"There is no doubt that a retrace in the market will happen…it is just a matter of when."

That was a line from last weeks BLOG post.

Well that "when" was this week!

Tuesday the market GAPPED DOWN (again) and continued to show weakness for the entire week.

The major indices are now hovering around their 50 day SMA's are trying to figure out where to go from here.

The strong sectors we mentioned last week (Real Estate, Technology, Retail) have all pulled back after their recent run up.

The Semiconductors and the Financial sector continue to UNDER perform the market.

The Broker/Dealer ETF ($IAI) actually traded down to NEW LOWS for the year this week.

Several stocks started to show signs of life by weeks end so they are worth a watch as we begin trading next week.

The Energy and Oil Service stocks are showing some good trading patterns.

$APC, $COG, $SLB, $HAL and a few on the smaller names are on our list.

We also have our eye on the casino stocks $WYNN, $LVS, $MGM, etc.

Of course we still have the Retail stocks and our "list to watch" from our last BLOG post on this weeks Watch List as well.

After the nice pull back we saw in the market this week we should see some interesting price action next week!

Oh and don't forget to have some SHORT candidates on your list as well…just in case.

That way you can act on whatever the market decides to do from here (heard that before?).

Until next week….Good trading to YOU!

The DOWN move continues!

After one day of trading above its 50 day SMA the DJIA sold off for the rest of the holiday shorted week.

The push lower takes the markets to a new six week low.

Most (not all) sectors followed suit as the sellers came out in force.

The Financials ($XLF) and the Homebuilders ($XHB) were hit hard.

Technology ($XLK) and more specifically the Semiconductors ($SMH) also had a rough week.

Retail ($RTH) was holding up but finally gave way to the selling this week as well.

The Energy ($XLE) and Oil ($OIH) ETF's actually held up rather well this week.

Who knows if this SHORT TERM relative will hold up but it is something to watch as we move forward from here.

The Agriculture ETF's ($DBA $MOO) also are showing some signs of strength.

The overall market is pretty near a SHORT TERM oversold level so keep that in mind as we go into next week.

Don't chase the market down and wait for your setups to develop.

Be prepared for whatever the market does from here and as always…Good Trading to YOU!

Up Up Up and away!

Yes the rally continues for yet another week!

The overall market and many sector ETF's moved higher this week leaving many shaking their heads in disbelief.

We moved back into LONG ONLY mode a few weeks back and the market has cooperated nicely.

One sectors price action towards the end of the week did stand out though.

Take a look at some of the Agriculture related stocks to see what we mean.

$MOS, $CF, $AGU and $POT all put in lower high as sellers stepped in on Friday pushing these stocks lower.

The SELL OFF in these stocks happened during a very strong week in the market.

Not yet a sign to get bearish on this sector but something to watch as we move forward from here.

On the LONG side things are obviously much more clear.

The Energy sector got a lift this week and some of the stocks we mentioned a few weeks ago broke out nicely.

$BHI, $NBR and $MRO all turned in a nice week of gains.

As we move into next week we will stick with our "Bullish" attitude and stay away from the short side.

As short term traders we realize that things can change in an instant though.

We will continue to listen to what the market tell us and attempt to profit accordingly.

We hope you will do the same!

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

In last weeks BLOG post we told you that we were back in "LONG ONLY" mode and this week the market did NOT let us down.

The overall market and most of the sector ETF's rallied to NEW YEARLY HIGHS this week.

A bunch of stocks on our Watch List made nice moves this week.

The Semiconductors ($SMH) remained strong but most of the other sectors moved up nicely as well.

The Financials ($XLF) and the Real Estate ($IYR) ETF's broke out this week.

$TTWO and $ERTS are still holding up and $WFMI (mentioned last week) had a nice break away gap to the UP side on Thursday.

We could go on and on about the stocks that rallied last week but that would be of little use to you moving forward.

Instead we will let you know that some of the Energy stocks we mentioned last week are still poised to break out.

As the market continues to rally look for the stocks that are setting up nicely as we move into next week.

The "LONG ONLY" mode continues and we hope that you are taking advantage of this tremendous rally in the market!

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

The market remains strong this week as the DJIA hits yet another NEW HIGH on Friday.

Not all is well though as the S&P 500 and NASDAQ didn't really going along for the ride just yet.

Most of the sectors on our Watch List were still in "pullback" mode as the week came to an end.

Energy, Oil, Semiconductors as well as the Financials, Broker/Dealers, and the Homebuilders are all trading just below their most recent highs.

On the flip side Gold, the Gold Miners and the Silver ETF's all continued their moves down this week.

The Retail sector is still a mixed bag with some individual names like Ann Taylor Stores ($ANN), Macy's ($M), and Abercrombie & Fitch ($ANF) in solid down trends while names like Estee Lauder ($EL) and Walmart ($WMT) are holding up rather well.

Even though the market has moved to new highs yet again it seems like the market is looking for a new leader.

The market is still very bullish overall but watch the individual sector action to see which ones take the lead and which ones start to fade.

There are still a bunch of great looking charts out there that may give you some nice LONG trade set ups.

One chart we are watching going into next week is Whole Foods Market ($WFMI).

Can you tell us why we are watching this chart?

Where we would look to enter into a position?

How about a possible STOP LOSS level?

We would love to hear from you so please feel free to leave a comment or question.

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

And UP we go!!! (Again!)

In last weeks BLOG POST we told you that we were concerned coming into this week because of the selling we witnessed last week.

One sector that we mentioned was the Semiconductor sector ($SMH).

Last week a few stocks in this sector had some BIG TIME selling going on.

$LRCX, $ATMI, and $NVLS we the names that we mentioned.

As we came into this week we were watching to see how these stocks and the Semiconductor ETF were going to trade.

Monday was a good indication that this sector was starting to move higher again.

After showing a bit of weakness last week this new move to the UP side could be merely a "retrace" after the move down.

When Tuesday came around and we watched as the volume increased to push most of these stocks (and the ETF) higher we figured the sector had found its legs once again.

That being said we still were NOT looking to take any trades in these specific stocks due to their weakness last week.

The were plenty of STRONGER sectors for us to watch so we simply took notice of the change in sentiment in this sector and will watch for follow through  next week.

The sectors that we mentioned last week that were "holding up well and worth watching" all turned in a nice week.

The FInancials (XLF), Hombuilders (XHB), Broker/Dealers (IAI), Agriculture (DBA) and Energy (XLE) and Oil (OIH) provided us plenty of opportunity this week.

As we enter into next week we are once again in FULL RALLY mode.

Our plan (as always) is to stick with the strong sectors and avoid the weak ones.

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

The new year is HERE!

On a positive note the market continued to rally to NEW HIGHS this week.

On a different note we are starting to see some signs that concern us moving into next week.

One of the biggest things we have noticed this past week is that the SELLERS are becoming much more aggressive at these levels.

This has been evident in many of of the individual stocks that we monitor each and every day.

Take a look at some stocks like ATMI, LRCX, and NVLS in the Semiconductor sector.

The Retail stocks have also taken a hit this week.

Look at ANN, M, TIF and TGT (to name a few).

We also take notice of the fact that some of the recently strong sector ETF's have shown a bit of weakness as the overall market moved higher this week.

As expected the Retail ETF's (RTH) are fist on this list.

Gold (GLD) and the Gold Miners (GDX) also got whacked this week.

With the noticeable selling coming into some of the Semiconductor stocks we are anxious to see watch next week has in store for this sector ETF (SMH).

Some of the other sector ETF's are holding up very well and are worth watching next week.

The FInancials (XLF), Hombuilders (XHB), Broker/Dealers (IAI), Agriculture (DBA) and Energy (XLE) and Oil (OIH) are on this list.

The number of sectors on this list is evidence of the overall strength of this market BUT there are signs that are a bit concerning for us.

Next week should be a good indication of where we go from here.

Sooner of later a PULLBACK will be upon us.

With that in mind make sure you have a plan in place so you can benefit (in one way or another) when the PULLBACK comes.

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

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The sell off continued to start out the week on a negative note.

By Thursday however we saw the buyers step back in and give the markets a lift to close out the week.

This recent sell off has taken the major indices back near their 50 period SMA's on INCREASING VOLUME which is a bit concerning.

The "inside day" we saw in the markets on Wednesday was followed by less than impressive volume as the market rose Thursday and Friday.

It looks like we are at another pivotal level in the market and as always follow through (and how it does) is the key.

This low volume "bounce" could be quickly followed by MORE BUYING and an increase in volume.

This would be a great short term sign that the bulls are still in charge.

If however this low volume "bounce" is followed by AGGRESSIVE SELLING then the market could be in a for a significant move lower.

Some of the sector ETF's preformed quite well to close out the week while others are showing signs of tremendous weakness.

The Oil Services (OIH) and Energy ETF's (XLE) had nice moves to the upside.

The Semiconductor ETF (SMH) remains strong after it's recent BREAKOUT and we will continue to look for signs of follow through in this sector.

Silver (SLV) also made it's next UP SWING after a decent pull back from it's most recent high.

The two sector's we focused on in last weeks BLOG POST…The Financial's (IYF, XLF) and the Homebuilders (XHB)…have now pulled back to a  level that is BELOW their recent breakout points.

Both sector's are hovering around their 50 DAY SMA's and are still in a "zone" that COULD hold as support but this type of deep pullback after a HIGH VOLUME breakout is NOT a great sign.

Even though the market is showing a bit of weakness recently there were still plenty of opportunities to take some LONG trades this week.

Several stocks on our Watch List set up for some nice trades this week.

Stocks on this list were $LULU, $COG, $MRVL, $WLK, $X, $BRCM, $TIF, $MEE and $HAL (to name a few).

Even though the market is still technically in a very BULLISH phase it is at, what we believe, at very pivotal level.

For the first time in several weeks we are actually seeing a number of  SHORT trade setups.

During this recent sell off in the market several stocks have actually started to show signs of weakness.

$ERTS, $LLY, $G, $K, and $MED are a few on our list that are relatively weak.

The Real Estate sector (and the stocks within) have all been hit hard during this recent sell off.

$SPG, $DRE, $KIM and $O have sold off hard recently and a "bounce" could happen in the very near future but the price action and volume we have seen during this sell off has us looking to the SHORT side in this sector.

Next week should give us a good indication of where the market is headed from here.

You may have heard this before but…BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING!

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

Finally!!!

Swing Traders got the breakout they have been waiting for as the market traded to NEW HIGHS for the year this week.

As you would expect most of the sectors followed suit by rallying higher this week as well.

The sector ETF's making NEW HIGHS for the year this week were Agriculture ($DBA $MOO), Energy ($XLE), Real Estate ($IYR), Semiconductors ($SMH), Airlines ($FAA) and Technology ($XLK).

SIlver ($SLV) and Gold ($GLD) also rallied to NEW HIGHS as did the Gold Miners ($GDX).

Another interesting thing to take notice of is that there is finally some strength coming into the weakest sectors.

The Financials ($XLF $IYF) and the Hombuilders ($XHB) ETF's broke through key overhead resistance levels this week.

The Broker/Dealer ETF ($IAI) also broke through the resistance in the $25-$27 area.

All of these ETF's broke through these prior resistance levels on BIG volume!

Follow through is the key but the amount of volume we saw at the end of last week in a hopefully a sign of good things to come.

In last weeks BLOG POST we told you that there were a TON of stocks pulling back nicely off of their most recent highs.

Hopefully you were able to get into some of these trades this week.

There were loads of what we call "text book" swing trades to take this week.

A few stocks with favorable risk/reward setups were $MEE, $EC, $ANN, $GS, $BBY, $SKS and $APC to name a few.

$SPG ripped and even $F was a rock star this week!

There were some stocks that actually rolled over this week but with the market breaking out to new highs we have no need to focus on the SHORT side.

Although we will continue to watch BOTH sides of the market to determine overall strength and weakness just remember that CONTEXT is the KEY that allows you to take action.

CONTEXT tells us the market is way too strong to try to fight it but that being said it is also warning us NOT to chase it up at this point!

If for some reason you missed last weeks action BE PATIENT and wait for your trades to set up for you.

Sometimes it is hard to sit and wait when the market is moving up the way it is but often times that is the smartest thing to do.

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

The major indices finished UP yet again this week.

Although we closed the week on a positive note the move itself was less than spectacular.

It was more like a sideways Monday, nice day of trading Tuesday then a GAP UP and trade sideways to close the week.

Now don't get me wrong…We aren't complaining!

The very BULLISH price action we are seeing is a nice change of pace from the last few months of the "stop, chop, and reverse" type trading that we were seeing.

As a matter of fact this week we saw a lot of the strong stocks on our list continue to move strongly to the upside.

AAPL and AMZN are continue to defy gravity as both stocks ripped to NEW HIGHS this week.

CF and AGU also continued to rally after last Fridays breakout.

RIG and DO had a nice week as well as the Oil Services and Energy sectors remain strong.

There are also a lot of strong stocks on our list that used this week to digest some of their recent gains.

AVP, CCJ, MMR, JWN, DE, STJ and DOW are a few names that are on this list.

This is a good sign and should give us very nice trade setups in the days to come.

The sector action was mixed again this week.

The Financials (XLF IYF) still cannot find any legs and actually sold off pretty hard to close the week.

Retail (RTH) is still trading sideways but Real Estate (IYR) finally got a little lift this week.

One sector that did finally make its move this week was the Technology sector.

After last weeks consolidation XLK finally made its move higher closing the week a new multi month highs.

As expected the Tech heavy Nasdaq got a lift this week as well.

The QQQQ gets our vote for "Index of the Week" based on its great chart.

As the bull marches on we expect to see some follow through in the days to come.

Be patient and wait for your trades to set up.

The market is in a VERY BULLISH phase right now but that does not mean that decent pullback is out of the question.

Be prepared for anything and trade your plan accordingly.

Until next week…Good Trading to YOU!

P.S. – Our last strategy class of the year will be our PVT Trading Tactics class on October 30th. If you are interested in learning more about trading with trend lines, volume, and price action then don't forget to sign up now!