Pre-market update (updated 8:30am eastern):
- European markets are trading 0.2% higher.
- Asian markets traded -0.6% lower.
- US futures are slightly lower ahead of the open.
Economic reports due out (all times are eastern): MBA Purchase Applications (7am), Housing Starts (8:30am), Ben Bernanke Speaks (10am), EIA Petroleum Status Reports (10:30am), Beige Book (2pm)
Technical Outlook (SPX):
- Yesterday saw the dip buyers jump in and buy the intraday dip, after an initial sell-off from a gap-up.
- Yesterday showed that the bulls are still well in control of this market.
- SPX needs to close above 1374 to extend the current rally.
- A close below 1325 would create both a lower-high and a lower-low, and thereby turn the market bearish.
- It didn’t take long but SPX is back into short-term overbought.
- Indices, including the Nasdaq and Russell, do not show this as of yet.
- SPX running into resistance off of the double-top neckline that formed back in April ’12. Resistance is at 1363-5. May be a reloading area for the bears.
- Resistance shows up very well on the weekly chart (see below).
- Weekly shows SPX coming off of overbought levels, ever so slightly.
- There’s actually the possibility that we are forming a head and shoulders pattern on the daily chart when looking at the action from the past month.
- Volume continues to provide low readings.
- While we are coming off of overbought levels on the weekly chart, the SPRI shows a much more overbought market.
- After Thursday’s elongated lower shadow, I’ve decided to adjust the upward trend-line off of the 6/4 lows connecting it with that day’s lows.
- As a result, there is a well-defined channel that the market is trading in, and eliminates the bearish channel we had seen before.
- A break below 1333, would break the channel.
- Huge doji candle on the weekly SPX – some might say its a shooting-star, but I’d disagree, as it occurred inside of last week’s candle body.
- Nonetheless, it does represent some indecision by the markets, as well as underlying weakness, evident by the long lower shadow off of the body of the candle.
- The VIX remains under 17.
- 30-minute chart shows somewhat of an inverse head and shoulders pattern, and support at 1356.
- Breaking through the 1390’s will be difficult as there are plenty of separate resistance levels in that area.
My Opinions & Trades:
