Author: Scott Hoffman

The G-20 meeting this weekend came up with……..nothing! OPEC voted to keep current production quotas; crude is lower, as would be expected.TIC flows (a measure of overseas holdings of US Treasuries) is out at 8...

Stocks are lower-we had three up days, so some profit taking is in order.Today is expiration day, I’d heard there was big open interest in cash SPX options at the 750 strike; the market often gravitates to them, but the...

Stocks are higher on ideas that the worst of the banking crisis is passing.Comments by B. of A. that they were profitable for the first two months of the year helped. China Premier Wen Jiabao said that China could throw more...

February retail sales were slightly better than expected, and January’s was revised higher-some good new.Jobless claims rose, and continuing claims are at a record high.A rise in unemployment tends to occur relatively late...

The optimism about banks last all of about 24 hours or so.There’s still nothing new from the Obama administration; that’s really weighing on things.The crude inventory report showed a rise in crude inventories, and a...

Copper futures have rallied about 20% in the past month, reflecting growing optimism about an economic recovery, especially in China. The past week’s rally took it over January’s high at 166.50, and it has been...

Stocks are seeing followthrough buying after yesterday’s big rally. A bit of caution is in order as yesterday’s rally was a breakout buy, and they have a habit of reversing themselves the following session. Stock...

Stocks extended their rally after Barney Frank said he expected the uptick rule to be restored “within a month.The Citi news and Rep. Frank’s comments are the big drivers today. Crude oil is down on bearish demand...