As we roll into the earnings reporting season, you're getting a little bit of caution. |
Both consumer confidence and housing starts were stronger than expected. Treasuries are getting killed, so people are worried interest rates will go even higher than expected. |
Companies are finally putting their money into play and that is a vote of confidence in the strength of the economy and a positive for stocks. |
Conglomerates and cyclical companies have been on the spot lately and after today's industrial data, they once again became a good buying opportunity. But the trading is volatile and a bit distorted given the options expiration. |
Everybody was waiting for the Bank of Japan's decision, and since they decided to postpone raising interest rates, that is taking the pressure off U.S. Treasuries and giving a lift to stocks. |
FedEx's report not only helped lift the transport sector, but the entire market. In the absence of major negative news, we may see another rally between now and the end of the year. |
GM is beginning to take some strong action. The question is whether those moves will be able to somewhat diminish the risk of bankruptcy. |
If they raise 25 basis points and sound worried about inflation the market may get demoralized, |
In terms of the Fed, the most favorable move from the market's point of view is if they raise interest rates by 25 basis points and keep the same language. If they raise 25 basis points and sound worried about inflation the market may get demoralized. |
Industrial production data is helping support some of the largest conglomerates today. But the trading is volatile and a bit distorted given the options expiration. |
It's a tug of war between earnings and interest rates. |
It's a tug of war between earnings and interest rates. The job numbers were stronger than expected. Hourly earnings, while for the month were as expected, came in for the year at a level that might make the Fed uncomfortable. The case is here that we have a strong economy; we're creating jobs, wages are going up. That means for the time being corporate profits are in good shape. |
It's more news of good economic growth and low inflation. That takes pressure off of stocks. |
Something this famous has no value left, |
The current earnings and the forward-looking guidance, in general, have not met expectations among a lot of companies. |