...EPS EPS

While the ES/SPY traders are mired in a tight ‘digestion’ range today, it is the strategy of focus on earnings linked stocks that provided most of the excitement.  Although some may see it as “R” at 1307’ish at work, it is also natural for the market to go through a digestion process after a big spike ahead of some potential catalysts ECB-Trichet, Bernanke , NFP #.   All in, it’s a wishy washy diagnosis for the broad market.  Tonight, judging by ES, market is turning a blind eye to Egypt and region, which could turn costly if too complacent.

Shadowlist

• Momentum/earnings/“winners of ‘10 –   last section update, APKT  was noted as one to watch off earnings and today it seemed to be the play of the day, but it wasn’t the only one as it took fellow DJIM’ BSFT  for a similar ride up to >20%.  Just like last Q post EQIX meltdown, earnings are once again stabilizing the sector along with M&A activity (TMRK and NAVI).  SMid caps are definitely having the best earnings reactions in the marketplace, even though the RUT is not making new highs.  QLIK , if you follow a narrow band of stocks per Shadowlist, you get a feel of a stocks habits.  In this case if volume comes, it’s usually signals a move pretty soon and that’s why it was alerted to watch.
• Commodities – All DJIM stock links to Ag/Coal/ steel are simply on cyclone watch worries.  CLF coming to new highs.
• Q4 earnings update –  AMC, SFLY  OTEX  strong reports.

leaders 'lead'

One again anything that can be construed as negative tilted news was brushed aside by US markets (globally it wasn’t).  We’ve discussed this since the middle of last week as market turns a blind eye, now it’s continuing the trend at window dress up time and ahead of earnings season.  This is same factor at work as when alerted at SPX1250 and said to watch for negative ‘nuke’ news not get sold off any longer, which would be a positive going forward.  Every bit of negative newsflow is seemingly ignored now as investors tolerance has been built up with Macro global issues.  It's perplexing to many.  It could continue until Friday as investors/traders await all the data/QE2 for that day.

The morning ramp can be attributed in part to nobody finding a catalyst overnight (see yesterday's closing note) to close market below the pivotal SPX 1314.  There was no positive catalyst out there this morning.   It was a matter of Performance Anxiety (PA) setting in as managers went after growth/ momentum names.  Remember, these names didn’t participate in the first leg off 1250SPX and really haven’t played a big part of the ‘missing link’ tech (mostly SOX) rush that ensued afterwards.   Momo-linked stocks like FFIV APKT AMZN SOHU and many more simply caught a bid.  As 2pm approached many probably thought the market may repeat Monday’ s late selling due to no positive newsflow, but ‘leaders’ were at work this time with PA being enough of a catalyst and so chance of sticking the SPX gains was a high possibility unlike Monday.  Technically, it was important to get back over SPX 1314 quickly and the icing is a close of 1319, which could be enough for more points as noted in weekend Journal.

Shadowlist

A stack of DJIM names +>3pts as growth/leaders lead the way today.

• Momentum/ earnings/ winners of ’10-    SOHU +7, PCLN +7, AMZN +5, FFIV +4, (NCH's- SFLY  OTEX)  APKT +3pts  broke trendline.  SOHU, unleashed a huge move, saw no news, only idea of why is…China Unicom's results point to a strong mobile internet ramp in 2011, as BIDU SINA  act well too.
• Commodities – WLT +4pts, MCP +4, CRR nch,
• Consumer-  noted Retail was fine yesterday despite leisure selling,  LULU nch , RL, UA all +3-4pts off recent DJIM PVH +5pt on earnings.