October 27, 2016 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 closed the day lower, making it the third straight losing session. Earnings continues to dominate the headlines. Thus far, earnings have been relatively mixed, giving some traders the belief that we might be in for a rate hike possibly in the NOV or DEC FOMC meeting.

In the after hours we got earnings out of Amazon (AMZN), which posted much smaller than anticipated profits. In addition, Alphabet (GOOG), topped the Street’s 3Q forecasts.

Stocks in play today included: Community Health Systems (CYH) -50%, GNC Holdings (GNC) -25%, Ocwen Financial (OCN) +16.5%, and Level 3 Communications (LVLT) +10.4%

The VIX sold gained nearly 9%, closing the day above 15, at 15.36.

Crude oil futures prices bounced a little bit, snapping a 3-day losing streak and gaining nearly 1% on the day.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in Iconix Brand (ICON), which traded 6.4 times normal option volume. In addition, we saw heavy put buying in Osiris Therapeutics (OSIR), which saw 9.8 times normal options volume.

Here’s what’s on tap for tomorrow:

Key Earnings:
28 Oct 2016- ABBV, AN, CVX, CBOE, HSY, MA, NWL, PSX, SNY, SHPG, TEN, WY, XOM, XRX, SIMO

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October 26, 2016 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 closed relatively flat today in what is one of the busiest earnings week of the year. Last night we heard from Apple, which disappointed by posting its third straight quarter of declining iPhone sales. This put a damper on the Nasdaq composite today as it dropped about .7%.

In the after hours we got earnings out of Tesla Motors (TSLA), which is up more than 6% at the time of this writing. This morning we got earnings out Biogen (BIIB), which is a gain of nearly 4%.

Stocks in play today included: Edwards Lifesciences (EW) -17%, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) -9%, NCR +14.5%, and Akamai Technologies (AKAM) +14.6%

The VIX sold rose nearly 6%, closing at 14.24.

Crude oil futures prices sold off for the third straight day, and is now down more than 3% on the week.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in SolarCity (SCTY), which traded 2.1 times normal option volume. In addition, we saw heavy put buying in Western Union Company (WU), which saw 9.8 times normal options volume.

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

Key Earnings:
27 Oct 2016- AET, ALXN, AMT, APD, BMY, BOFI, BWA, BX, CAB, CELG, CL, CLF, CME, COP, DB, DOW, DPS, F, GNC, HACA, IP, LAZ, LLL, MJN, MO, MPC, NOK, NOV, PENN, POT, PX, SIRI, SWK, TMO, TPH, TPX, TROW, UPS, VW, WWE, AIG, AMZN, BIDU, CA, CBI, CRUS, CY, DLR, ELLI, EXPE, FLEX, FTNT, GOOGL, HIG, MCK, PFG, STRZA, SYK, SYNA, TWTR
28 Oct 2016- ABBV, AN, CVX, CBOE, HSY, MA, NWL, PSX, SNY, SHPG, TEN, WY, XOM, XRX, SIMO

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October 23, 2016 The Week Ahead

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The S&P 500 closed the week slightly higher snapping a two week losing streak. About one third of the S&P 500 will be reporting in a heavy earnings week. With that said, we’re not that far off all time highs. Some earnings to watch include Apple, Amazon, Google, Coca-Cola, Exxon, and Tesla.

With earnings thus far not that awful and the likelihood of a Hillary win increasing, we saw volatility come in, closing the week at 13.34.

Crude oil futures prices rose about 1% over the week, closing above $50 and not too far off 52-week highs.

Moving on, gold futures prices rose four out of the five trading days and gained more than 1.2%. In addition, T-bond futures prices rose four out of the last five trading days, gaining nearly 1%.

Over the weekend we got news that AT&T would be buying Time Warner for $107.50 per share, or $85.4 billion dollars. It will be interesting to see if we start to see if regulators have any issues with this deal and what it means for the industry.

Here is what else is on the schedule for the upcoming week:

Key Economic Data:
26 Oct 2016- International Trade in Goods 8:30 AM ET; New Home Sales 10:00 AM ET; EIA Petroleum Status Report 10:30 AM ET
27 Oct 2016- Durable Goods Orders 8:30 AM ET; Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET
28 Oct 2016- GDP 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
24 Oct 2016- BEAV, CYOU, EXP, KMB, PETS, SOHU, TMUS, VFC, AGNC, AVB, CDNS, ISIL, KN, RE, RMBS, SONC, SWFT, V, ZION
25 Oct 2016- AKS, AMTD, BAC, BHI, CAT, CIT, CVLT, EAT, FCX, GLW, GM, JBLU, JNS, KEY, LLY, LMT, MAS, MDSO, MMM, MRK, NLSN, PG, R, S, SHW, TRU, UA, UTX, VLO, WAT, WHR, AAPL, AKAM, CAKE, CB, CHRW, CMG, COF, DFS, ESRX, IRBT, JNPR, NBR, NCR, P, PNRA, T, VRTX
26 Oct 2016- ALLY, BA, BEN, BIIB, BSX, CMCSA, EVER, FCAU, GRMN, GRUB, HBAN, HES, KO, LH, LUV, NOC, OC, PAG, SC, SPG, STT, WM, AXS, BWLD, GRPN, FFIV, INFN, NEM, NXPI, ORLY, SFLY, TSLA, VMW, WDC, TXN, WLL
27 Oct 2016- AET, ALXN, AMT, APD, BMY, BOFI, BWA, BX, CAB, CELG, CL, CLF, CME, COP, DB, DOW, DPS, F, GNC, HACA, IP, LAZ, LLL, MJN, MO, MPC, NOK, NOV, PENN, POT, PX, SIRI,SWK, TMO, TPH, TPX, TROW, UPS, VW, WWE, AIG, AMZN, BIDU, CA, CBI, CRUS, CY, DLR, ELLI, EXPE, FLEX, FTNT, GOOGL, HIG, MCK, PFG, STRZA, SYK, SYNA, TWTR
28 Oct 2016- ABBV, AN, CVX, CBOE, HSY, MA, NWL, PSX, SNY, SHPG, TEN, WY, XOM, XRX, SIMO

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October 20, 2016 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 was relatively flat today on below average volume. That’s kind of surprising given that we’re starting to see a lot of earnings come in. Before the US market opened the news out of the ECB was that they were leaving key interest rates unchanged.

In the after hours we got earnings out of Microsoft (MSFT), which topped 1Q profit forecasts and traded 5% higher. In addition, Paypal (PYPL) also traded higher due to strong revenue numbers.

Stocks in play today included: NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) +4.18%, Varian Medical Systems (VAR) +3.28%, Dragonwave (DRWI) +94.5%, and Time Warner (TWX) +5%

The VIX sold off more than 4.5% and closed at 13.75.

Crude oil futures prices sold off about 2.3% today, but still closed above $50 per barrel.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in Iamgold Williams Sonoma (WSM), which traded 8 times normal option volume. In addition, we saw heavy put buying in Infosys (INFY), which saw 3.4 times normal options volume.

Here’s what’s on tap for tomorrow:

Key Economic Data:
20 Oct 2016- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET, Philly Fed Business Outlook Survey 8:30 AM ET, Existing Home Sales 10:00 AM ET

Key Earnings:
21 Oct 2016- GE, HON, IPG, MCD, SYF, SAP, STI, MAN

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October 18, 2016 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 was off to a solid start gaining more than .6% on below average volume. We got strong earnings reports out of Goldman Sachs, Netflix, and UnitedHealth. However, there were some companies that didn’t fare as well like IBM and Johnson & Johnson.

Stocks in play today included: Banc of California (BANC) -29.05%, Netflix (NFLX) +19.07%, Harley-Davidson (HOG) +9.03%, and Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) +4.89%

The VIX sold off nearly 6% and closed at 15.28.

Crude oil futures prices paired off yesterday’s losses and continue to trade above $50 per barrel.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in Iamgold CytRX Corp (CYTR), which traded 41.4 times normal option volume. In addition, we saw heavy put buying in Progressive Corporation (PGR), which saw 5.4 times normal options volume.

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

Key Economic Data:
19 Oct 2016- Housing Starts 8:30 AM ET, EIA Petroleum Status Report 10:30 AM ET
20 Oct 2016- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET, Philly Fed Business Outlook Survey 8:30 AM ET, Existing Home Sales 10:00 AM ET

Key Earnings:
19 Oct 2016- ABT, CP, DOV, GPC, HAL, MS, RAI, STJ, STX, SVU, TUP, USB, AXP, EBAY, CTXS, HNI, GGG, MAT, PKG, SLM, STLD, URI, XLNX
20 Oct 2016- BK, DAN, DGX, DHR, FITB, KCG, NUE, PH, PHM, PPG, TRV, TXT, UNP, VZ, WBA, WBC, AMD, ATHN, EFTC, KLAC, MSFT, MXIM, N, PYPL, RCI, RS, SLB, SWN
21 Oct 2016- GE, HON, IPG, MCD, SYF, SAP, STI, MAN

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October 16, 2016 The Week Ahead

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The S&P 500 closed the week lower, making it two straight losing weeks in the index. Despite the sell-off many of the banks that reported did better than expected. With that said, earnings will be heavily watched this coming week. Some of the highlights include: Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Intel, McDonald’s, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs, just to name a few.

On the international front, the European Central Bank will be meeting on the key interest rate.

Despite the market selling off a little… the VIX climbed to 16.12.

Crude oil futures prices rose again during the week as they’re now trading above $50 and very close to 52-week highs. OPEC met during the week, but per usual, good luck trying to get a read on what they’re trying to do. It seems like they’re constantly throwing mixed signals. Now, that doesn’t mean markets won’t react to their comments, just expect to see greater volatility.

Moving on, gold futures prices sold off slightly, making that two straight down weeks. In addition, T-bond futures prices sold off, making that 8 out of 10 losing days.

Here is what else is on the schedule for the upcoming week:

Key Economic Data:
17 Oct 2016- Industrial Production 9:15 AM ET
18 Oct 2016- Consumer Price Index 8:30 AM ET
19 Oct 2016- Housing Starts 8:30 AM ET, EIA Petroleum Status Report 10:30 AM ET
20 Oct 2016- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET, Philly Fed Business Outlook Survey 8:30 AM ET, Existing Home Sales 10:00 AM ET

Key Earnings:
17 Oct 2016- BAC, HAS, JBHT, CE, IBM, NFLX, UAL
18 Oct 2016- BLK, DPZ, GS, HOG, JNJ, KSU, UNH, WWW, TTS, SCHW, PM, RF, MTG, KSU, ADTN, CREE, HA, IBKR, INTC, ISRG, LLTC
19 Oct 2016- ABT, CP, DOV, GPC, HAL, MS, RAI, STJ, STX, SVU, TUP, USB, AXP, EBAY, CTXS, HNI, GGG, MAT, PKG, SLM, STLD, URI, XLNX
20 Oct 2016- BK, DAN, DGX, DHR, FITB, KCG, NUE, PH, PHM, PPG, TRV, TXT, UNP, VZ, WBA, WBC, AMD, ATHN, EFTC, KLAC, MSFT, MXIM, N, PYPL, RCI, RS, SLB, SWN
21 Oct 2016- GE, HON, IPG, MCD, SYF, SAP, STI, MAN

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October 13, 2016 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 continues to see it’s fair share of intraday volatility. Today we traded in nearly a 25 point range, settling .3% lower. Overall, the S&P 500 is down about 1% on the week. With that said, tomorrow should be an interesting day as many of the larger banks report earnings.

Stocks in play today included: Ulta Salon Cosmetics (ULTA) +11%, Tenet Healthcare (THC) +8.8%, and Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) -4.6%

The VIX continues to surge this week, despite the move lower in the market it actually dropped 2.5%, closing at 16.69.

Crude oil futures prices are up more than 1% on the week and trading above $50 per barrel.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in Iamgold Corporation (IAG), which traded 25.7 times normal option volume. In addition, we saw heavy put buying in AO Smith Corp (AOS), which saw 3.2 times normal options volume.

Here’s what’s on tap for tomorrow:

Key Economic Data:
14 Oct 2016- PPI 8:30 AM ET, Retail Sales 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
14 Oct 2016- C, JPM, PNC, WFC

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October 11, 2016 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 saw its fair share of volatility, trading roughly in a 40 point range and closing the day down more than 1.2% In addition, today was one of the rare days where volume in the SPDR S&P 500 traded above its normal average. Earnings kicked off this morning with Alcoa, by most accounts, the quarter was worse than expected. The stock price dropped more than 11% on the day.

The week should pick up in terms of volume and volatility. Tomorrow we have the release of the FOMC minutes along with more earnings, highlighted by the banks on Friday.

Stocks in play today included: Illumina (ILMN) -25%, Rent-A-Center (RCII) -29%, and Apple (AAPL) +.25%

The VIX closed higher at 15.36, up nearly 2 points (14.8%).

Crude oil futures prices dropped about 1%, but still up on the week. The OPEC meeting is still ongoing and set to conclude on Oct 13.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM), which traded 7.3 times normal option volume. In addition, we saw heavy put buying in Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL), which saw 5.3 times normal options volume.

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

Key Economic Data:
12 Oct 2016- FOMC Minutes 2:00 PM ET
13 Oct 2016- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET; EIA Petroleum Status Report 11:00 AM ET
14 Oct 2016- PPI 8:30 AM ET, Retail Sales 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
12 Oct 2016- CSX
13 Oct 2016- DAL, LNN, MAR, PGR, AMD, KMG, FRC
14 Oct 2016- C, JPM, PNC, WFC

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October 9, 2016 The Week Ahead

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The S&P 500 closed the week slightly lower on below average trading volume. However, things should pick up as earnings season kicks off on Tuesday with Alcoa. Also, we’ll be getting eps numbers out of some big banks including Wells Fargo and JPMorgan.

Some other big events for the week include the release of the FOMC Minutes and an OPEC Meeting.

Despite the market selling off a little… the VIX didn’t move much, closing the week at 13.48.

Crude oil futures prices rose more than 3% on the week. As mentioned earlier, OPEC will be meeting October 9 to 13th at World Energy Congress. It wouldn’t be a surprise if volatility increases surrounding this event.

Moving on, gold futures prices slipped more than 4% on the week. In addition, T-bond futures prices sold off 5-straight days and closing nearly 2% lower.

Here is what else is on the schedule for the upcoming week:

Key Economic Data:
12 Oct 2016- FOMC Minutes 2:00 PM ET
13 Oct 2016- Jobless Claims 8:30 AM ET; EIA Petroleum Status Report 11:00 AM ET
14 Oct 2016- PPI 8:30 AM ET, Retail Sales 8:30 AM ET

Key Earnings:
11 Oct 2016- AA, FAST, CUDA, HAWK, VOXX
12 Oct 2016- CSX
13 Oct 2016- DAL, LNN, MAR, PGR, AMD, KMG, FRC
14 Oct 2016- C, JPM, PNC, WFC

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October 6, 2016 Market Wrap Up

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The S&P 500 grinded higher on less than normal volume today. As mentioned yesterday, we’re sitting close to all-time highs. This, of course, sets the stage for tomorrow’s employment situation numbers. Interestingly, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is only implying a .6% move for tomorrow.

Stocks in play today included: Twitter (TWTR) -20%, Salesforce.com (CRM) +4.2%, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) -48.4%, and Genco Shipping (GNK) +47%.

The VIX closed below 13, dropping nearly 2% and closing at 12.84.

Crude oil futures prices climbed above $50 per barrel and are now sitting around 3-month highs. Again, this sets the stage for an interesting OPEC meeting which is set for Oct 8 to Oct 13. The meeting will on the Algiers deal which was informally agreed upon recently.

On the options front, we saw large call buying activity in MasTec (MTZ), which traded 24.3 times normal option volume. In addition, we saw heavy put buying in Dynergy (DYN), which saw 7.2 times normal options volume.

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

Key Economic Data:
7 Oct 2016- Employment Situation 8:30 AM ET

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