DJIM #1 2011

Instead of a recap of 2010 as everywhere you see this weekend, let’s get down to business as if January 3rd is any other day during the trading year.   No sombre violin playing for the Bears/ Shorts for the futile year they had and no Party like it’s 1999 by Prince celebrations for being on the ‘right side’ in 2010.   Yes,  2010 turned out to be the year of the momo/ growth stocks, which at end are cited as the ‘winners’ of 2010.   All in, just go back to DJIM Shadowlist in January/ February to see if the SPX 500 top 20/best performers ( FFIV, NFLX, PCLN, CRM CMI WYNN ARUN AZO CLF ) were amongst the 40/50 or so stocks in the DJIM composite at the beginning of 2010!.  Add later DJIM additions being involved in M&A this past year such as (BUCY, NZ, CML )  and the list dwindles some more for stocks to trade in 2011 as we can't expect repeat performances from the majority above.   That’s the beauty of a fresh trading year, new stocks and new sector groups emerging!

As far as the last week,  the notion to start the week of China hike offsetting any US market window dressing played out as the SPX was never more than 1pt up or down on any days close. (~1257-1259 close range).  Very  slow profit taking continued in the ‘winners’ growth stocks right into the final hours of December.  Sometimes it’s not what you trade from reading the Journal every morning, it’s what you don’t trade that keeps your accounts in check.  The potential lag in these higher beta stocks is something we covered here from the start of December.  Also, the flow instead trickled into Banks (BKX >15%) and other laggards (economic sensitive) as a product of investor confidence right into year end.    All in, as discussed we were no putting much into anything last week due to an illiquid market…incl..(SPX1260 “R”, no conviction after excellent eco’ data.). 

Mid –week,  we put focus back on Ag’ and related stocks/sub groups and an outlook for a China PMI that if ‘cooling’ to potentially wake up the market.  The number came out this weekend and it cooled off 1.3% from November.  A good start with US ISM on deck for Monday.  Other things to watch, the sluggish December for tech sector may finally get some newsflow starting with the Vegas CES (6th-9th) and possible pre-announcements into earnings season.  Casino Macau numbers out Monday/Retail and Auto later in the week.  NFP# out on Friday, add of +135 is the consensus.  Many major markets closed on Monday, incl. UK, CHINA, Canada, Australia leaving only money flow into US through the book door and thus a possible good start to 2011.

Expectations rising...

Coming off an overnight low of 1255 ES,  ‘dip buyers’ came in for an impressive ~20pt reversal as investor sentiment was bolstered once again by ‘stronger than consensus’  eco’ data, notably ‘jobs’, ADP numbers on the heels of initial claims last week.  Higher revisions to GDP likely once again..  In all, as concluded yesterday… "..any further broad market hiccup would be buying situations".

Wary- Never hurts for watchful prudence in the markets, even when all is seemingly hunky -dory. Heightened expectations for NFP # now, consensus moving up to approx.. 200+.  If it doesn’t come in 200+K, markets holiday party might be curbed.

Shadowlist

• Momentum/earnings/“winners of ‘10 –  the star of the day goes to recent list add, BSFT +14%  as it fed of all things 4G related coming out of 'CES Vegas’.   This one is ‘nutcase’, so it’s all about entry timing. (eg.9ema).  Newsflow is driving the group as a noted possibity to start the week…QCOM/ATHR marriage, RIMM pushing higher on Playbook unveilings.  Small caps-Software/networking stocks act very all. (APKT CRM FTNT ).   Addition to list: CAVM, this one could have been added easily last year, but there were enough names to trade.
• Commodities -  Nothing new to add here. Even with a precious metals, some base metals in a higher USD environment the Ag’s-Coals outperforming.  LNN,, pushed higher early ~4% to recent gap before fading some.
• Consumer -  Retail numbers in focus Thursday, hopefully wakes up group for some trading oppy. 
• Financials - streak continues after a day off (BKX >3% YTD)

DJIM #2 2011

As 1280 invokes ‘R’ for the past week, the market impulsively sells off here and will continue to find an excuse to take some profits.   On Friday, it was something completely immaterial in the ‘big picture’.(Mass. Foreclosure ruling).  Does any investor in Europe/ China give a damn and/or make an investing decision based on such with Sovereign debt/Inflation questions unresolved, respectively?  The answer is definite no-no, but in the US markets it’s reason enough to test 1260 support again!.    What was relevant and material was a weaker than hoped for NFP# , but a justifying Bernanke keeping QE2 ‘ alive and on track’  was much more important and offset the #.  If anything, the jobs number calls for QE3.  As far as the tape during the midday antics, it looked more ETF/ES driven as single stocks (exc. Financials/Banks), hardly twitched in either direction.  Indication is holders of stock are reluctant to sell as much as they are reluctant to buy more. 

Technical-  1256SPX 20ma (DJIM Benchmark for a few years now) is in focus and if broken will likely lead to a correction as shorts may finally lay out some exposure.  As per ‘RUT’ of a day'  post last week, the RUT has now lagged the SPX for consecutive weeks and could be foreshadowing ‘tiredness’ for the rest of the market.

Tailwinds – (potential) Q4 earnings should come in better than Q3.  Shorts are not laying out positions ahead of potential train/ minimizing downside for now.

Headwinds- wary- (potential) US markets oblivious to rising Contagion noise again.  A case of shrugging it off or complacency at work?.  Looks like complacency in this view.

Shadowlist

• Momentum/earnings/“winners of ‘10–   Entered the week looking for newsflow from CES Vegas and it definitely was the ‘Buzz’ of the week.(SOX >3%). Leading stocks CRM ARUN RVBD FFIV , >6-9% on week…”..Dec 30^th….” further gains likely into the front half of January with individual 'leading' equities catching up..” As far pre-announcements, no major names, but a slew of mid cap types warned.
• Commodities- USDA reports mid-week to possibly feed Ag space some more. 
• Consumer- WYNN >14%, LVS>8%  continued the weeks move off Friday’s Tier1 positive comments …Turning point was early in week...(Casino sub group had very good Macau numbers and WYNN finally got over 105).
• Financials - 2 day of selling, European unresolved peripheral stresses should continue to bring money flow here.  Foreclosure noise will persist.

..in techs hands to continue..

Clearly, Tech is showing relative strength and leading the way as the next leg in the recovery from 1250SPX. The DJIM premise entering the week,…”we are watching for corporate earnings to better the situation for high beta/ tech anxieties to possibly dampen the negative sentiment.  This is likely to be the focus and most important factor in continuing this reversal”.   The dominos have fallen in sync to what has been cited this week..”we need to see some comforting tech words ahead this week so investors see value oppy' here next.  Simply, this where we'd look now for a long trade to materialize.” (pre-Tuesday trade).  JBL initiating the better sentiment followed by RHT,MU and tonight ORCL/ACN paving the way as the Japan overhang has began to recede.  Also, as noted yesterday market shrugs off negative newsflow once again today, always a good sign.

Shadowlist

• Momentum/ earnings/ winners of ’10 -  Cited the the damage from SANM, naturally JBL report has reversed this as Opticals had a 2^nd good day as FNSR, JDSU  +5% days on the heels of IPGP  big day yesterday. Although, previous days leaders APKT RVBD  etc lagged today, others momo’ likes CRM VMW  and even '11 momo' NVDA took over with ~6% gains.  Simply, the earnings and what management is saying on the little material impact it sees in regards to Japan tech worries is causing collateral bids in tech linked names. 

'Hope' rally

As been repeated for weeks, the market is a headline watching match for the fast traders.  At least this time it favoured trading to upside on what was really ‘empty’ macro headlines with some micro page turning.

It all started with Europe in the morning with some finance ministers ‘opinions’ (nothing more) raising optimism towards an agreement at the summit (July 20-21).  This enthusiasm was surely to be curbed by Merkel’s comments at the US market open, but market stayed giddy with Housing sale # surprise . In the afternoon another upside leg ensued as “Gang of 6’ debt ceiling proposal made the rounds. Once again, empty headlines with nothing concrete and possibly just more proposals amounting to nothing as usual.  All in, market ran on Macro ‘hope’, but likely rekindled some on earnings follow through from IBM, WYNN last night into the morning with PII,HOGS (disc. spending),OMC,KO and Hermes in Europe. 

In all, nothing macro resolved, but market tested the important 1295 successfully and it coincided with a better earnings picture emerging pushing market back over 20ma benchmark.  It’s too early to draw conclusions on earnings and/or turning away from political ‘macro’, but a rally is a rally and we’ll take it. Another hope is that many were flat footed today and come out to chase despite uncertainty abound. Remember, first leg is always short covering, especially as seen in SOX components today after just hitting fresh lows.

Shadowlist

Consumer - As alerted in morning for TIF FOSL LULU UA  all NCH’s, Hermes earnings put bid on high end, Adidas comments and potential end to NFL strike helped out UA. 

Earnings Q3 linked-   WYNN  post earnings succumbed to profit taking in regular trading hours, but it’s not going off list and will be a buy again.  This sell off possibility was noted to watch following EDU.  PII  added late June at 109 before running 11% to $122, once again put in a very healthy Q   (SHS  ran up as high 23%. Since pulled back, so keep eye out for EPS date).  http://www.djimstocks.com/djim-journal-1h-2011/a-few-names-to-list-into-q3piishsplcm.html.

IBM big catalyst earnings put bid on Mega caps, but also software Shadowlisted CRM  MSTR  to NCHs.

AMC, FTNT, RVBD  demonstrated high beta stocks ran or are running into earnings calls and if expectations are not handily beaten, you’ll be slapped down.

Ahead of the open, (22-12)

Leading into the trading week,

” Earnings come from the softies’, ORCL RHT, TIBX. After all the negative announcements from the ‘hard’ware types, software is usually the ‘safe’ haven in tech, so these companies will be closely watched for tech contagion. If (ADBE) is any indication from last week, this group will provide relief”. 

Coming off a 3% melt up with all focus on ECB’s LTRO, holiday cheer was dampened as noted heading into today’s trade.. ...”Unfortunately, this last positive (LTRO) is out of the way now and euphoria should subside….. A rare miss from ORCL will be defended, but will have an impact as some factors mentioned by management will definitely effect other co's”. RHT, reported after ADBE earlier in the week and didn’t meet expectations setting up the table.

Considering ORCL has been a can’t miss earnings stock for years and with money loaded into the software space for anyone wanting tech in their books (especially post all negative guidance in hardware types recently), a volume tick up slaughter ensued in the sector with many linked stocks down ~10% in the first couple of hours with many of our favorite names over the past year(s)included.  (CVLT N FTNT VMW QLIK TLEO FFIV CRM CTXS BSFT even IBM ). Investors caught on by the opening bell and headed for the exits realizing ORCL’s call “will definitely effect other co’s”. Despite NASD shaving off ~25 pts by close as selling subsided by noon, this caught many of guard and the bounce is likely more of a function of selling stopping and quick traders going in than longs only stepping up.  Doubtful these kind of market revelations last for only 3 hours. AH’s, TIBX report was somewhat a relief, but isn’t a Goliath market cap like ORCL to change view overnight. Worry dust needs to settle here.

In all, the broad market was lopsided. As speculated, the euphoria of LTRO died off despite coming in at higher end of whispers numbers, but the market didn’t sell off (positive) and closed above 20ma/50ma, even as Euro sov’ yields went up (see ‘watch’ note yesterday). The debates on the LTRO started premarket and will linger on.

 In this view, just add it to the Eurozone band aid alphabet for now, EFSF,ESM,SMP and go on.