two-day run, closing at 14702 today, up 142 or 1%. However, that barely put NASDAQ in the black for the week, up only 0.3%. Today’s close posted a new closing high for NASDAQ (Wednesday’s open was higher, but it couldn't hold it). Similar to the S&P 500, NASDAQ’s trading volume continued its below average track.
What a difference a week makes! Last week it seemed the market was just continuing a steady climb higher. Thursday’s significant gap opening lower certainly got my attention. But today’s strong performance across the board essentially returned us to the starting gate. The whipsawing of traders in and out of this market continues.
This is a nervous market. It doesn’t take much for the large institutional traders to hit the sell button. That makes it extremely difficult for you and me. It is easy to be crushed when that herd stampedes. We have to stay alert and remain focused on the risk.
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The Standard and Poors index (SPX) posted a very bearish day today, closing at 4327, down 33 points or -0.8%. SPX opened the week at 4372 for a weekly loss of 1%, with most of that loss occurring today. SPX set a new all-time high on Monday, but weak trading followed the rest of the week. The trading volume of the S&P companies continued to run below the 50-day moving average (dma).
VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, teased with a relatively low level of volatility around 16% all week, but spiked up to 18.5% today. That gives us something to think about over the weekend.
The Russell 2000 index has been trading much more weakly over the past four months when compared to the large cap stocks that dominate the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite. The ETF for the Russell 2000, IWM, posted a particularly bearish week, closing today at 214.95, down 1.2% on the day and posted a 4.7% loss for the week. Look out below!
The NASDAQ Composite index posted a very bearish week, similar to the Russell 2000 index. NASDAQ closed at 14427, down 116 points or -0.9% and down 2.2% for the week. Similar to the S&P 500, NASDAQ’s trading volume continued its below average track record and decreased significantly today.
This year has been a story of fits and starts with traders being whipsawed in and out of the markets. The bears took a firm hold on the markets this week and very few stocks could resist the pull. AAPL posted positive gains earlier in the week, including a strong gap opening higher on Wednesday, but finally succumbed today.
I started the week 50% in cash and ended the week at 58%. With a week like this one, I was closing more trades than opening them. This market remains nervous and twitchy. Be very cautious.
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Last week’s strong bullish run higher continued with The Standard and Poors index (SPX) closing the week at 4362, up 77 points or +1.8%. The pace accelerated Thursday and Friday with two gap openings higher each morning. SPX did not post a neutral or negative day all week. In addition, new all-time highs were set every day this week. That must be a record. However, this week’s steady march higher occurred on below average and steadily declining trading volume.
VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, opened the week at 16.1% and steadily declined to close today at 15.1%, a new low for 2020. Intraday trading took VIX down as far as 14%.
The IWM ETF, based upon the Russell 2000 index, was the black sheep among the broad market indices this week, closing the week at 229.19, down 1.3% for the week. We watched IWM lead the markets higher, but it appears to be sending a different signal this week. Maybe some players are taking profits by selling their high beta stocks.
The NASDAQ Composite index posted a strong bullish week, although not as steady and consistent as the S&P 500. NASDAQ opened the week at 14417 and closed at 14639, for a 1.5% increase on the week. NASDAQ also posted two
all-time highs this week with a gap opening higher this morning. Similar to the S&P 500, NASDAQ’s trading volume steadily declined this week after trying to reach above average values on Wednesday.
The market made strong gains this past week and a review of the first six months of 2021 illustrates a remarkable period of time in the markets. The S&P 500 index of companies has gained 15.6% this year. Even more remarkable is the 4.3% gain since June 21st. That period comprises ten trading sessions, but only one down day occurred within those sessions.
When I review that performance, I find the results testing my credulity. Why does it seem like the market has not performed as well as those numbers suggest? The answer is that traders have been whipsawed in and out of this market. We have experienced five pull backs during this six-month period. That probably sets a record.
Don’t be misled into thinking you just aren’t sufficiently savvy to navigate this market. The editors and staff at Investors Business Daily (IBD) have been studying the markets and advising traders for many years. They publish a daily market commentary, The Big Picture, that includes a discussion of that day’s markets and ends with a market assessment, such as Confirmed Uptrend or Market In Correction. Normally those assessments don’t change quickly. IBD has shifted its assessment seven times this year. I don’t know if that is a record, but I am confident it is close.
Where does this market discussion leave us? Last week, I gave my own market assessment: schizophrenia. Traders have been spooked repeatedly. They are determined to avoid losing the gains that were achieved in 2020 (that was my best year ever). Consequently, it doesn’t take much to push the sell button. The state of the economy makes us even more cautious. It is as though we have emerged from our bomb shelter to find a devastated landscape. The economy is rebuilding, but none of us have seen anything like this in our lifetimes, so it is hard to get our footing and invest confidently.
I have often had a mental image of myself in the markets as a mouse scurrying about on the ground amid a herd of elephants. That image reminds me to stay alert and remain focused on the risk. It is easy to be crushed when that herd of elephants stampedes.
The bottom line? I remain cautious but I can’t just hide under the bed and avoid these opportunities. I am focused on risk management even as the market seems to be setting records daily. I started the week 60% in cash and ended the week at 48%. I am cautiously returning to the table while limiting any potential downside damage.
