Weekly Chart Review

Weekly Economic and Market Review

Standard and Poor’s changed the outlook for the US credit rating to negative last week but stocks managed to shrug off the obvious and end the week in positive fashion. S&P doesn’t quite have the credibility it once had after blessing the mortgage dreck of Wall Street with AAA ratings during the housing boom, but .. read more

Weekly Chart Review

Is There A Limit To Precious Metals Prices?

Gold and silver prices continue to skyrocket as we expected.  Most of the  recent price movements have been driven by supply and demand factors that are  yet to be fully understood by the broader public.  But as prices move ever  higher, the commentary in favor of some kind of precious metals bubble gets  louder.  So, .. read more

A Bubble In Bubbles

Having largely missed the last two bubbles, the popular press is on a mission to get the scoop on the next one. If you believe the press we now have bubbles in social networking stocks, commodities, gold, silver, oil, Chinese real estate, Australian real estate, US farmland, junk bonds, US stocks and emerging market stocks, .. read more

Weekly Economic and Market Review

Last week’s economic data continued the recent pattern of the recovery. Manufacturing remains strong, inflation is rising, housing is weak and employment remains a major issue. The economy is continuing to slowly recover but there is no sign of an acceleration that is sorely needed to reduce the unemployment rate. I suspect the next few .. read more

Weekly Chart Review

Analyzing the Most Pivotal Earnings Season of the Recovery

This has to be the most pivotal earnings season of the current “recovery.” The markets can sense the coming crossroads as investors anxiously await confirmation that rising commodities have either had little effect or that margins are beginning to erode like Nike’s (NKE) or FedEx’s (FDX). The backdrop to earnings is also uncertain, as we .. read more