Paula

Tis The Season…

Posted on by George Mahfouz

As the holiday season fast approaches stocks have a lot to be jolly for. Despite the recent pop in volatility, the major averages continue to enjoy their record setting ways. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart) closed the week at 23,258, the S&P 500 (chart) finished the week at 2,579, the tech focused Nasdaq composite (chart) closed at 6,783 and the small-cap Russell 2000 (see chart below) ended the week at 1,493 while recapturing its 50-day moving average.

Next week is a shortened trading week due to Thanksgiving. Historically the Thanksgiving holiday week tends to be a bullish week for equities with 75 percent of the time the markets finish higher. Add the seasonality factor into the mix and things look pretty good between now and year end. This doesn’t mean that things won’t be choppy along the way especially as the yield curve has many investors paying closer attention to it. Interest rate chatter is seemingly picking up lately despite the Federal Reserve being candid about their position and intentions. This will become further apparent when Fed chair Yellen speaks next week along with the release of the minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting. All in all it appears that the status quo should be in place between now and year and if this is the case, new market highs should be set.

Earlier I spoke to how the small-cap Russell 2000 ( see chart below) has recaptured its 50-day moving average. This is important from the standpoint that investors and traders alike look to the Russell as a key indicator to the overall health of the broader markets. Recently the Russell has been showing some cracks in its trading patterns including noticeably breaking its 50-day only to recapture it and hold above it a few days later. If you are long this market, this is a bullish sign. That said, I do expect volatility to be present between now and year with the potential of making new highs along the way.

Paula and I wish everyone a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

~George

Russell 2000 Paula Mahfouz

Is Gold Breaking Out?

Posted on by George Mahfouz

It certainly appears that way. Gold (see chart below) has caught a meaning bid as of late and it’s about time. The yellow medal has been stuck in a trading range between $1200 and $1300 per ounce for months and now has broke through the $1300 level currently trading around $1330 per ounce. What has surprised me is how long it took for gold to finally go from the left side of the chart to the right. Especially considering the geopolitical risk environment we find ourselves in. That said, stocks are saying what risk? As I write this blog, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart), the S&P 500 (chart), the Nasdaq (chart) and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) once again are all approaching all time highs. This after a very modest pullback in August. So Wall Street continues to remain in the “buy the dip” mood. All year long and every single time stocks experience any type of pullback, buyers come in and lift the markets to all time highs.

How long can this last? From a technical standpoint the key indices remain below the 70 value level of the relative strength index also referred to as the RSI. The RSI is used as a gauge by certain market technicians to see if whether or not stocks in the short term are overbought or oversold. As as these indexes approach all-time highs and should they breakthrough those highs, these markets can and should continue to go higher. However, if they do not breakout here, then one could expect yet another pullback especially as we are now in one of the more underperforming months for equites of the year. Historically September and October for that matter tends to be a difficult time for the markets. However, based on what we have witnessed all year long despite the ongoing geopolitical risks and with interest rates on the rise, the markets may not care about the seasonality trends of September and October. Good luck to all and both Paula and I wish everyone a safe and relaxing Labor Day Weekend 🙂

~George

Gold chart - Paula Mahfouz

Where Is The Vol?

Posted on by George Mahfouz

As the second quarter came to a close yesterday volatility is no where to be found. The CBOE Market Volatility Index also referred to as the VIX has been pretty much dormant this entire year (chart). Typically vol ticks up as we approach summer for a variety of reasons such as earnings reporting season, seasonality and of course the Federal Reserve policy actions. As expected the Fed did raise rates in June but the markets appear to be pricing in a higher interest rate environment. So far this year the Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart) is up 8.03%, the S&P 500 (chart) is up 8.24%, the Nasdaq Composite (chart) is up a whopping 14% and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) is up a modest 4.29%.

Seemingly everyday stocks are in melt-up mode. There are days where volatility tries to rear its head up, but that does not last very long. (See chart below). Even when Goldman Sachs came out with a bearish report on June 9th comparing the red-hot tech sector to the internet bubble era, the negative effect of that report lasted only a couple of days before tech found support and then proceeded to make new highs. The traders and investors that are waiting for the proverbial 10% or more correction are just not getting it. Buying the pullbacks is what has been working ever since the election but the problem is that if you are not stepping in on the 1-3% percent retracements, you are missing the next leg up. How much longer can this type of market environment last? Now that Q2 is in the books, earnings reporting season will soon begin. Let’s see if corporate earnings continue to come in stronger than analyst expectations and if so, stocks may just continue to remain bulletproof.

A quick gander at the technical shape of the aforementioned indexes and there are no signs of overbought or oversold conditions according the relative strength index. Therefore I am expecting vol to remain relatively low until at least second quarter earnings season begins. Good luck to all!

Both Paula and I wish everyone a very safe and happy Fourth of July holiday weekend 🙂

~George

VIX Chart - Paula Mahfouz

Geopolitical Risks Abound…

Posted on by George Mahfouz

Stocks closed the shortened holiday week down on Thursday as the U.S. dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb on a target in Afghanistan. This just after the U.S. launched tomahawk missiles targeting a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical attack on innocent civilians in Syria. Now North Korea is increasing its verbal threats of an all out war on the United States. What’s going on here? It’s hard to talk about stocks when all of this hatred is occurring around the world. Nonetheless, the markets will move forward but will be certainly affected by the troubling geopolitical environment and the uncertainties that exist in multiple regions around the globe.

For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart) closed down 1%, the S&P 500 (chart) closed off 1.19%, the Nasdaq (chart) -1.2% and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) finished the week lower by 1.39%. Gold (see chart below) was up on the week and for the first time since November of last year, closed above its 200-day moving average. This is no surprise due to what is currently going on in the world. The question now is how to trade this market environment or what to do with your current positions? If history repeats itself, market volatility should increase which is good for traders but can be unnerving to longer term investors. In fact volatility (chart) spiked this week to its highest level in 5 months.

Now that earnings reporting season is underway some market pundits are saying that this will dictate whether or not markets will continue higher or if earnings reporting season will be the catalyst to send stocks into correction mode. I disagree with this point of view. How can the markets concentrate on earnings reporting season when you have this widespread turmoil around the globe? Of course, earnings are what typically drive stocks and valuations but until the geopolitical back drop abates and a sense of resolve comes forward I will be ultra conservative in going long any equities unless it is gold or gold related assets. Of course it is always best to consult a certified financial planner(s) before making any investment decisions. Good luck to all and both Paula and I wish all a safe and Happy Easter weekend.

~George

gold chart george mahfouz jr

Simply On Fire!

Posted on by George Mahfouz

Stocks continue to set records and now on a daily basis! As I am writing this blog the Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart) is now trading north of 20440, the S&P 500 (chart) is trading well above 2300, the Nasdaq (chart) is trading above 5750 and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) set an all time high yesterday at 1398! I continue to be amazed on how resilient the markets have been and continue to be. Earlier this month it appeared that the Trump rally stalled out and it was becoming a wait and see environment. Well now the Trump rally has seemingly reignited. Trump last week announced he has major news forthcoming on his tax plan and that was apparently the cue for the markets to rally yet again. However, one has to ask how many more tweets, news conferences or headlines can take the markets higher? Without question the above key indices are becoming overbought and especially pertaining to the relative strength index also know as the RSI. Let’s take a look.

Currently the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s RSI (chart) is trading at a 73, the S&P 500 (chart) RSI is also currently at 73, the Nasdaq (chart) is even higher at 77. The only laggard pertaining to the relative strength index and being in an “overbought” condition is small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) in which its RSI is currently at the 60 value level. Remember the relative strength index is a widely utilized technical indicator that certain institutional traders include in their models along with a variety of algorithm trading platforms. The RSI is a momentum indicator that tracks the size of gains and losses over a given period of time with the 70 value level and above as overbought and the 30 value level and below as oversold. One of the concerns certain market technicians have is that these all time highs and overbought conditions have been occurring on relatively light volume. Without trying to call a top here, I suspect that the aforementioned indices and some of the overbought stocks within these indexes are due for a pullback.

Good luck to all and Paula and I wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day 🙂

~George

 

Happy New Year!

Posted on by George Mahfouz

Happy New Year to all and what a year of celebration for the bulls in 2016. The major averages last year notched very impressive gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (see chart below) finished the year up 2,337 points or 13.42%, the tech focused Nasdaq (click here for chart) closed up on the year 376 points or 7.5%, the S&P 500 (click here for chart) closed up 194 points or 9.54% and the small-cap Russell 2000 (see chart below) finished out 2016 up a whopping 221 points or almost a 20% gain outperforming most benchmarks. This eye-popping rally really kicked into high gear after the stunning upset victory Donald Trump pulled off over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. So that was last year, now let’s take a look at 2017 and what lies ahead.

I begin with the obvious. Markets are certainly overbought and have been since the November 8th election results. Then in December, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in a year and then added language for an additional rate hike in 2017 to bring the total projected rate hikes this year to at least three. Historically a rising interest rate environment puts pressure on equities and in particular the high beta names. Consensus has it that the Fed will move slowly to avoid any shocks to the economy or the markets. However, with Donald Trump’s proposed economic pro-growth policies, debt and inflation should rise. So I am sure the Federal Reserve will be keeping a close eye on how inflation ticks up as 2017 unfolds. Should inflation rise faster than anticipated this too could be a challenge for the Fed and our stock market.

So based on our current market environment it is my view that volatility will not only pick up in January but the recipe described above signals potential elevated volatility throughout the year. We also will begin to hear from corporate America this month as we head into earnings reporting season. I would expect earnings from multi-national companies to be a bit challenged due to the continuing and significant strength that the U.S. dollar has been exhibiting. That said, there will be opportunities abound in this new year but I am preparing to embrace volatility and hedge my positions going forward. In my next blog I will talk about hedging strategies in order to offset the impact of potential increased vol. Until then, both Paula and I wish everyone the happiest and healthiest new year to all. 🙂

~George

Dow Jones chart Paula MahfouzRussell 2000 post george mahfouz jr

 

As Expected, The Fed Raises Rates…

Posted on by George Mahfouz

To no surprise, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates 1/4 point today citing stronger economic growth and a pick-up in inflation. A stronger job market also played a role in the decision of the Fed. What wasn’t quite expected was the language of an additional anticipated rate hike from the projected two hikes in 2017 to now three. This might of caused the slight sell-off yesterday in the markets with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart) falling 118.68 points, the S&P 500 (chart) was lower 18.44 points, the Nasdaq (chart) fell 27.15 points and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) retraced by 17.51 points.

With all things considered, this pullback was long overdue. In fact, I am surprised that the markets held up like they did yesterday. Especially considering the rip roaring rally most equities have enjoyed since the presidential election. Markets have been on fire with the Dow Jones Industrials (chart) gaining almost 1,600 points, the S&P 500 (chart) ripping 125 points, the Nasdaq (chart) catapulting about 300 points and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) up a staggering 170 points. What a breathtaking rally in such a short period of time.

So what can we expect between now and year end? Let’s think about this for a minute. If you are an institutional investor, fund manager, hedge fund or the like would you be taking profits into year end? Or would you wait until we get into the new year knowing that capital gains taxes and corporate taxes are coming down? I think it is fair to say the latter would make the most sense. Add into the mix the rotation that continues out of the bond market and into equities in which certain pundits believe we are in the fourth or fifth inning of that rotation, one has to ascertain that this bull market has more room to run.

Whatever the case I think pullbacks will be bought as momentum continues into year-end. Paula and I wish everyone the happiest and healthiest holiday season 🙂

~George

A Spooky Time For Stocks?

Posted on by George Mahfouz

As Halloween fast approaches is this also a spooky time for stocks? Without question volatility has picked back up which to me is no surprise at all. Factor in all of the headlines out of Europe, earnings reporting season here at home and last but not least, the daily Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump show. It’s no wonder stocks are bouncing around all over the place. For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (chart) closed lower by one half of one percent, the Nasdaq (chart) closed off by 1.5%, the S&P 500 (chart) -1.0% and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) lead the pack and finished the week lower by 2%. With all of the headlines and headwinds for that matter, I still remain quite impressed by the resiliency of stocks despite facing a multitude of uncertainties.

This upcoming week should also be a doozy as earnings reporting season kicks into high gear. Starting off the week, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) will release their quarterly results followed by International Business Machine (NYSE: IBM), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Intel Corp (NasdaqGS: INTC), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), American Express (NYSE: AXP), Ebay (NasdaqGS: EBAY), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), American Airlines (NasdaqGS: AAL), Microsoft Corp (NasdaqGS: MSFT), Paypal Holdings (NasdaqGS: PYPL), Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), General Electric (NYSE: GE), Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and McDonald’s Corp just to name a few. Expectations for this earnings reporting season is subdued and any upside surprise could bode well for sentiment during these volatile times.

Let’s take a quick look at the technical shape of the aforementioned indices and all but the small-cap Russell 2000 appear to be finding support either at their 50-day or 20-day moving averages.  The small-cap Russell 2000 (chart) does appear to be breaking down at an accelerated rate however, it does appear that the 1200 level of the Russell 2000 should be met with a bit of support.

Both Paula and I wish everyone a very safe and Happy Halloween and good luck to all. 🙂

~George

 

 

All Eyes On Jobs Report…

Posted on by George Mahfouz

The chatter has increased lately as to when the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates from their historic lows. We may not need to wait much longer to get that answer. Although it is a holiday weekend, the August jobs report will be released tomorrow and the pundits are suggesting that if the economy added more than 200,000 jobs in August, the Federal Reserve will raise rates this month. From my view a quarter point rate hike here in September is no big deal. I think the markets will have a muted reaction. However, if this is the beginning of a consistent pattern then this becomes an entirely different discussion. I do not expect that the Fed will be too aggressive with future rate hikes and of course the economic data will play a role in those decisions.

So what about the markets? We are coming into a seasonality that is typically a weaker time for stocks. What’s more, the markets will also begin to focus on the presidential election and the polls associated with it. That said, I expect an increase in volatility as we head into the fall. There are other catalysts that could weigh in on stocks such as potential changes in global monetary policies and Q3 earnings reporting season in October. The key indices continue to demonstrate strength with the S&P 500 (see chart below) being supported by its 50-day moving average click here, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (see chart below) is within a couple percentage points of its all-time highs, and both the Nasdaq (chart, click here) and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart, click here) are trading right around their 20-day moving averages. So as of yet, stocks do not appear to be too concerned with the upcoming market seasonality and other potential catalysts that could play a role in interrupting the uptrend we have been in.

Both Paula and I wish everyone a very safe and happy Labor Day weekend 🙂

~George

S&P chart george mahfouz jr

dow jones chart george mahfouz jr

What A Rollercoaster Ride!

Posted on by George Mahfouz

This week started off with the vote no one expected. Global markets were shocked with the outcome of the United Kingdom’s vote to the leave the European Union. Here at home, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (see chart below) lost close to 1,000 points between Monday and Tuesday, the Nasdaq (see chart below) over that same two-day period lost close to seven percent as did the S&P 500 (chart) and the small-cap Russell 2000 (chart). A breathtaking 2-day drop which was so swift and profound that it violated the 200-day moving averages of all of the aforementioned indexes. Fast forward to today and what seemingly was the start of an angry correction, has turned into yet another “buy the dip” opportunity. No matter what the challenges are or have been on the macro-economic or political front, markets over the past several years have shrugged them off. I honestly did not think stocks would snap back this time as quickly and as powerfully as they have.

Yet again, oversold conditions created a trader’s dream with this snap-back rally. Ever since this bull market began, every shocking or unexpected headline which have rattled the markets have always been met with strong support that then turns into the resumption of this protracted bull market. However, it is also very clear that we have been trading in a range for quite some time now and every time we have tried to breakout of this trading range, resistance is met and we retrace back to a variety of moving averages.

So you may be asking how do we break out of this S&P 500 (chart) 2000 to 2120 trading range? One catalyst that can do this is the upcoming second quarter earnings reporting season which kicks off here in July. I do not think that the economy is such that record earnings results will come forward. In fact, companies may take it upon themselves to use the Brexit circumstance to soften their future guidance? We will see. In my humble opinion I think the possibility of a downward break is more probable in the near term than stocks breaking out to all-time highs, especially after this snap back rally. Good luck to all!

Paula and I wish everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July holiday 🙂

~George Mahfouz, Jr.
Dow Jones George Mahfouz JrNasdaq George Mahfouz Jr.