The S&P 500 rose in 6 of the last 8 trading sessions for a gain of 8.2 percent. But today's news, with several companies indicating that earnings will be even worse than lowered expectations, has some of the hallmarks of at least a short-term trading top.    Read More

Futures dropped about 5 points as the ADP said 693,000 private sector jobs were lost in December, much greater than the expected loss of 515,000. However, there was a change in methodology that was designed to close the gap between the ADP report and the nonfarm payroll report.    Read More

Don't be fooled by the low volume and lack of wild trading ranges. Lower volatility, and a shift into economically sensitive stocks and out of defensive names, are all positive signs. S&P 500 up 6 of the last 8 trading sessions.    Read More

Four positive signs for stocks: 1) Stocks remain in an uptrend, with small, multi-month breakouts in energy, materials, and techs. 2) More bullish strategists. Several strategists — including Pequot's Byron Wien and BlackRock's Bob Doll — have said stocks will be higher this year, though most others remain bearish. And more...   Read More

That we didn't see it is a good sign. This is what is called a "consolidation phase," and while it does not guarantee the rally will continue, it is an encouraging sign.    Read More

This is the last day of the Santa Claus rally, the tendency of stocks to rise in the last five trading days of the old year and the first two of the new year. It's the best since 1932.    Read More

Markets are off their lows on discussion about the fiscal stimulus bill. The stimulus bill will be heavier on tax cuts than expected.    Read More

We begin the "real" New Year with stocks at a 6-week high, and the S&P 500 24 percent above its November 20 low. Now let's see if we can change leadership: health care and consumer stocks have generally outperformed in the past few weeks, though recently industrial stocks have improved. A shift toward less defensive names would be a welcome development.   Read More

With gains in 5 of the past 6 days, the Dow has now climbed over 7% since its close on December 23 and closed over the 9,000 mark for the first time since November 5th.    Read More

European shares are up 2% despite some bleak economic reports out of the U.K. today. A survey performed by the country’s largest mortgage lender showed home prices plunged 16% in the fourth quarter from a year ago. That was the sharpest decline in at least 25 years.    Read More