Marder Market Commentary - August 21, 2011

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Jahbulon
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Marder Market Commentary - August 21, 2011

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M A R K E T C O M M E N T (used with permission from http://www.GilmoReport.com)

August 21, 2011

KEVIN MARDER

S&P 500: 1,123.53

The Test


“The investor’s chief problem – and even his worst enemy – is likely to be
himself.”
- Benjamin Graham

Technically, shares did what they had to do last week. The first index to test its Aug. 9 intraday low, the Nasdaq Composite, did so Friday on lower volume with fewer 52-week lows than on the initial low, a plus. This despite Friday’s negative wash-and-rinse action.

Image

On Friday, the following chart of the Industrials shows 16% of NYSE issues to be in long-term uptrends, defined as trading above their 200-day. This compares with just 7% of stocks on the initial low. This indicates that the average stock held up better on last week’s test than did the blue-chip average.

Image

Another measure of the average stock, the number of 52-week NYSE lows, is shown below. It corroborates the message of the prior two charts: The weakness in the averages masks a better underlying tone to the broad market.

Image

As they say, the charts don’t lie. Regardless of what one’s preconceived notion of what might or might not transpire in coming weeks, the test looks good, so far. Having said this, the fact of the matter is that if the economy goes into recession, the market should experience further downward revaluation from present levels. In other words, a recession is not baked into the cake, in our view. Attempting to predict whether growth firms, lapses, flat-lines, or is nonexistent is something for economists. We can only use the market as our indicator, which, fortunately, is all that is needed.

Of critical import, indeed more so than anything else in this report, is the action of the liquid glamours. Baidu (BIDU), as good of a proxy for institutional sentiment as there is outside of Apple (AAPL), began selling off last Monday (Aug. 15) to kick off a new leg down one day before the Naz began its own leg down. In itself, this was telling.

Image

BIDU sits 23% off its high. This should not be surprising. The stock ran up
1,551% since its December ’08 low and is entitled to more than just a minor
pullback.

Apple, the last of the Mohicans in this cycle, is holding up the best among the glamours, off 12% from its high. It held its 50-day two weeks ago, unlike BIDU.

Image

Like the Nasdaq, the volume on Friday’s test was less than on the prior low of Aug. 8. Other liquid glamours, such as Priceline.com (PCLN), Amazon.com (AMZN), Salesforce.com (CRM), Netflix (NFLX), Vmware (VMW), etc. are all being liquidated by institutions.

There is little else to say from the standpoint of the long-only participant. We would not try to guess at where the bottom is/will be. We would only note that when it arrives, whether next week or next year or some other time, it will no doubt be accompanied by much negative sentiment among participants. This is how bottoms are formed.

In summation, the averages test of their Aug. 8 lows is thus far a positive one straight out of a textbook, and shows that the broader market holds up better than the headline averages. Even so, there is no sign that large participants are ready to drop their liquidation campaign of growth stocks.

Cash is king.

Kevin Marder

More market analysis of the cycle’s leading stocks, and actionable stock ideas with specific buy points on their charts, may be found by going to http://www.GilmoReport.com and subscribing to twice‐weekly updates.

Charts created using TradeStation. ©TradeStation Technologies, 2001-2011. All rights reserved.
Earnings estimates and mutual fund ownership data courtesy Thomson Reuters.

The views contained herein represent those of Marder Investment Advisors Corp. At the time of this writing, of the stocks mentioned in this report, Gil Morales & Company LLC (“GMC”), Marder Investment Advisors Corp., or an affiliate thereof, held no positions, though positions are subject to change at any time and without notice. Gil Morales & Company, LLC, 8033 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 830, Los Angeles, California, 90046. GMC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This information is issued solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Information contained herein is based on sources which we believe to be reliable but is not guaranteed by us as being accurate and does not purport to be a complete statement or summary of available data. Past performance is not a guarantee, nor is it necessarily indicative, of future results. Opinions expressed herein are statements of our judgment as of the publication date and are subject to change without notice. Entities including but not limited to GMC, its members, officers, directors, employees, customers, and affiliates may have a position, long or short, in the securities referred to herein, and/or other related securities, and may increase or decrease such position or take a contra position. Additional information is available upon written request. This publication is for clients of GMC. Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. ©2011 Gil Morales & Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

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