November 19, 2015 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 closed the day relatively flat, after a monster rally yesterday, where the market reacted positively to the FOMC minutes.

Interestingly, the VIX actually is trading around 17 and we are less than 2% off the highs in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF.

Stocks in play today, included Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) +15%, Sunedison (SUNE) -11%, and Kalobios Pharmaceuticals (KBIO) +367%. Also, in the after hours, Nike (NKE) announced a new $12 billion share repurchase program and a raise in dividends. The stock is up more than 3% in the after hours.

The energy sector remains weak; the United States Oil Fund (USO) was flattish today. It’s now just 5% off the 52-week lows.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in Allergran (AGN). In addition, we saw bearish bets being placed in Medtronic (MDT).

Here’s what’s on tap for tomorrow and the rest of the week:

20 November 2015- ANF, FL

November 17, 2015 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 closed the day relatively flat, after a surprising rally yesterday. With that said, there was a decent amount of trading volatility. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF had a range of 204.88 to 207.04.

A lot of attention has been focused on what the Fed will do next December. Not to mention, what’s happening overseas after the Paris attacks. Earlier today, a football match between Germany and Holland was cancelled due to security issues.

The VIX actually traded higher, closing at 18.65.

Stocks in play today, included GNC Holdings (GNC) -4%, Sunedison (SUNE) -32%, and Airgas (ARG) +29%.

The energy sector remains weak; the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down nearly 2.2% today. It’s now just 5% off the 52-week lows.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance (ULTA). In addition, we saw bearish bets being placed in Herbalife (HLF) -2.19%.

Here’s what’s on tap for tomorrow and the rest of the week:

Key Economic Data:
18 November 2015- Housing Starts 8:30 AM ET, FOMC Minutes 2:00 PM
19 November 2015- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET, Philly Fed Survey 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
18 November 2015- LOW, SPLS, TGT, CRM, GMCR, JACK, NTAP
19 November 2015- BBY, ADSK, GPS, ROST, NMBL, ZOES, SPLK
20 November 2015- ANF, FL

Key Events:
16 November 2015- UBS Global Technology Conference (runs till 10/19)
17 November 2015- Bank America Banking and Financial Services conference (runs till 11/18), Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference (runs till 11/18), Stifel Healthcare Conference (runs till 11/18)
18 November 2015- Barclays Global Auto Conference (runs till 11/19)

November 15, 2015 The Week Ahead

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The SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) has been on a 3-day sell off, closing the week 3.5% lower. It’s hard to point to exactly what caused the sell of, but per usual, there are a number of theories ranging from profit taking to weak retail sales numbers. What looked like a sure December rate hike, now appears less uncertain.

As mentioned retailers took a hit. Nordstrom (JWN) -19%, Macy’s (M) -17%, Target (TGT) -8%, Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) -12% … just to name a few. Could this be the catalyst to put a rate hike on hold? We shall see. One thing though, we’ll be getting the FOMC Minutes transcript on 11/18, which should shed some light on the matter.

The VIX shot off like a rocket, and is now trading above 20.

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November 8, 2015 The Week Ahead

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The SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) is less than 1% off its all-time highs. However, there wasn’t much reaction from Friday’s job numbers. A surprise in job growth followed in a drop in the unemployment rate dropped to 5%.

This of course sets the stage for a potential interest rate hike when the FOMC meets in December.

Surprisingly, the VIX closed lower, finishing below 15.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) had a rough week, dropping nearly 4% on the week.

It’s a relatively slow week in regards to economic data. With that said, there aren’t that many big names reporting earnings either. However, eyes and ears will be on Fed speakers as they give possible hints on what their next move will be.

Key Economic Data:
12 November 2015- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET
13 November 2015- Retail Sales 8:30 AM ET, PPI 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
9 November 2015- ACI, DISH, PCLN, ISIS, JAZZ, LEAF, RAX, SUNE, TERP
10 November 2015- BZH, QIWI, VOD, FOSL, EXEL
11 November 2015- M, PAH, NTES
12 November 2015- DSX, VIAB, AMAT, CSCO, IGT, KSS

November 5, 2015 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 closed the day relatively flat and near all-time highs. In fact, both the SPY and QQQ are near their highs on the year.

This sets the stage for an interesting Jobs number tomorrow. Will the market have a blow off top or will the numbers be used as an excuse to sell? We shall see tomorrow morning.

Of course, traders continue to monitor what FED speakers are saying ahead of their December meeting.

Interestingly, the VIX got hit a little, dropping about 3%, and closing at 15.05.

The energy sector was weak; the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down nearly 2.5% today. USO is still nearly 50% off its yearly highs.

On the options front, we saw large blocks of BAC weekly straddles traded. Someone believes that the banks, more specifically, Bank Of America will move big tomorrow but are unsure in which direction it will be.

Here’s what’s on tap tomorrow:

Key Economic Data:
6 November 2015- Employment Situation 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
6 November 2015- HUM, HZNP

November 3, 2015 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 closed the day higher as it continues to grind higher and near all-time highs. In fact, both the SPY and QQQ are near their highs of the year. However, the iShares Russell ETF (IWM) is nearly 8% off its highs.

Coming into the day, there was news that ATVI was going to be acquiring KING for more than $5 billion. This evening, we got earnings out of Tesla (TSLA), which was up 9% in after hours trading.

Interestingly, the VIX climbed today, gaining nearly 3% and closed at 14.54.

The energy sector was strong; the United States Oil Fund (USO) was up nearly 4% today. USO is still nearly 50% off its yearly highs.

On the options front, we saw bullish call buying in Nimble Storage (NMBL).

Here’s what’s on tap tomorrow and the rest of the week:

Key Economic Data:
4 November 2015- International Trade 8:30 AM ET
5 November 2015- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET
6 November 2015- Employment Situation 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
4 November 2015- AGN, AVP, KORS, TWX, WEN, CF, FEYE, FB, QCOM, RIG, MRO, HOLX
5 November 2015- AMCX, AZN, CELG, COTY, DUK, GOGO, HFC, KATE, RL, TAP, ANET, CYBR, DATA, DIS, DWA, GLUU, NUS, SWKS, TRIP, WTW
6 November 2015- HUM, HZNP

November 1, 2015 The Week Ahead

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The S&P 500 finished the week relatively flat, however; it finished the month nearly 7% higher. In fact, the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) is less 2% off the all-time highs.

With that said, the VIX closed around 15, a signal that there isn’t much fear in the market at the moment.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was up nearly 4% on the week, and flat for the month. We continue to see a divergence between the energy and equity markets.

On the earnings front we’ll see releases out of the likes of Disney, Facebook, Qualcomm, and Ralph Lauren to name a few.

Key Economic Data:
2 November 2015- ISM Manufacturing Index 10:00 AM ET
4 November 2015- International Trade 8:30 AM ET
5 November 2015- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET
6 November 2015- Employment Situation 8:30 AM ET
30 October 2015- Personal Income 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
2 November 2015- CLX, CTB, D, DO, EL, L, KBR, NBL, V, SYY, AIG, CAR
3 November 2015- DISCA, MOS, ZTS, TASR, SALE, EMR, ATVI, CBS, GRPN, X, ZNGA, HLF
4 November 2015- AGN, AVP, KORS, TWX, WEN, CF, FEYE, FB, QCOM, RIG, MRO, HOLX
5 November 2015- AMCX, AZN, CELG, COTY, DUK, GOGO, HFC, KATE, RL, TAP, ANET, CYBR, DATA, DIS, DWA, GLUU, NUS, SWKS, TRIP, WTW
6 November 2015- HUM, HZNP

October 20, 2015 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 was nearly flat today, closing the day down less than half of a percent. The SPDR S&P (SPY) is now up more than 4% on the month.

Earnings thus far have been average at best. We’ve seen some poor results from the likes of NFLX, IBM, WMT, and MS to name a few.

Interestingly, the VIX spiked 5% today, now trading at 15.75.

The energy sector was relatively flat; however, the United States Oil Fund (USO) has been dislocating from the equity markets. It’s clearly lost some steam while the equity markets keep moving higher.

On the options front, we saw bullish call buying in Heron Therapeutics (HRTX). Options that saw bearish put buying in Twenty First Century Fox Inc (FOX).

This evening we got earnings from Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) -3%, Yahoo! (YHOO) -3%, and Cree (CREE) -1.4%

Here’s what’s on tap tomorrow:

Key Economic Data:
22 October 2015- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET, Existing Home Sales 10:00 AM ET

Key Earnings:
21 October 2015- BA, GM, IPG, KMB, KO, STJ, SVU, TEX, CAKE, CCI, EBAY, MLNX, SNDK, TXN, URI, WFT
22 October 2015- BEN, CAM, CAT, DAN, CY, DGX, DNKN, DOW, DPS, FCX, LLY, JNS, LAZ, LUV, MCD, MJN, MMM, NDAQ, SWK, ALTR, AMZN, ATHN, COF, MSFT, QLIK, SYNA, T
23 October 2015- AAL, PG

October 15, 2015 Market Wrap Up

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October 15, 2015 Market Wrap Up

The S&P 500 exploded today, closing the day 1.5% higher. The SPDR S&P (SPY) is now 11.5% above our 52-week lows.

It almost seems like we’ve fallen back to the ol’ bad news is good… and good news is good. A win-win for the market. We’ve shaken off bad earnings from GS, NFLX, and HCA. Not to mention, lowered expectations out of Wal-Mart (WMT).

With that said, the VIX got smoked. It was down more than 10% and is now at 16.05.

The energy sector was relatively flat; however, the United States Oil Fund (USO) is more than 20% off its 52-week lows.

On the options front, we saw bullish call buying in Zoetis (ZTS) and bearish put buying in Seagate Technology (STX).

This evening we got earnings from Wynn Resorts Limited (WYNN) -7.5%

Here’s what’s on tap tomorrow:

Key Economic Data:
16 October 2015- Industrial Production 9:15 AM ET

Key Earnings:
16 October 2015- GE, HON, KSU

October 12, 2015 Market Wrap Up

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October 12, 2015 Market Wrap Up

The S&P 500 closed the day slightly higher; however, volume was extremely light. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) traded less than 60 million shares. To put that into perspective, it normally trades around 145 to 150 million shares per day.

With that said, the VIX has melted over the last two weeks. It was down over 5% and is now at 16.17.

The energy sector was weak; the United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 4%. Last week, it rallied with the stock market, so far we are seeing a divergence.

On the options front, we saw bullish call buying in Cabelas Incorporated (CAB). Options that saw bearish put buying were in DeVry Education Group Inc (DV) and 2U Inc (TWOU). Now, the put activity in (TWOU) could be attributed to negative comments made out by Citron Research, as the stock dropped nearly 18%.

Today was a bank holiday, but the action should pick up as we get more economic data and earnings later this week.

Here’s what’s on tap for tomorrow and the rest of the week:

Key Economic Data:
14 October 2015- PPI 8:30 AM ET, Retail Sales 8:30 AM ET
15 October 2015- Consumer Price Index 8:30 AM ET, Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET, Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey 10:00 AM ET
16 October 2015- Industrial Production 9:15 AM ET

Key Earnings:
13 October 2015- FAST, ADTN, CSX, INTC, JPM, LLTC
14 October 2015- BAC, BLK, DAL, WFC, NFLX, XLNX
15 October 2015- BX, C, FCS, GS, KEY, MAT, MTG, PM, PPG, SCHW, TSM, USB, AMD, SLB
16 October 2015- GE, HON, KSU