***The Stock Market Cook Book is on hiatus.***
February 28, 2022

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, February 23, 2022
4:00pm ET
The usual suspects (higher inflation fears, geopolitical risks, eroding confidence on government leadership) continues to tank the market. Among today's biggest losers were the following:
* Consumer Discretionary (XLY) broke support, falling more than 3%. The move, in part, reflected a giant sell-off in travel stocks. Cruise lines were hit the hardest with Carnival Cruises (CCL) sinking by 6%. Also part of the consumer discretionary space is retail. Both Retail funds (RTH, XRT) sliced through major support levels while online retail funds (ONLN, IBUY) fell to new lows.
* Biotech (BBH, RBT, IBB) funds all broke down to new lows. All of these are off 30% since their recent highs.
* Not surprisingly, the Russia Large Cap (RSX) fund fell a whopping 9.3% to undercut its previous low set in November, 2020.
* Tech Turkeys: 1. Meta (FB) sank below $200 support. Next stop for the stock is major support at $180. I'm betting it won't be able to hang onto that one, either. 2. It appears that the Tesla (TSLA) brand may be losing its shine as the stock shed 7% of its value to break $800 support. It has a long way to go to test its $550 major support level but if shareholders are this turned off, it definitely is within the realm of possibility.

On the plus side, agricultural commodities Wheat (WEAT), Corn (CORN), and Soybeans (SOYB) sprouted to new highs. It's no wonder as Ukraine is a major source of all of these for the surrounding region.

For tomorrow, watch to see if the major averages can hold onto the levels they are testing at today's close:
Nasdaq 13000
SPX 4200
DJIA 33000

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, February 22, 2022
4:00pm ET
A slew of breakdowns on the heel of growing geopolitical tensions as all of the major averages break support levels. One of the very few bright spots continues to be in the commodity space with Ag commodities (CORN, SOYB, COW), Oil (OIL, BNO), and Metals (JJN, JJU) breaking out to new highs.

On the flip side, investors continue to shed riskier assets, most notably in the tech space. (See below for a list of those etfs breaking support.) Cryptos continue to tank as Bitcoin (GBTC) and Ethereum (ETHE) drop 5% and 7% respectively. Unfortunately, I do not see an end to the downward trend in any of these crypto issues (Coinbase (COIN) included).

Breaking Down: Tech (XT, FINX ROBO, ARKK, SKYY, PNQI, SOCL, TWTR), Homebuilders (XHB), Biotech (BBH), REITs (IYR), Europe (EWG, EPOL), Russia (RSX/J), Emerging Market Debt (VWOB, EMB)

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, February 17, 2022
4:00pm ET
Increasing geopolitical jitters tanked the market today with investors continuing to dump their riskier assets. Consumer Staples (XLY) and Utilities (XLU)--the market equivalent of comfort food--were the only sectors trading in the green while Communications (VOXX, XLC) and Cloud Computing (CLOU) easily sliced through their next support levels. It wasn't surprising that precious metals and their miners jumped with Physical Platinum & Palladium (SPPP) gaining 6% on five times normal volume.

News that Canada is freezing not only the bank accounts of those who contributed to the truckers' crowd-funding campaign but their crypto-wallets as well probably accelerated the sell-off in crypto and blockchain assets. Ethereum (ETHE) sank 12% while Coinbase (COIN) lost nearly 8%. If the Canadian government continues to freeze accounts of people who disagree with them, there is a very real fear that this could trigger a run on Canadian banks. It also does not inspire confidence that one's crypto wallet is safe, either. If you can't trust that the government can't gain access to your crypto wallet, then what's the point of even owning such a risky and volatile asset?

On the tech front, Meta Platforms (FB) shed another 4% to hit a new yearly low. If the Texas AG gets his way on the upcoming privacy lawsuit, the company could be on the hook for hundreds of $billions$ (yes, that's -illion with a b) which would be a real drag on its bottom line. If that happens, Zuckerberg might choose to disappear for good in the virtual ether of the metaverse.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, February 15, 2022
3:30pm ET
News of possible de-escalation of tensions along the Ukraine border helped boost investor confidence causing the major averages to rebound strongly. Currently, the Russell and the Nasdaq are today's biggest movers with both sporting gains well over 2% causing volatility to fall by 9%. Tech (XLK) and Consumer Discretionary (XLY) were today's sector winners with the semis (SOXX +5%) boosting tech and travel (JETS +5%) giving a big lift to consumer discretionary.

Speaking of travel, Marriott (MAR) broke out to a record high and appears to be just getting started on its next leg up. A major rally in all of the travel stocks would not surprise me at all as people of world are done, done, done with being all cooped up.

In other news, Metals & Miners (XME) broke above major consolidation to hit a new high. It, too, appears to have a lot more room to move to the upside.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, February 14, 2022
1:00pm ET
The Stock Market Cook Book is out of the office today. We will be back tomorrow. Happy Valentine's Day!

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, February 10, 2022
4:00pm ET
Today's worse than expected inflation numbers erased yesterday's gains pretty much across the board. Naturally, a rising interest rate environment is bad for existing bonds and for riskier equity assets so it comes as no surprise that the Nasdaq was today's biggest loser among the major averages, shedding over 2% in value.

Utilities also had a bad day with the Utility Spyder (XLU) slicing through support. Volatility soared 20%. This could be interpreted as an indication that investors are now fearing a 50 basis point rate hike at the March Fed meeting instead of 25. The Fed is a notorious laggard in doing the right thing and to expect a different result at this point really is insanity. I could be wrong, but I'm probably not.

Not a lot to highlight today except that the Metals & Miners (XME) etf rolled over along with the rest of the market. It's at the top of its channel (which we have been noting in recent blogs) and if you're still holding onto this issue, you may want to sell at least a partial position if not all. Should the situation change, you can always buy it back.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, February 9, 2022
4:00pm ET
Did anyone notice the elephant in the room? Apparently not as the market caught fire today, just one day ahead of the release of tomorrow's inflation numbers. Here I thought that investors would at least be sitting on the sidelines until then but perhaps the optimism that the omicron variant is fading much faster than expected is making investors giddy. While today's big rally could be a sign of a bullish consensus that the economy is improving, this wizened old trader (aka me) is waiting for tomorrow's numbers just to be on the safe side. Too many times in the past I've been lured by the siren song of market ebullience only to be disappointed by the ensuing reality. This time I am sitting on my hands as I would rather be safe than sorry.

Breaking out: Many sectors and industry groups topped near-term resistance levels, notably Semiconductors (SOXX, SMH), Uranium (CCJ, URA, URNM), and Airlines (JETS) along with hotels, cruise lines, and casino stocks.

New Highs: Coffee (JO), Aluminum (JJU), Corn (CORN), Austria (EWO).

Channeling: As noted in a previous blog, the Metals and Miners (XME) etf has been channeling since last May. The stock is now nearing the top of its channel ($48) and if you're holding this issue, you may wish to sell if it rolls over. Now nothing channels forever and considering how hot commodities are at the moment, it could well top its channel high. If it does on volume conviction, this would be a bullish indication of further upside.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, February 8, 2022
2:15pm ET
Green is the color flashing across most of the board today with the focus on the reopening trade, aka travel and leisure related names (discussed below). As of this writing, the major averages are all up but who knows whether or not they'll succumb to a late day sell-off as has been their wont for the past three days. It should be noted that the inflation numbers will be reported before the market opens on Thursday and a worse than expected number could really tank the market. So be prepared for that.

Today's Market Highlights:
Breaking out: Mother Russia (RSX), Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), Booking (BKNG—aka Priceline), T Mobile (TMUS)--The company popped on a great earnings beat last week and continues to rise. Today, it tacked on more than 3% to rise above $125 resistance. It's next major resistance level is at $135.

New Lows: International Bonds (WIP, IGOV, VWOB, BNDX)

Breaking down: Meta Platforms (FB). The stock continues to sink and today broke $220 support. Technically, it appears as if the stock has much further to fall. Watch to see if its next major support levels hold at $200, $175, $150.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, February 7, 2022
4:00pm ET
In an effort to reprioritize my schedule, I will be paring down this column to the bare essentials. Hopefully, this will free up some of my time (I'm not a fast writer) as well as freeing up your time in gleaning the essentials without wading through a lot of verbiage. I do plan to contribute more to this column in the future but the form of the content is still unclear—perhaps an occasional in-depth article instead of daily updates. But while I contemplate my navel...

Today's Market Highlights:
Breaking out to new highs: Corn (CORN, Soybeans (SOYB)

Breaking above first line of resistance: Cryptos (GBTC, ETHE). In this space, I am looking at the Global X Blockchain (BKCH) etf which debuted last July. It, too, popped above resistance today on slightly heavier than normal volume. I like it because it is a basket of blockchain companies, has a lower expense ratio than most of its peers (0.5%), and pays a juicy semi-annual dividend currently over 10%. (Whether it can maintain that dividend remains to be seen.) Anyway, if you're looking to get into this space, this is one fund you might want to consider.

Breaking down: Alphabet (GOOG/L)

Meta Platforms (FB) Update: The stock shed another 5% in very heavy trading. It has now lost 40% of its peak market-cap and judging from the downward pressure on the stock, it appears it isn't close to finding a bottom. Please don't try to catch this falling knife because you may not only lose a couple of fingers, but your entire hand.

Cruising Higher: As covid winds down, the travel industry is heating up. Travel related issues took flight today with cruise lines being some of the biggest winners. (RCL & CCL both gained 8%.) I believe that now is a good time to start building a position in this space. All aboard!

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, February 4, 2022
4:00pm ET
The market snapped back on a better than expected jobs number and blow-out earnings from tech biggie Snapchat (SNAP). Tech stocks got hammered yesterday on Meta's (FB) dismal earnings report, including Snapchat. So, it's no wonder that the stock soared 60% today, recovering not only yesterday's losses but forging much higher. While this may seem surprising, it should be noted that its stock price is less than half of what it was four months ago so it still has a long, uphill climb to regain its former glory. If you love the company, this is one ride that might want to take.

New Lows: Treasuries (IEI, TIP, IEF) & Investment Grade Corp. Bonds (BND, LQD) plunge on rising bond yields.
Popping: Oil (OIL, USO, BNO) hit yet another new high. I must disagree with CNBC chartist Carter Worth who is calling for a sell-off in oil. Honestly, I don't see it from my charts. In fact, it appears that BNO is on it's way to filling the March 2020 gap up to $70. (The stock is now at $64.91).
Reversing Course: Cryptos have been badly beaten down (just ask your son in the basement) but reversed course today along with other risk-on assets, most likely due to the ebullience surrounding Snapchat earnings. Both the Bitcoin (GBTC) and Ethereum (ETHE) funds posted double digit gains to rise above short-term resistance levels.

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, February 3, 2022
4:00pm ET
I'm keeping today's blog short because I know I'll be tempted to go on a rant about how Meta (Facebook, FB) is turning into MySpace, and justifiably so. But I won't. You're welcome.

New Highs: Oil (BNO, USO, OIL)
Only Sector moving higher: Consumer Staples (XLP)
Biggest Tech Losers: Spotify (SPOT, -17%), Snapchat (SNAP, -24%), Meta (FB, -26%). FYI, Zuckerberg's net worth went down $31B—no wonder his eyes were red and swollen today (as reported by co-workers).
Currency News: The Euro (FXE) jumped over 1% while the USD sank by 0.5%. (These are big moves in the currency market.)

The non-farms payroll will be reported tomorrow and a worse than expected number could put additional pressure on the market.

Video Recommendation: The Social Dilemma is a Netflix documentary featuring social media founders and developers detailing how the internet evolved from a creative, exploratory space to one where the user's every digital move is being recorded, analyzed, and used a source of revenue and civil manipulation. It's worth watching for the whole family. After viewing this, you may feel compelled to pull the plug on Facebook and other social media platforms just like many of the experts featured in this film.

Film Quote: If you're not paying for the product, you are the product.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, February 2, 2022
4:00pm ET
A quickie blog today as there is not much to market hours action to report. The major averages all chugged up for the fourth day in a row except for the small-cap Russell which didn't follow the others' playbook. Could this be the canary in the coal mine for an imminent market fade?

The real news is the epic falls in Meta (aka Facebook, FB) and Spotify (SPOT) which are both currently down nearly 20% in after hours trading. This is probably not going to bode well for tomorrow's market open.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, February 1, 2022
3:30pm ET
Nice follow-through on yesterday's rally with all of the major averages trading in the green. The jump in the Transports above near-term resistance bodes well for a rally continuation. Volatility fell below 25 but it still has a ways to go to jump back over the bull/bear fence at 20. Agricultural commodities continue to rise with both Soybeans (SOYB) and Cotton (BAL) sprouting to new yearly highs.

Travel and leisure stocks are among today's market leaders. This may be an indication of waning fears in the covid pandemic or the fact that most everyone is tired of being isolated and they just want to get out and about. I know I do.

Trade Idea: The Metals & Miners etf (XME) has been in a 9 month channel, having bounced between the $40 and $48 levels four times. It's currently on its way back up and even if you bought at today's level ($43.5), that's still a 9% possible return.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, January 31, 2022
3:30pm ET
The market sprung back with a vengeance today—why? I don't know. You might think that this is a good buying opportunity but the weird thing is that while every sector is trading in the green, it's doing so on much lighter than expected volume. The volume on the most widely held index tracking stocks (DIA, SPY, QQQ, iWM) is about 25% below normal (at the time of this writing—about a half hour before the close). Normally, real rebounds are accompanied by conviction buying which is definitely lacking today. Translation: If you are attempted to jump back in the market with both feet, you may want to reconsider by dipping only a few toes in the water.

Technical Notes:
The USD dropped (UUP)
Nat Gas (UNG) broke out
Brazil (BRF, EWZS) broke out (read up on this before buying)
Soybeans (SOYB), Cotton (BAL) hit new yearly highs

Trade Idea #1: Netflix (NFLX) got pummeled last week on earnings that investors found disappointing. The stock spend several days consolidating giving investors time to reassess their judgment. Apparently, they concluded over the weekend that they may have been a little hard in their punishment and re-entered the stock pushing it up over 10% to $425. Looking at the stock's chart, it has a big gap to fill—all the way back up to $500. Volume is heavier than normal today so barring any terrible external event, I'd say that there's a really good chance the stock could fill the gap. If you don't have the cash to buy the stock and you are relatively options savvy, a good trade could be a 3-6 month out call credit spread. The benefit of the spread is that it mitigates the effect of high volatility.

Trade Idea #2: Financial technology is a disruptive technology and one way to play it is by buying a basket of fintech stocks. You can do this by buying a Fintech etf. I like the Global X Fintech etf FINX ($33.7) which is down 40% from its recent high. I like its current holdings but what I like the most is its 6.4% yield. (The dividend is paid twice a year.) The etf is also optionable. Full disclosure: I bought a partial position today.

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, January 27, 2022
4:00pm ET
The market continues its downward march with both the Nasdaq and, more importantly, the Dow Transports breaking support. A breakdown in the Transports signals further pain on the road ahead so adjust your portfolio accordingly. Support levels on the Transports are at the 1000 levels with 14000 being the next line of support. With all of the reasons I've stated in previous blogs (geopolitical unrest, supply chain issues, record high inflation, and the complete incompetency of the current administration), I'm expecting a slide in the Transports to major support at the 10000 level and would not at all be surprised if it revisited the 7000 mark—a 50% slide from its current value.

There's a lot going on in this market but in the interest of brevity, I will summarize the notable movers:
* The US Dollar (UUP) leaped above major resistance to hit a new yearly high while the Euro (FXE) sank below major support to notch a new yearly low. European vacay anyone?
* Hitting New Yearly Lows: New Zealand (ENZL), China (FNI, CHN, GXC), S. Korea (EWY); Junk Bonds (JNK, HYG), Int'l Bonds (ISHG, IGOV); Silver miners (SIL, SILJ)
* Biggest losers: Hi tech (ROBO, QTUM, ARKK): Tesla (TSLA, -12%)--also broke major support and we could see a fall all the way to 700; Precious metals (GLD, SLV, PLG); Biotech (IBB, FBT, BBH); Semis (SMH, SOXX)--I think their downward trajectory is just getting started
* Sector breakdowns: Gaming (BJK), Consumer Discretionary (XLY)

Investment Idea: Government issued I Bonds are pegged to inflation. The bonds currently yield 7.17% and the rate is adjusted every six months. Individuals are allowed to buy up to $10k per year directly from the Treasury and also receive up to an additional $5k as part of ones Federal income tax refund. For more info, please visit treasurydirect.gov.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, January 26, 2022
4:00pm ET
Wild swings in the market today revolving around pre-FOMC expectations and the reality of Fed Chair Powell's post meeting comments. While the market is closing in the red, the major averages are still in bull territory except for the small-cap Russell 2000 which formed a death cross a couple of days ago.

This is the first average to fall and unless the global situation takes a rosy turn, I'm expecting the other major averages to follow suit. The P/E of the S&P 500 is still well over its historic average and it needs to return to a more realistic value, especially considering that corporate profit estimates may have to be drastically lowered on continuing sluggish supply chain issues and on inflation cutting into the consumers' budgets.

On a personal note, I have been neglectful in writing blogs as I am in the process of reorganizing my financial affairs. I shall try to post daily even if it's only a short missive. Thanks for reading and for hanging in with me!

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, January 20, 2022
4:00pm ET
Today's dead cat bounce was short-lived as the early morning rally started to fade sooner than the caffeine rush from one's first cup of coffee. The sell-off accelerated right into the close as the Dow Industrials, S&P, and the Nasdaq sliced through support levels like a sushi knife through tuna collar. The Semis (SOXX, SMH) not only broke through their first lines of support but are now testing their second ones.

Electric Vehicle makers and wanna-be EV makers continue to hit the skids with Nikola (NKLA, $7.99) and Lordstown Motors (RIDE, $2.62) both sliding 7%-9% to record lows. Judging from the utter ugliness of their charts, I would give them both good odds of being towed to the scrap heap—and soon. (If you want an eye-opening insight into the history of Nikola, check out some of the YouTube videos on the subject. It's a lesson to would-be investors: Don't buy the new car smell without first kicking the tires.)

But the biggest dog of the day is reserved for Netflix (NFLX) which reported earnings after the bell. The Street gave the report a big two thumbs down as subscriber growth was less than projected, resulting in a 20% after hours haircut in the stock price. This must be what one hand clapping sounds like.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, January 19, 2022
4:00pm ET
The bears put on their party hats today as the market continues to slide. The only sector trading in the green was Consumer Staples (XLP) and even that is looking toppy. Oil is also looking toppy judging from the charts of the oil funds OIL, USO, BNO.

Currently, commodities are the market's only bright spot and today precious metals shined the brightest. The gold and silver miners rose the most with Silver Miners (SIL, SILJ) up 8%-9% and Gold Miners (GDX, GDXJ) up 7%. Making new yearly highs are Nickel (JJN), Aluminum (JJU), and Cotton (BAL) On the flip side, Electric Vehicles hit a speed bump as a couple of funds in this space sank 2%-3% (DRIV, KARS).

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, January 18, 2022
4:00pm ET
Not a great day for the market as bond yields jump. The few bright spots were oil and other commodities along with the greenback. It's natural to expect the dollar to rise along with interest rates as Treasuries are dollar denominated. The Dow Industrials broke support as component Goldman Sachs (GS) tanked on disappointing earnings. The Russell 2000 also closed below major support and was today's biggest loser among the major averages (-3%). You might be thinking that now could be a buying opportunity but this time is different. It's for sure that the Fed will continue to raise rates at least for the rest of this year and this along with possibly lower than expected corporate earnings (demonstrated today by the worse than expected earnings from Goldman and Charles Schwab) could easily keep the market under pressure for a while.

Today's Notable Highlights & Lowlights:
Breaking down: Healthcare (XLV), Retail (RTH), Tech (XLK, PNQI, FDN, BOTZ, ARKK), Homebuilders (XHB), Biotech (FBT, IBB), Solar (TAN), Sweden (EWD), Vietnam (VNM), Russia (RSX, -7.4% today)
New Yearly Highs: Oil (BNO, OIL, USO), Commodities (GSP, DBC)

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, January 11, 2022
4:00pm ET
Today's market action was almost a carbon copy of yesterday's with the major averages blowing off the early morning sell-off. Nearly every sector was trading in the green. Tech, oil, China were among today's more notable winners. Bonds finally rebounded, temporarily staving off the next leg down. But a rise in bonds generally spells trouble for the greenback and that was certainly the case today with the Long Dollar (UUP) fund dropping down to test near-term support.

Today's Notable Movers:
* Exxon-Mobil (XOM, Yield: 5%) rose 4% to notch another new yearly high
* Chinese e-commerce giant JD.Com (JD) jumped over 10%
* Online Retail (IBUY, ONLN) rose 3%-4%
* Nickel (JJN—thinly traded so watch out) jumped 4.6% to hit the fund's all-time high
* The British Pound (FXB) pushed through $131 resistance
* Poland (EPOL) also moved above resistance on nearly 4x normal volume

Note: The Stock Market Cook Book will be out of the office for the next week or so pending circumstances. See y'all soon!

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, January 10, 2022
4:00pm ET
The bears barged in on the open wreaking havoc in nearly all of the sectors but mostly in tech. The bulls, however, decided it wasn't yet time for the bears to ruin their party and they promptly fought back. Not only did they prevail but they managed to heft the badly beaten up Nasdaq right back into the green. Volatility leapt into the red zone (high of 23.3) before abruptly reversing course and plummeting right back down to end the day below 20--the bull/bear dividing line. The fact that investors are ready to step back into riskier assets is saying that perhaps there isn't as much to fear from the Fed as was previously imagined. This is a good omen for further upside momentum—at least in the short term, for who knows what catastrophe lurks around the next corner?

A couple of today's more notable movements:
* Sugar (SGG) breaks support
* Nat Gas (UNG) pops above its one month consolidation pattern
* Pharma (PPH) inches to a record high on 3.7x volume as 5% holding Bristol-Myers Squib (BMY) jumps 3.6% on news of a share buyback program

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, January 7, 2022
4:00pm ET
Lather, rinse, repeat seems to be the theme of the current market. Banks, financials, energy (especially oil), cyclicals, and staples continue to rise as investors lighten up on riskier assets (high tech, biotech, meme stocks, cryptos). Bonds continue to sink on rising rate expectations.

There's not a lot to add to this week's narrative but I shall briefly summarize today's notable movers:
* Record Highs: Banks (KRE, IAT), Financials (XLF), Berkshire-Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B—this is a proxy for cyclicals, financials, and staples)
* Breaking out: Peru (EPU)
* Testing Support: Homebuilders (XHB), Cryptos (ETHE, GBTC)
* Breaking down: Philippines (EPHE)

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, January 6, 2022
4:00pm ET
The market stabilized today following yesterday's sell-off. But don't think that this is the start of a market reversal. While anything can (and does) happen, technicals are showing that this is likely to be a pause in the downtrend. (There is a divergence between the major averages and volatility, volume is lackluster, and the Trin is still rising.)

There is little to report on today but here are the major highlights and lowlights:
* Precious metals tanked, ending their recent rally.
* China stocks rebounded following an eleven month sell-off.
* Banks (KRE, IAT, KBE) broke out to new highs on heavier than normal volume. This is a bullish sign and you may want to consider initiating a new long position or adding to your existing positions in this space.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, January 5, 2022
3:30pm ET
A much more hawkish tone from the Fed minutes released at 11pm ET tanked an already shaky market. As of the time of this writing, the overvalued tech stocks sank the Nasdaq which is now down by nearly 3%. That's a big move. Volatility jumped by 12% and is threatening to re-enter bear territory. The Trin moved up but it still has plenty of room to run to the upside. Combining these bearish signs along with the topping tails appearing in many sectors is telling me that there's more downside to come. Now is the time to start updating your watch list for when the market stabilizes.

Needless to say bonds had a miserable day with many treasury funds hitting new yearly lows: SHY, IEI, BND, MBB (mortgage-backed securities). The threat of rising interest rates is not a good omen for real estate sales and this sentiment was reflected by the sell-off in REITs (VNQ, IYR, XLRE). As long as interest rates rise (for at least all of 2022), we can expect a continuing under performance so it might be a prudent move to begin lightening up on real estate positions.

On the bright side, Oil (OIL, USO) topped resistance as did Platinum (PPLT). In fact, both precious and industrial metals did well today which helped push the Metals and Miners etf (XME) to retest its double top. A break above that on volume conviction would be a robust sign for a bullish continuation.

Globally, most funds are also trading in the red with China (FXI) and Brazil (BRF, EWZ, EWZS) notching new lows.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, January 4, 2022
4:00pm ET
While the Dow Industrials closed at a record high, today's big 1.3% drop in the Nasdaq indicates that the market is pricing in a Fed rate increase sooner rather than later. The biggest losers in the tech space were Kathy Wood's Tech fund ARKK, Cloud Computing (CLOU), Online Retail (ONLN, IBUY), Software (PSJ), and Social Media (SOCL, PNQI, FDN). Twitter (TWTR) plunged to a new yearly low. (Editorial Opinion: YAY!!!) Beneficiaries of a rate hike are banks and financial institutions which were among today's notable winners. The following etfs broke out: XLF, KRE, IAT, KBE as did many individual bank names with Wells Fargo (WFC) hitting a new high.

The Energy Sector fund (XLE) closed at a two year high. The best performers came from the petroleum industry with the following Oil and Gas funds moving above resistance: OIH, XES, XOP, PXJ. The global elites are systematically trying to curtail the use of fossil fuels which is fueling the inflow into these funds. As long as you will be paying more at the pump, you might wish to offset the loss with a long position in a dividend paying oil company. Chevron (CVX, Yield 4.4%) and Exxon Mobil (XOM, Yield 5.3%) are fan favorites.

Auto makers also had another great day. Yesterday's blog mention, Ford (F), jumped almost 12% to motor to a new yearly high. Also making new highs on big gains were General Motors (GM, +7.5%)) and Toyota (TOYOF, +7%). Of these, only Ford pays a dividend (1.7%).

Among today's notable losers are the Japanese Yen which plunged to a six year low and Biotech etfs which sank more than 2% (FBT, IBB; CNCR),

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, January 3, 2022
4:00pm ET
We ring in the New Year with the Dow Industrials closing at a record high, Apple (AAPL) briefly crossing the $3 Trillion market-cap mark, and Tesla (TSLA) jumping 14% on upgraded 2022 delivery target expectations. Ford (F, $21.77) broke out of a two month consolidation pattern, jumping by nearly 5%. This stock has risen 80% since its March, 2020 low.

In commodities, Oil jumped with Oil Services (XES, OIH) advancing by 7%. Precious metals, in contrast, sank in the 1% - 2% range. Turning to the currency market, the Greenback (UUP) was the only gainer among the major currencies. The bond market continues to suck (that's the technical term). Few bond funds escaped today's sell-off. The widely held Vanguard Total Bond Fund (BND) dropped to a two year low. It appears that the sell off in the bond market isn't showing any signs of reversing course any time soon so if you're looking to add to your bond positions or start new ones, you may want to wait until the Fed begins lowering interest rates which could be a couple of years away.

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, December 23, 2021
3:30pm ET
All of the reindeer are now participating in this late Santa rally as the recalcitrant Dow Transport Index (aka Rudolph) has finally decided to join the sleigh pulling party. It has stayed stubbornly under resistance but bounded over it today on heavy conviction. Volatility continues to drop which is also a good sign of a bullish continuation. The S&P is poised to close at another record high—can we ask for anything more from Santa?

No other real interesting news to report today other than Turkey (TUR) popping 11%. Unless you love rollercoaster rides, I'd stay away from this issue altogether as the country is in economic turmoil. I've been following it briefly and from what I've seen, it's a mess. Let's hope this situation isn't contagious.

Note: The stock market will be closed for both December 24th and December 31st. The Stock Market Cook Book will be off next week and will be back in the New Year. Wishing you all Happy Holidays and here's an early toast to a prosperous and much happier 2022!

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, December 22, 2021
4:00pm ET
An unannounced power outage shut down internet access here this morning so today's coverage will be even more minimal than usual.

It appears that Santa is back in the drivers' seat and that we will have that Merry Christmas after all. It was another broad market rally day where even bonds participated in the upside action, most notably junk bonds. Real estate (VNQ) inched to another record setting high and travel stocks again were among today's biggest gainers. Investors are re-arming their portfolios with precious metals, piling into Palladium (PALL) which gained 5.7% to break its first line of near-term resistance.

All of the major averages made notable gains except for the market-leading Transports which again were unable to close above the 1600 resistance mark. (FYI: For some reason, my charting program reports the value of the Dow Transports as 1/10 of the normally reported value. I don't know why and I apologize for any confusion.) For me, this Is the one thorn in the side of a continuing bull market. I'm hoping we'll get some clarity on this issue tomorrow.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, December 21, 2021
4:00pm ET
It appears that yesterday's sell-off was a one-off as buyers came flocking back into the market. All sectors and most commodities are trading well into the green with the travel industry being the big winner for the second day in a row. Some names topping this leaderboard are Carnival Cruise (CCL, +9%), Las Vegas Sands (LVS, 8%), United Airlines (UAL, 6.6%), Booking (aka Priceline) (BKNG, +6.6%), Marriott (MAR, 5.4%), Airline etf (JETS, 5%), and Gaming etf (BJK, 3.4%). The travel and leisure industry is part of the Consumer Discretionary sector which helped push the sector fund (XLY) price up by 2.3%. If you're looking for a long trade idea, I would consider scaling into the travel and leisure industry with a diversified scope—say, buying a hotel group, cruise line, airline (or the JETS etf), and a booking platform.

While the market breadth is wide today, that doesn't necessarily mean that Santa is back in the sleigh. I'd have a lot more faith in today's rebound if the Transports can close over resistance at 1600, the Industrials above 35500, the Nasdaq over 15500, and the VIX under 20.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, December 20, 2021
4:00pm ET
A broad market sell-off essentially put the kibosh on a Santa rally. Virtually no sector, currency, or commodity was spared. All of the major averages opened much lower but they all managed to regain some of their lost ground. This could be a signal that buyers are seeing attractive valuations but it doesn't rule out further downside, either. Next support levels to watch are the following:

SPX 4500
DJIA 34000
Nasdaq 14750, then 14500
RUT 2100

The one area that did get some love was the travel industry. Carnival Cruise line (CCL, $18.90) steamed higher by over 3%. (Disclosure: I own it.) A break above $20 resistance might be a bullish sign not only for the stock, but for the rest of the travel industry. It might be inferred that folks are finally getting fed up with all of the covid restrictions and are determined to start having some fun.

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, December 17, 2021
4:00pm ET
A mixed market today as recently beaten down high tech names get a temporary boost. There was also an uptick in travel stocks. I'm guessing that a lot of people are sick and tired of covid and just want to return to some semblance of normalcy, especially important during the holiday season. Most of us are yearning to see friends and family and many of us just want a change of scenery after being couped up for years. As an aside, is anyone else as annoyed as I am at the relentless media covid coverage? Could they try covering something different (like real news) and perhaps be a little bit more upbeat?

While the major averages fell, some are still hanging onto support levels—but barely. As I'm writing this, late day sell programs are pushing both the Transports and the Industrials below support. It is looking like Santa is running out of time to stage a rally.

Today's Doggie Downers: India funds (INDY, EPI) broke support. But that's nothing compared to Turkey's (TUR) 14% drop to an all-time low. The reason? On the heels of rising inflation, the Turkish central bank decided to ease rates (!!!). (It seems as if a knowledge of basic economics is no longer a desired skill for central bank employment.) Because of these brilliant moves, the Turkish lira has lost 70% of its value in the past several months which is leading to possible economic destabilization. China stocks also contributed to the overall global market stink with internet giant KWEB slumping to a new yearly low.

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, December 16, 2021
4:00pm ET
The major averages opened up but spent the rest of the day trading down. The sector report isn't a lot rosier with most losing steam. Recent out-performers such as Utilities (XLU), Healthcare (XLV), and Consumer Staples (XLP) continue to rally as investors rotate out of pricey tech stocks and into more stable arenas. Although none of the averages have broken support, today's bearish engulfing bars in the Russell and the Nasdaq do not bode well for a Santa rally in either one.

The Retail etf (XRT) broke support while Online Retail funds (ONLN, IBUY) continue to fall to new yearly lows. Big tech names Tesla (TSLA) and Snapchat (SNAP) also broke support.

Options Trade Idea: Should the Nasdaq break major support at 15000, a call credit spread on its tracking stock (QQQ) could be initiated. In this scenario, the 15000 level corresponds to the 380 level in the Q's and we'd be looking to sell the near-term 380 strike while simultaneously buying a higher strike call for a net credit. The tracking stock's next major resistance level is at 400, so a 380/400 spread is reasonable. For risk averse traders, the 380/390 spread offers more protection but at the expense of a lower credit.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, December 14, 2021
4:00pm ET
The Producer Price Index (PPI) came in at a whopping 9.8%, well above the expected 9.2%. How this will affect the Fed governors bond tapering decision is anyone's guess but most are now betting on a sooner rather than later decision. I don't think they'll stop tomorrow, but I think it might come sooner than the now expected late Q1/early Q2 date which was recently moved up from Q3 projections. Historically, the Fed has always been well behind the curve on inflation and honestly, one would think that after more than 100 years of doing this, they'd finally have a clue.

The market continued its sell-off with only Financials (XLF) and Staples (XLP) holding their ground. The Greenback (UUP) advanced against other currencies including cryptos. High-flying tech names continue to sell-off as investors rotate into less risky assets.

Hitting New Lows: Platinum & Palladium (SPPP, PALL), Online Retail (IBUY, ONLN), Cryptos (LTCN, BCHG)

On a personal note, I have been struggling with the format of this blog and am still looking for some direction. I am not getting recompensed from writing this—I do it because I love writing and the fact of doing it forces me to pay attention to the market. However, it does take quite a bit of time to research and to write (despite the diminutive length of the blogs) and I do feel that for right now my time could be better served rebalancing my portfolios and initiating trades. In this regard, I am thinking of revamping the blog to a brief write up of any trades I made or am thinking of making. I am shooting to have the final format resolved in the beginning of the New Year.

As a start, I did dump my high-yield bond fund (HYT) today as it broke support. It's still 10% above the purchase price and I have collected a juicy dividend on it ever since. (The fund currently yields 7.9%.) I'm afraid to continue holding junk bonds in a rising interest rate environment as they can potentially lose a lot more in value than their investment grade counterparts. I plan to jump back in when it looks like they've bottomed but that could be as much as a year or two from now.

Quote of the Day: It could be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. – Mark Twain

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, December 10, 2021
4:00pm ET
High tech names took an abrupt turn to the downside yesterday and continued their strong sell-off today. In particular, Social Media (SOCL, PNQI, FDN), Cloud Computing (CLOU), Online Retail (ONLN, IBUY), and Biotech (FBT, IBB, BBH, XBI) top the biggest loser list. On the plus side, volatility finally managed to fall back into bull territory while the S&P is back to retesting its double top. Consumer Staples (XLP) broke out to a record high despite the hot inflation data that came out today (6.8% for November). Inflation fuels the stock market and it appears that investors now think that high tech may have run its course and are turning to value oriented issues which could explain the rise in consumer staples and the continuing rally in industrials.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, December 8, 2021
4:00pm ET
The Santa rally continues albeit at a slower pace with most of the major averages extending yesterday's gains. Another checkmark to add to the bulls' column is that volatility has fallen smack dab on top of the bull/bear dividing line at 20. The only downer today is that the Dow Transports fell as we noted yesterday that it might do. The good news, though, is that it's only off by 0.3%.

Decreasing fears of the severity of the omicron variant boosted the travel sector. The Gaming etf (BJK) and Booking (BKNG—aka, Priceline) both rallied more than 2.5% to break near-term resistance levels. Apple (AAPL) continues to soar into the stratosphere, notching another record high. In currencies, the British Pound (FXB) slid to a new yearly low while the Chinese Yuan fund (CYB) shed over 6% yesterday on no discernible news (not even from fund manager Wisdom Tree's website). And while we're on the topic of Chinese currency, today fund manager Kyle Bass said that the Chinese will likely be introducing their own form of digital currency next year. And all I can say to that is Oh-Oh, watch out Mr. Bill (I mean that in US dollar terms).

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, December 7, 2021
3:50pm ET
Ho Ho Ho! Well, it looks like Santa decided there would be a Christmas this year as people realize that the omicron variant appears to be a much smaller deal than was originally reported. Renewed optimism sparked a pop in almost every sector with treasuries being the only major loser. Yesterday's bottoming tails told us that sellers had worn out their welcome and showed buyers stepping in. So, to technical analysts, today's move didn't come as an entire surprise.

But the question now is does the Santa rally have legs? Despite the pop in the major averages, the market-leading Dow Transports is already showing fatigue which could be a sign that this rally may soon run out of gas. One piece of not-so-good news was that third quarter seasonally adjusted productivity declined 5.2% which is the largest decline since 1960. I don't know if this is just a one-off as workers return to their jobs or if this is the start of a systemic decline in services and manufacturing. While it's not wise to place a lot of importance on one number, I would, though, keep that in mind when you're thinking of buying a stock that is already priced to perfection.

Breaking out to record highs: Semiconductors (SOXX, SMH), Homebuilders (XHB), Real Estate (IYR, VNQ), Apple (AAPL), Taiwan (EWT; 1.5% yield).

New Yearly Low: Short-term Treasuries (SHY). While this was a down day for Treasuries, junk bonds rebounded with the HYG jumping 2.8% to top resistance.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, November 30, 2021
4:00pm ET
Meeoooowww....THUD! What was that? That was the sound of yesterday's dead cat bounce. Ouch! (Yes, I know dead cats don't meow but I'm using Schrodinger's cat in this example.) Anyway, pretty much every sector is trading in the red except for Treasuries (TLT +1.7%) and Investment Grade Corporate Bonds (LQD +0.3%). Among the major averages, the S&P, Dow Transports, and Dow Industrials all violated support levels. Volatility rebounded by 19%. Market internals are all singing the blues and it looks like we may be in for more pain going into December. The Santa rally may have to be put on hold, at least for now.

Today's Bad News Bears
Commodity Breakdowns: Merry Wanna (actually it's the Marijuana etf MJ) has been on a downhill toboggan ride since mid February. It is now testing major support.
Cocoa (NIB) is retesting its recent double bottom.
Timber (CUT), Sugar (SGG),and Nat Gas (UNG) all breaking support. It's worth noting that Oil Volatility spiked to a level not seen in over a year and a half, so expect some major price fluctuations in this group.

Sector and Industry Group Breakdowns:: Consumer Staples (XLP), Social Media (SOCL), Insurance (KIE), Aero & Defense (PPA), Building Materials (XLB), Online Retail (IBUY).

Notable Stock Breakdowns: Chinese online retailer Alibaba (BABA), REITs (NLY, AGNC), Snapchat (SNAP), Twitter (TWTR), and fake meat maker Beyond Meat (BYND). Did you know that 1,443 patents related to meat substitutes have been filed in the last 5 years? Do you really want to eat something made out of a slurry of chemicals processed in a lab? I know I don't.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, November 29, 2021
4:00pm ET
News of a new Covid variant put the kibosh on the traditional Black Friday rally. On the heels of the massive sell-off, it's not surpising that we got a bounce today. But the question now is whether today is a dead-cat bounce or the start of a Santa rally?

Tech and semis got smacked down on Friday but are among today's biggest gainers. But the gains in these groups pales in comparison to today's biggest winner—Shipping (BDRY). This etf rose over 9% to break near-term resistance. Could investors be thinking that the supply chain bottleneck will be easing soon?

Other notable technical events include a new yearly high in Rare Earth Elements (REMX), a new yearly low in Chinese tech giant Alibaba (BABA), and a break down in Saudi Arabia (KSA). This fund has been in free fall for the past week.

Costco (COST) gained 2% to hit another record high. This stock has been a stellar performer since its 1986 inception where it debuted at $2.52. It is now trading at $556. You can do the math.

In other news, Twitter (TWTR) CEO Jack Dorsey stepped down today. The news initially cheered investors who bid up the stock by 10% over Friday's close. But after it was announced that the CTO, a company insider, would be Dorsey's replacement, the stock immediately sold off and relinquished all of its earlier gains. One could infer that investors were hoping for an outsider to be named to the top position. And I agree with them. The company is losing its subscriber base in part due to its politically partial (and draconian) editorial stance. Alienating half of the country probably isn't a prudent business model.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, November 24, 2021
3:30pm ET
The market sold off on the open but began rising shortly afterward. Right now, it appears that the major averages will close somewhere close to the flat line. The market is closed tomorrow but it will be open for a half day on Friday (1pm ET market close). Note that Black Friday has traditionally been an up day in the market, for all of your futures or short-term options traders.

There's really not a heck of a lot to report on today. Volume is weak as traders head for an early holiday exit. Most of the news is a lather, rinse, repeat cycle of the previous couple of weeks. Coffee (JO) continues to climb into record high territory. The Dollar (UUP) jumps another 0.4% again while the Yen (FXY), Pound (FXB), Euro (FXE) sink to new yearly lows. Mexico funds (MXF, EWW) broke support levels.

In retail, Nordstroms (JWN, -23%) and Gap (GPS, -24%) got marked down severely as both reported Q3 earnings below expectations. The news had an impact on most other retailers whether they deserved it or not. In particular, Macy's (M), Dillards (DDS), and Kohls (KSS) all sank despite the fact that they all beat earnings and raised guidance.

That's it for now. The Stock Market Cook Book will be off Friday and we'll see you back here next week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, November 23, 2021
4:00pm ET
Investors decided that yep, tech valuations are too high and are booking profits. At one point this morning, the tech heavy Nasdaq was down about 1% but has been slowly rising since. The S&P and the Russell are also trading in the red but the Industrials and the Transports managed to buck the trend and are looking to close well into the green. While this may be good news going forward, the dark cloud on the horizon is the VIX which topped the 20 mark—aka the bull/bear dividing line. It hasn't been in bear territory in over a month.

But is this the start of a sell-off? It's certainly not clear yet as investors still have very few alternatives. One thing to watch is if the Russell can hold onto its 2300 support level which it tested today. If it can't, it may be an early indication that investors are souring on the market overall and aren't interested in taking on more risk. I don't know. I wish my crystal ball was clearer.

Notable Highlights: Ag and energy continue to rally. Today, Coffee (JO) perked to a record high and Wheat (WEAT) also sprouted a new yearly high. It looks like coffee and donuts just got more expensive.

Notable Lowlights: Tarnish is spreading over all precious metals as they continue to plunge. Today's biggest losers are the Platinum and Palladium group (PALL, PPLT, PLG, SPPP) which all shed over 4%. Maybe this Christmas he can afford to go to Jared.

Breaking support levels are Gaming (BJK), Medical Devices (IHI), and Online Retail (IBUY).

Bonds continue their downward spiral as Mortgage-backed Securities (MBB) and a few International Bond funds (IGOV, WIP, VWOB) hit new lows.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, November 22, 2021
3:25pm ET
A rollercoaster day in the market as the major averages popped on the open, plummeted shortly thereafter, reversed course and are now moving back up. Contributing to the turmoil was the announcement that Biden appointed Jerome Powell to another term as the head of the Fed. It is expected that a Powell led Fed will begin raising interest rates in the late spring or early next summer. The expectation is not helping the bond market which had another bad day.

In currencies, the US dollar (UUP) jumped another half percent (a big move in the currency market) in a continuation of its recent break out. On the flip side, the Euro (FXE) sank to another yearly low.

In commodities, precious metals and miners fell across the board (GLD, GDX, SLV, SIL). Wheat (WEAT) hit a new high.

In tech, both Apple (AAPL) and Nvidia (NVDA) logged record highs.

Globally, Mother Russia (RSX) plummeted by 5%. Oil giant Gazprom (OZGPY) sank 7% and is one of the funds major holdings.

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, November 19, 2021
3:45pm ET
A mixed market today with the Dow Industrials and the Russell both looking to close out the week on a down note. On the flip side, the Nasdaq broke out to a record high as major components Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) both move to new highs. Also notching record highs are Tech (XLK), IT (VGT), Homebuilders (XHB), Semis (SOXX), Infrastructure (GRID), Water (PHO, FIW)--you know, the usual suspects.

The continuing fall in oil sent the Energy etf (XLE) below its first line of support. It may be too early to predict a sell-off but if you're overweight this sector, you may want to begin taking some chips off the table.

The news of a covid lockdown in Austria plus the threat of lockdowns from others in the region forced many Euro funds to break their first lines of support: UK (EWU), Italy (EWI), Belgium (EWK), Spain (EWP), Austria (EWO), Russia (RSX). The Euro (FXE) reversed course to sink to a new yearly low while the USD (UUP) bounced to a new high. It was a good day for bond funds as yields sank.

That's about it. Have a good weekend. Go Bruins! Beat 'SC!!!!

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, November 18, 2021
3:50pm ET
The major averages all slumped on the open but some have been able to claw their ways back. It appears as if the S&P and the Nasdaq will be closing in the green with the Transports and the Industrials at least breaking even leaving the small-cap Russell to eat their dust. Bonds had a good day especially muni bond funds.

Sector movement was mixed as well. Recent record holders advanced again as Semis (SMH, SOXX), Retail (RTH), and Tech (XLK) made new highs. Tech was helped in part by Apple (AAPL) which announced that it was throwing its hat into the autonomous vehicle manufacturing arena. This announcement helped to move the stock to another all-time high.

On the down side, Twitter (TWTR) sank over 4%, slicing through major support. The stock has been in a downward spiral since its mid-summer high. It was just reported that a company insider sold a large chunk of stock which likely accelerated today's sell-off.

The Marijuana fund (MJ, $13.25) has also been a major bummer for investors. It's been in steady decline since its February high (pun intended) and today broke major support. It could easily test its next minor support level at $12.50 but with the continuing intense downward pressure on this puppy, I wouldn't be surprised if it sinks all the way to the $10 level. Now that would be a really bad trip!

In commodities, Oil etfs are starting to break down (OIH, XES, PXJ) as is Steel (SLX). In currencies, the dollar lost some steam today as other currencies rebounded.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, November 17, 2021
3:35pm ET
The market is taking a break today with most sectors trading slightly down. The Transports and the Russell are the biggest losers among the major averages with both losing over 1% of their values.

Agricultural commodities rose which is a bad sign for consumers. Coffee (JO) hit a record high which means that a cup of regular barista-made coffee could well cost in the $4-$5 range soon. (I shudder to think how much a double decaffeinated half-caf is going to cost.) On the FANG front, Netflix (NFLX) moved into record high territory—again.

Globally, Taiwan (EWT) also hit a record high which is head-scratching since if I were invested in the country, I'd be dumping my holdings on the very real fear of a mainland Chinese takeover. On the flip side, South American funds are having a bad day with a couple of them breaking support levels--Columbia (GXG) and Latin America (ILF). The Frontier Market fund (FM) which has been a stellar performer in recent months is finally cooling off. Today the stock opened well below its first line of support on three times normal volume.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, November 16, 2021
4:00pm ET
The market rallied today with all of the major averages closing in the green. Most of the recent market winners continued their winning streaks with the following groups moving again into record territory: Homebuilders (XHB), Water (PIO, FIW), Retail (RTH), Tech (XLK), Global Social Media (IXN), and IT (VGT).

The market's current darling is the EV Maker industry. Investors can't get enough of these companies and are buying them hand over fist. Spurred by upcoming catalysts (the LA Auto Show being one of them), investors piled into several of the more sexy new EV makers causing their share prices to zoom higher on heavy trading volume: Lucid (LCID, +24%), Canoo (GOEV, +24%), Rivian (RIVN, +15%), Fisker (FSR, +10%). It's interesting to note that many of these companies began life as SPACs.

The dollar continues to soar pushing the Bull Dollar fund (UUP) above a major resistance level. Conversely, the other major currencies continue to drop with the Yen (FXY) breaking support to fall to a level not seen In five years. Cryptocurrencies also fell with Bitcoin (GBTC) and Ethereum (ETHE) shedding over 8%.

Bonds continue to suffer as interest rates creep up. International Bond funds (IGOV, ISHG) were among today's biggest disappointments as their share prices fell to new yearly lows.

Globally, the United Arab Emirates etf (UAE, $16.71) has been soaring. Today, the stock rose 2.5% on twelve times normal volume. I couldn't find the catalyst for today's move but it's worth noting that the fund currently yields 3%.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, November 15, 2021
2:00pm ET
The market is calm today with most of the major averages trading slightly down. I am in a meeting so today's write up will be really brief. Coffee (JO) is trading at another record high but judging from what appears to be a hanging man formation, this could be a top. Consumer Staples (XLP) along with Retail (XRT, RTH) are also inching into new high territory. The Greenback (UUP) continues to gain ground as the Euro (FXE) is falls to a new yearly low. (Time to take that European vacation?) Bonds sink as interest rates rise pushing Mortgage-backed securities (MBB) to a new yearly low. Globally, Turkey (TUR) breaks out—just in time for Thanksgiving.

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, November 12, 2021
4:00pm ET
A broad market rally pushed the major averages into the green, closing the week out on a positive note. Inflation, which is now seen as not transitory as the Fed has maintained (gee, who would have thunk), continues to push commodities higher as Coffee (JO) reaches an all-time high. Precious metals and especially miners (GDX, SIL) continue to rise as investors search for safe havens to hedge against inflation. Travel was one of the day's only losing groups. Priceline (BKNG) fell 1.5% while the Airline etf (JETS) lost 2%.

Record Highs: Homebuilders (XLH), Materials (XLB); Israel (EIS)

Breaking out: Marijuana (MJ) floats over its first line of resistance. This etf has lost nearly 60% of its value since its February high. Could its recent rebound be the start of a new rally?

***The Stock Market Cook Book is closed in observance of Veteran's Day. We owe our past and present service members a big debt of gratitude in fighting for our freedoms. Thank you!***
Thursday, November 11, 2021

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, November 10, 2021
4:00pm ET
The big news today is that inflation has increased by 6.2%, although judging from my recent gas and grocery receipts I would say that it is a lot higher than that. The news caused both the bond and the stock markets to tumble. Hit the hardest was the tech sector which is understandable since it has been running on fumes for a while. Precious metals and miners—traditional inflation hedges—broke above resistance levels (GLD, GDX; SLV, SIL). The Greenback (UUP) jumped 1% whlle the Euro (FXE) dropped by the same amount to log a new yearly low. Most of the global funds were also down but the one really bright spot has been the Frontier Markets (FM, 1.8% yield). This fund has risen by an impressive 50% since August, 2020. The Volatility Index (VIX) jumped 6% to 19. Another down day would likely push it back over 20, the bull/bear dividing line.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, November 9, 2021
4:00pm ET
The market fulfilled yesterday's prediction of a period of consolidation with all of the major averages closing in the red. Many sectors sank today but bucking the trend was the Homebuilder etf (XLB) which notched a new record high. The Japanese Yen (FXY) has fallen 9% since its January high of $92 and today rose above its first line of resistance. Treasuries took another jump but many are looking quite toppy. That is, all but Inflation Protected Treasuries (TIP) which hit a record high. International Bonds (IGOV, BNDX) also had a good day. Investors slammed the brakes on Tesla (TSLA) on news that Elon Musk would be selling some of his stock. This caused the price to fall by 12% on nearly twice normal volume. It was probably a good thing since the stock was priced to absolute perfection.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, November 8, 2021
4:00pm ET
Once again, the market melted up with all of the major averages closing at record highs except for the Transports which is being jerked around by meme stock Avis (CAR). Despite the good news, the major averages appear to be running out of steam. And why not? They've been on a roll for a while and could use a nap. This scenario may be in the cards as volatility is starting to heat up. And I do think a period of consolidation is needed to allow a Santa rally to happen.

Block chain and cryptos are on the move. Today, Ethereum (ETHE) rang the new high register. Two new Block chain funds popped: Recent IPO Bitcoin Strategy (BITO), a futures base fund, jumped 9% while four month old Block chain etf (BKCH), which capitalizes on block chain implementations, leaped 10%. Please do your due diligence on these before buying, especially any futures based products as they can explode in your face if you're not careful.

On the bond front, Inflation Protected Treasuries (TIP) along with Muni bonds (MUC, MHN) soared.

Notable New Highs: CyberSecurity (BUG, CIBR, HACK), Quantum Computing (QTUM), Uranium (URNM, URA, CCJ—go nuclear energy!), Rare Earth Minerals (REMX), Lithium (LIT). All of these have been populating the New Highs list in recent weeks.

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, November 5, 2021
4:00pm ET
The Stock Market Cook Book is on the road so today's write-up with be brief. On a broad note, all of the major averages except for the Transports closed again in record territory. Bonds across the board jumped. Travel stocks had a field day on news that the pandemic is winding down in the US. Chinese funds and stocks plummeted.

Record Highs: Water (FIW), Austria (EWO), France (EWQ), Booking (aka Priceline) (BKNG, +7.5%), Industrials (XLI), Tech (XLK), Consumer Discretionary (XLY)--beware here as this is looking very toppy

Have a good weekend!

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, November 4, 2021
3:45pm ET
The market began the day on a bullish note but fatigue set in in most non-tech sectors. Financials (XLF) felt the most pain, dropping nearly 2%. Investors can't seem to get enough of tech related issues and a buying frenzy helped push many of the tech funds to more record highs (see below for a list of some of these funds). Right now, it appears that the Nasdaq and the S&P will be the :only major averages to close in new high territory.

Lithium (LIT) notched another record high, most likely on increasing demand in electric vehicles and hence lithium powered batteries. This move reflected new highs made in EV funds CARZ, KARS, DRIV.

Chip darling Nvidia (NVDA) received a glowing prognosis from a Wells Fargo analyst today who noted that Nvidia chips will provide a platform for the Metaverse. If you don't know what the Metaverse is, think being inside the internet instead of viewing it from the outside. If you've read the book Ready Player One or seen the movie, you'll have an idea of what I'm talking about. Well, this glowing review pushed the stock up by 14% which naturally boosted all of the funds and indices that include it. Most notably, the Semiconductor etfs (SMH +11%, SOXX +15%) benefited the most and both broke out to new record highs. This is starting to get boring to report but I'm sure holders of these funds are anything but bored.

Record Highs: Robotics (BOTZ), Cloud Computing (SKYY, CLOU), Tech (XLK, IXN), IT (VGT), Cybersecurity (CIBR, HACK), Infrastructure (GRID, PAVE); United Arab Emirates (UAE, 3.25% yield), Israel (EIS)

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, November 3, 2021
3:25pm ET
It seemed as if the bond market wasn't expecting the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged as Treasuries and investment grade bonds sold off after the announcement. Apparently, the Fed thinks that the current inflationary environment is the result of supply chain bottlenecks arising from the covid pandemic and that inflation will abate when the supply chain picks up steam. Blah blah blah. But that doesn't do anything for prices at the pump or in the grocery store. Or stock prices.

Following the announcement, all of the major averages rallied with most of them again on track to close at record highs. Obviously, the bond market hasn't been the place to be for a while and stocks are one of the few liquid investments that are still attractive. The problem is their lofty valuations. The current P/E of the S&P is around 30—nearly twice its historic average. We can probably cruise along the rally road for a while longer, but if the Fed is wrong (and it is a lot of the time) and inflation persists, they will be forced to raise rates sooner rather than later. And when that time comes, folks, there will be a mass exodus towards the exit.

Record Highs: Retail (RTH, XRT), Banks (KRE, KBE), Semiconductors (SOXX, SMH), Quantum Computing (QTUM)

Breaking Down: Shipping (BDRY) falls 8%, slicing through another line of support

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, November 2, 2021
3:30pm ET
The market continues to move higher with most sectors trading comfortably in the green. The major averages are on track to close at record highs except for the Nasdaq and Russell which are retesting their previous highs. Buying pressure going into the close would likely push those two into record territory as well. It hasn't been since January that all of the major averages closed at record highs.

The BIG winner today is the Dow Transports. The index began to take off shortly after the open and zoomed as high as 14% where it peaked an hour or so later. Major indices rarely behave this wildly and obviously something was up. The catalyst for this monster move turned out to be index component Avis (CAR). The stock in this company opened at $171 and shot up to $545, a gain of over 200%. The reason for this move was not that anything had fundamentally changed with the company but rather a massive gamma squeeze in the stock. A gamma squeeze is when a call option seller is forced to buy the underlying stock to offset the loss in the option. As more options sellers try to offset their losses, the more the price of the underlying stock rises and that is what happened today in Avis. Currently, the share price has settled back down to the $350 level. Still, that is a 100% gain since yesterday.

I'd like to also note that it appears that the Norway fund (NORW), which doubled in price yesterday on no published news. has been moved under the aegis of its sister Global X fund Nordic Region (GXF). The Global X website did not offer any details of this move but it appears that it could be a 1:2 reverse split with perhaps a bit of GXF stock thrown in. Some transparency here would be appreciated.

Record Highs: Broker/Dealers (IAI), Tech (XLK, IXN)--helped by the new record high in component Microsoft (MSFT); IT (VGT), Semiconductors (SOXX, SMH)--helped by another record high in NVidia (NVDA); Ethereum (ETHE)

Breaking support: Shipping (BDRY)--down 14% and breaking a major support level; Aussie $ (FXA)

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, November 1, 2021
2:25pm ET
The major averages again opened up but investor enthusiasm began waning mid-day. It's not clear as of now if any of the averages apart from the Russell or Nasdaq will be able to close in the green. Speaking of the Russell, it was today's out-performer, rising a whopping 2.5%. It is now flirting with its previous record high.

In other news, the Norway (NORW) fund doubled in price over Friday's closing. I scoured the internet to find out why but nothing has been reported. It looks like it could be a stock split but those are always reported well in advance of the actual event. This one is definitely a head scratcher.

Record Highs: Cotton (BAL, +4%), Electric Vehicles (DRIV, CARZ, KARS), Consumer Discretionary (XLY), Quantum Computing (QTUM), Intrastructure (GRID); Israel (EIS)

New Yearly Lows:
Shipping (BDRY), Short-term Corporate Bonds (VCSH)

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, October 29, 2021
3:00pm ET
The market opened up but the rally began to fade mid-day as traders head for an early exit into the Halloween weekend. Right now, it looks like no new high will be made in any of the major averages. While commodities are having a relatively bad day (Nat Gas (UNG) -5%, Gold and Silver miners (GDX/J, SIL/J) -2% to -3%), Tech (XLK) is enjoying a record high. The sector leaders are CyberSecurity (CIBR, HACK, BUG) and IT (VGT). Within this space, individual tech giants Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), and Netflix (NFLX) are all notching all-time highs. So what else is new?

In currencies, the US Dollar (UUP) is having its best day in months (+0.8%) while the Euro (FXE) is down 1% to retest its recent low. Cryptocurrency Ethereum (ETHE) is up over 4% to inch above its previous record high.

On the global front, India (IFN) has been in a two month decline off of its recent top and today slid beneath a semi-major support level. Breaking a first line of support is Norway (NORW) which has been a stellar performer this year having risen 70% in concert with the movement of oil. (Norway is a major oil producer.) Other oil producing nations are Russia (RSX), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia (KSA). If you compare their chart patterns, you will see that they strongly follow the path of Oil (USO).

Have a boo-tiful weekend!

***The Stock Market Cook Book is out of the office today. See you tomorrow!***
October 28, 2021

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, October 27, 2021
4:00pm ET
Out of the gate, the market began to lose steam. The fall accelerated about a half hour before the close. Obviously, some news sparked this sell-off but I wasn't able to find it. I used to rely on Twitter (TWTR) for breaking news stories but those have all but evaporated over the past year or so. The obvious political bias of this platform could be the reason for lagging subscriber growth as noted today by analysts following the company. Although yesterday's earnings report showed increasing global growth, it's failure here was rightly rewarded by a 10% drop in share price today. A beautiful sight to see, indeed! (Take that, Jack.)

On the other side of the coin, Mister Softee (MSFT) reported great earnings and positive guidance and was rewarded with a 5% increase in share price. The good news pushed the stock price to another record high. The company is now a member of the rarified $2Trillion Market-Cap Club along with Apple (AAPL).

Several notable sector moves today. The first is bonds which were up bigly pretty much across the board. Some Treasuries (TLT, TLH, TLT) jumped above intermediate resistance.
The second is Base Metals. Shares of Aluminum (JJU) and Base (Industrial) Metals (JJM, DBB) sunk below support levels.
The third is Solar and so-called Clean Energy. Shares of the Solar fund (TAN) along with the Clean Energy fund (ICLN) both popped above a four month consolidation level. The move was due to solar energy converter company Enphase's (ENPH) stellar earnings report. Today's share price flared up 25% (no kidding) on 8x normal volume.

Today's Notable Movers
Breaking Down: The Marijuana fund (MJ) finally slipped under a major support level after hanging on for several weeks. This fund has been a real downer, having lost 60% of its value since its February high. Also breaking support today is the Chinese Large-Cap fund (FXI). Investors (and the rest of the world) are having a difficult time trying to determine what the future of the Chinese economy will be, judging from the recent rollercoaster ride in Chinese stocks.
Rolling Over: Banks (KRE, KBE) and Insurance (KIE) tumbled today after notching record highs. Is today's 2-3% sell-off the beginning of a bear market in financials?

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, October 26, 2021
3:55pm ET
The market rally marches on as the S&P and Dow Industrials reach new all time highs. The Nasdaq and Transports are both retesting their previous record highs while the small-cap Russell 2000 still has a squinch to go before it, too, reaches the record high mark.

Today's Notable Movers
Lockheed Martin (LMT), lost a lot of altitude on a downbeat earnings report. Revenues missed expectations and the company lowered forward guidance. The stock plunged 12% on 9x normal volume. Ouch!
Bulk Dry Shipping (BDRY. $27.5) sank nearly 10% through major support at $30. It looks poised to continue sinking until it tests its next support level at $22.50
Chip maker Nvidia (NVDA) shot up 7% to another record high on twice normal volume on news that Facebook (FB) plans on expanding its computer-based infrastructure.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, October 25, 2021
3:50pm ET
The market continues to melt up as all of the major averages are trading in the green. The Nasdaq and Dow Industrials look to close at record highs. The Transport Index, the leader in this current leg up, is retesting its previous record high but alas it appears that buying exhaustion has set in. A break above the 1600 level would set the stage for a rally continuation.

The big news today is electric car maker Tesla (TSLA) joining the Trillion dollar market-cap club. The stock not only broke out to a new high but it did so by jumping 13% on 3x normal volume. Today's move was sparked in part by price target upgrades to $1200/share (share price is now $1025) and an order from Hertz for 100k vehicles to be delivered by the end of 2022.

Today's Notable Movers
Record Highs: Electric Vehicles (CARZ, DRIV, KARS)--see Tesla news above; Consumer Discretionary (XLY), Nvidia (NVDA), Lithium (LIT)
Yearly highs: Oil Producers (XOP); Russia (RSX)
Notable Gainers: Nat Gas (UNG +11%, FCG +3%)

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, October 22, 2021
3:50pm ET
Today's market is mixed with the tech heavy indices (Nasdaq, S&P) moving into the red (see below for the reason) while the market-leading Transport index trucks higher by over 1%. Currently, the Dow Industrials are on track to close at a record high, helped in part by financials. Volatility remains firmly in bull territory but with the increasing crisis of confidence in the competency of the Biden administration, it will be interesting to see how long this bull run can last.

Today's Notable Movers
Record Highs: Financials (XLF), Insurance (KIE), Broker/Dealers (KIE), Regional Banks (IAT), Electric Vehicles (CARZ), Netflix (NFLX), Tesla (TSLA)
Breakdowns: Shipping (BDRY) falling below first line of support; Snapchat (SNAP) plunging 26% on missed revenue expectations based on lowered ad revenues due to changes in the Apple operating system. This also sparked a sell-off in other FANG names (GOOGL,TWTR, FB)
Looking Toppy: Gold and Silver Miners (GDX, SIL)
Looking Bottomy: Brazil (EWZ, EWZS, BRF)--very heavy trading as buyers step in

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, October 21, 2021
3:40pm ET
The market melt-up continues led by the Transports and the Nasdaq. While the small-cap Russell is still trading in the green, it is showing signs of buying exhaustion. Despite the rally in the above indices, several sectors fared badly—commodities (across the board), global funds, and bonds.

Today's Notable Movers
Record Highs: Cloud Computing (CLOU), Consumer Discretionary (XLY), Netflix (NFLX, up 4.5% on a good earnings report and analyst upgrades)
Commodity Breakdowns: Copper (JJC), Aluminum (JJU)
Bond Breakdowns: Mortgage backed securities (MBB), Treasuries (SHY,IEI), International Bonds (BNDX), Corporate Bonds IGSB)
Global Funds: Pakistan (PAK, 6% yield) rising above first line of resistance; Latin America (ILF, LBJ) and Brazil (EWZ, EWZS, BRF) breaking down as questions of Brazil's fiscal solvency arise

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, October 20, 2021
3:15pm ET
The market continued its march skyward as several sectors broke out to new yearly highs or all-time highs. Energy and commodities continue to rise—good for those invested in this space, bad for consumers who have to pay for these commodities. Foreign currencies continue to move higher while the Greenback (UUP) falls under near-term resistance. Volatility continues to drop which is a bullish sign.

Today's Notable Movers
Breaking out to Record Highs: Agribiz (MOO), Nickel (JJN), Regional Banks (IAT, KRE)
Breaking out to New Highs: Banks (KBE), Insurance (KIE), Int'l Bonds (PID)
Breaking out: Utilities (XLU), Medical Devices (IHI), Healthcare (XLV, IXJ), Pharma (PPH), Reits (IYR, VNQ)
Global Funds: Saudi Arabia (KSA, 1% yield) and Canada (EWC, 1.5% yield) both climbing to record highs; Norway (NORW, 2% yield) moving into new yearly high territory. Note that all of these have significant oil holdings.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, October 19, 2021
3:30pm ET
The market continues to march higher but that might come to an end today if the Transports are any indication of future market direction. The index popped above major resistance on Friday but today's small gains may be erased by the end of the trading session. This doesn't mean a sell-off is imminent—rather, we could be in for several days of market indigestion, aka consolidation. No biggie.

Today's Notable Movers
Record Highs: Retail (RTH), Cloud Computing (SKYY), Microsoft (MSFT, market cap = $2.3T), Russia Large Cap etf (RSX)
Breaking out: Silver (SLV), Aussie $ (FXA), S. Africa (EZA)
Chinese movers: Chinese Yuan (CYB) testing record high, Large-cap China etf (FXI) up 2.5%
Breaking Down: Sugar (SGG)

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, October 15, 2021
3:40pm ET
Yesterday's rally was not a one-off as all of the major averages are continuing to move higher. Today's really big news is that the Dow Transport Index not only crushed the other averages in terms of gains but more importantly, it hopped above major resistance. Adding to the good news is that the VIX shed another 5% to its lowest level (16) not seen since the beginning of September. These are all very bullish signs for a rally continuation.

The Good News
Breaking out to record highs: Financials (XLF), Broker/Dealers (IAI), Insurance (KIE), Consumer Discretionary (XLY)
Breaking out: Bitcoin (GBTC), Peru (EPU—on its significant mining holdings)

The Bad News
Bonds reverse course yet again putting a halt on last week's turnaround rally. Two Treasuries (SHY, IEI) slumped to yearly lows.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and have a great weekend!

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, October 14, 2021
3:30pm ET
The market rebounded strongly today with all sectors and most commodities trading in the green. Volatility fell 9% to bullish levels not seen in over a month. Both the S&P and Dow Industrials are back to their 50 day moving averages. The Nasdaq lead the pack today headed up by Semiconductors (SMH, SOXX) and Hi-tech (BOTZ, QTUM, ROBO, CLOU, CIBR).

Commodity movers
Base metals (DBB, JJM) both popped to new highs.
Precious metals and miners continue to soar as Global Copper Miners (COPX) moved back to test major resistance.
The recent bullishness in this space has pushed the Commodity Index (DBC) to new yearly highs, gaining over 11% in 3 weeks.

Currencies
Most currencies have been gaining ground against the greenback. Today, the Loonie (FXC) topped resistance, up over 0.5% on the day.

Global Funds
Indonesia funds have been on fire with EIDO up 17% and IDX up 13% in the past 2 weeks.
Norway (NORW) jumped to a 6 year high. This fund currently yields 2.1%.
India funds EPI and INDY both notched record highs.
Frontier Markets (FM) also moving to a new yearly high. This fund has been a stellar performer, having appreciated 75% since its March 2020 low. It currently yields 1.9%.

Bonds
Bond funds across the board rose with International Funds getting the most love. The widely held Vanguard Developed Markets Fund (VEA) gained over 1%. The fund currently yields 2.4%.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, October 13, 2021
3:55pm ET
Today's analysis will be brief as Dr. Kris is a bit under the weather.
Cocoa ($NIB) tumbled 3%.
Precious metals and miners jumped. Silver miners topped that leaderboard. ($SIL, $SILJ).
Uranium exploded higher ($URNM +8.6%, $URA +7%, $CCJ +5%).
Bonds continue yesterday's strong reversal to the upside.

***The Stock Market Cook Book is out of the office today. See y'all manana!***
Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, October 11, 2021
3:55pm ET
The market began the week on an upnote but the early morning rally faded with most of the major averages trading either slightly in the red or near the flat line. Overall, there's not a lot of good news to propel the market higher except in the areas where bad news is good news, i.e. higher oil prices pushing that space higher and rising inflation causing bonds to tank. But more on both of those in a moment.

Today's Notable Winners
Platinum Group Metals ($PLG) broke above near-term support. It's unclear if this is the beginning of a rally or just a short-term phenomenon but with the expected increase in auto production next year, I tend to think there will be a bullish continuation. Because of supply chain issues, the platinum group metals have suffered causing this fund to shed 70% of its value since its January high.

Also moving higher are Aluminum ($JJU) and Industrial Metals (base metals) ($DBB, $JJM). All three of these funds jumped to new yearly highs, although it seems as if some buying exhaustion is setting in.

Oil continues to gush as the following funds inch to more new highs: $OIL, $USO, $BNO, $FRAK.

Today's Notable Losers
While fossil fuels have been rallying, the same is not true for the so-called clean energy names. Today, Wind Energy ($FAN) broke a major support level at $20. Could the next stop be at its $18 support level?

The Yen ($FXY) continues to slide. Today it slumped almost 1% (a lot in the currency market) to a near 5 year low at $83. The next stop could well be at its $80 support level. I would say sayonara on this one for a while.

Intermediate Term Bonds hit new lows: Treasuries ($SHY, $IEI), Investment Grade Corporate ($VCSH, $IGSB). International Bond fund $IGOV also recorded a new yearly low. Right now, only Junk Bond funds ($HYB, $HYT) seem to be holding up

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, October 8, 2021
2:45pm ET
A weak jobs report didn't tank the market but it didn't help it, either. The major averages are all trading lower or flatlining except for the Transport Index which is moving to the upside. Volatility is also lower—another good sign, at least for the near-term. However, considering the continuating budget and debt ceiling battles in Congress, I believe that all bets are off as to liong term market predictions.

There are some interesting market movements today, especially to the downside. Bonds continue to fall as Mortgage-backed Securities ($MBB, $VMBS) sink to new yearly lows. Corporate bonds ($LQD, $SPLB, $IGSB) are plunging through major support levels, a sign of more suffering to come. (Remember that higher bond yields decrease the value of current bonds.) The Yen ($FXY) also is notching a new yearly low.

On the flip side, the white metals Palladium ($PALL), Platinum ($PPLT), and Nickel ($JJN) all jumped in the 5% range today. The reason given for this big move is that auto makers should be able to return to full vehicle production next year as the semiconductor shortage is now forecast to be over by then. (The while metals are used in catalytic converters.)

Have a football-icious fall foliage weekend!

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, October 7, 2021
3:05pm ET
The market jumped on two pieces of news. Preliminary jobs report shows a drop in jobless claims—the first drop in a month. The second piece of news is that Republicans agreed to a debt limit extension, essentially doing one of the few things that Congress knows how to do best: Kicking the can down the road. (Other things they do admirably well is to bury any term-limit piece of legislation and to promptly vote themselves hefty raises.)

The major averages popped on the open reflecting a knee-jerk response to the news. However, the Transport Index is a little bit smarter than the rest and it isn't quite as easy to hoodwink as it began fading almost immediately after the open. As of this writing, it is the only major index now dipping into the red. What this may signal is that today's rally could be a one-off. Prudent investors may elect to wait for follow-through confirmation before taking this as a hard buy signal

Again, there's not a lot of notable news today. The big highlight is the jump in Chinese securities. The China Large-Cap fund ($FXI) gained over 4% with its high-tech names jumping even more: $BABA +9%, $TCEHY +8%, $KWEB +7%, $BIDU +5%. The other highlight is that the Russia Large Cap fund ($RSX) notched another new yearly high. It appears that communism does pay off.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, October 6, 2021
3:55pm ET
The market tanked on open but steadily recovered not only all of its ground but with some to spare. Most sectors followed suit with Utilities ($XLU) leading the pack. Tech names recovered some ground following a recent bout of the blues. Market internals suggest that short-term continuation of the rally is likely but a stubbornly elevated $VIX (Volatility Index) could put a damper on investor enthusiasm in the long run.

There's not a whole lot to report on today but here are a couple of technical standouts:
Globally, S. Korea ($EWY) and Latin America ($ILF) broke support while Indonesia ($IDX, $EIDO) pushed above major resistance.
In bonds, two Junk Bond funds ($HYG, $JNK) violated support levels.
In currencies, the Euro ($FXE) slid to a new yearly low on twice normal volume.

Today's Market Highlights—Tuesday, October 5, 2021
3:30pm ET
A broad market rebound salvaged the potential breakdown in the major averages, some of which have been testing major support levels as noted here in recent days. The Dow Transport Index is today's winner gaining over 2%. High tech names which have been foundering recently also got some much needed love. Buying pressure stopped the hemorrhaging in Facebook ($FB), despite yesterday's platform outages and whistleblower testimony before Congress. Kevin O'Leary (Shark Tank's Mr. Wonderful) came on CNBC today to say that Facebook is an important communication resource especially for small businesses. His well-timed oratorio probably helped shore up some perceived negativity about the company. (Ahem.)

Hitting New Highs:
Oil ($USO, $OIL, $BNO, $FRAK) and Nat Gas ($UNG) continue to flow higher as domestic and global supply constraints continue. This accounts for the break-out in the Russia Large Cap ($RSX) fund of which 36% of its holdings are in energy.
Commodities were mostly trading in the green with Cotton ($BAL) jumping 5.5% on very heavy volume.
FANG name Netflix ($NFLX) notched another record high, popping nearly 6% on twice normal volume. The reason for the move is a bullish earnings upgrade based on a very positive user survey.

Today's Market Highlights—Monday, October 4, 2021
3:35pm ET
It appears as if the bears are moving into the driver's seat as pretty much all sectors save energy are trading to the downside. The S&P, Dow Industrials, and the Nasdaq have all slumped to major support levels while the market leading Dow Transport Index is still a breath above its support level. Should these indices breech these levels, the bears would definitely be in control. In this case, raising cash and sitting on the sidelines would be the prudent play call.

Big News of the Day: Social media giant Facebook ($FB) tumbled nearly 6% on outages in its Facebook, What's App, and Instagram platforms. Nice job to the brilliant hacker who did this. Would you please take down Twitter next?

Today's Notable Breakouts
Oil is gushing higher as barrel prices continue to rise (thanks Joe!). Hitting new yearly highs are $OIL, $USO, $BNO, $FRAK along with Oil Producers ($XOP).
Shipping ($BDRY) continues to cruise to new highs.

Today's Notable Breakdowns
Rare Earths ($REMX)
Tech: Software ($PSJ), Internet ($PNQI), Robotics & AI ($BOTZ), IT ($VGT). The much touted Innovation etf ($ARKK) managed by current Wall Street darling fund manager Cathy Wood also broke support, due in part to its heavy holding in Facebook ($FB). This fund has been in a swoon since its February high.
Big Tech companies ($AAPL, $TWTR, $FB (See above))
Healthcare ($XLV, $IXJ), Medical device makers ($IHI), and Biotech ($IBB, $BBH)
China ($CHN, $FXI (new yearly low)), Japan ($EWJ)

Today's Market Highlights—Friday, October 1, 2021
3:55pm ET
The market mercifully rebounded today, in some cases erasing yesterday's losses. The major averages managed to hang onto support levels, at least for now. However, if one looks at the market internals, things don't seem quite so rosy. I will be writing a short piece on the state of the market to be posted later today, so stay tuned! [Update at 7:30pm ET: The article has just been posted below.]

Today's Highlights
Softs (aka agricultural commodities) jumped with Coffee ($JO, +5.3%), Wheat ($WEAT, +3.7%), and Cocoa ($NIB, +3%) gaining the most.
Today's gains in nearly all commodities pushed the Commodity fund ($DBC) to an all-time high. Also notching a record high is Shipping ($BDRY).
Bonds are having a good day as interest rates sink. Investors are happy with the news and there is heavy buying activity especially in Treasuries. Long term debt is receiving the most love with $TLT, $VGLT, and $TLH up 0.6%-0.8% as today's biggest gainers.

That's it for now. Enjoy the weekend!

Today's Market Highlights—Thursday, September 30, 2021
2:55pm ET
Major averages are lower today with all of them except the Russell 2000 testing major support levels. However, there are signs that prices are firming up and the support levels could hold—at least for today.

Today's trading action is fairly nondescript but there are a few highlights. Precious metals firmed up today with buyers stepping in to shore up yesterday's sell-off. FANG name Netflix ($NFLX) jumped 3% to a record high as the company moves into the mobile videogaming space.

Today's Market Highlights—Wednesday, September 29, 2021
3:35pm ET
The major averages are absorbing yesterday's sell-off with all of them trading in the green except for the Transports. The Transport Index is traditionally regarded as a leading market indicator and its chart is showing a steady decline from its March 1600 high. If's close to