Friends  Well, I would like to say "that was fun" but it wasn't. We went on a roller coaster ride in stocks today that we haven't seen in years. After a 250 point initial drop in the Dow at the open, stocks recovered and fought their way back to breakeven by...

Friends  Last Friday I ended the email with a cryptic line "this is the best start to the year for stocks since 1987". Yes, I was being a smart aleck, but only one person emailed me that afternoon to ask if I was implying that we might have something coming like we...

Friends  Stocks once again seesawed back and forth today reacting to earnings releases, bond market selloffs and in anticipation of tomorrow's non-farm payroll number. Earnings have been good, but as we know prices were somewhat extended as we entered this earnings...

Friends  Well, your intrepid advisor/author of emails (that would be me) suggested that stock market volatility, especially intraday volatility was likely to pick up this earnings season. Indeed, it has and today was another example. After yesterday's shellacking,...

Friends  Stocks had their worst day of trading for some time today. The reasons varied from the selloff in the bond market (with the 10 year rate rising to 2.73%) to the healthcare initiative announced by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and J P Morgan Chase. Of course,...

Friends  After last Friday's blow off type afternoon rally, the bulls showed up for today's session a bit less enthused. It's a big week for earnings, so there will be a lot of ebbs and flows with regards to corporate earnings news, and of course tomorrow night we...

Friend  Fueled by good earnings reports and despite a 4th quarter GDP number that came in a bit light, stocks continued to rip to new highs. Yes, the economic backdrop is good, but stocks seem to have a mind of their own right now. Any minor move down gets bought with...

Friends  Today's trading session was a lot like yesterday's - up early, a selloff, a big rally, another selloff, and then a drift into the close. The Dow once again did better than both the S&P and the Nasdaq. Yes, individual shares are responding to earnings...

Friends  Well, that was an interesting ride. Stocks bolted to new highs in early morning trading on the news, (well there really wasn't any news- stocks just went up because the market was open), but then turned and retreated only to recover in the afternoon. The Dow...

Friends  Earnings are starting to move stocks in different directions. Netflix shares, for instance skyrocketed after a stellar earnings report, but J&J and P&G shares both slumped. All in all, it was it was a mixed day for the market averages.  By the close,...

Friends Stocks were quiet at the open as traders kept an eye on the government shutdown and the scheduled late morning Senate vote. Not surprisingly, the gang on the hill kicked the can down the road for another 3 weeks, so we get to do this all over again in...

Friends  Isn't this fun, we get to talk and worry about a government shut down once again. Yes, the game of chicken is on and after all the blustering and tough talk we get to see who blinks first. Other than the likely effects it would have on stocks, I say shut it...

Friends  In terms of today's market environment, yesterday's stock market reversal that saw the Dow give up a near 300 point gain would now be considered a ravaging bear market. I jest, of course (I think) but yesterday's reversal was quickly and easily forgotten by...

Friends  As you know we've had quite a day of weather here in the Houston area. Well, we had quite a day in the markets as well. A nearly 300-point gain in the Dow turned into a double digit loss by mid-afternoon. We haven't seen a reversal like that for quite some...

Friends  The melt up continues. Stocks were up once again today, and it feels like we are all aboard a runaway train. Hopefully, you had a chance to read our quarterly outlook that we sent out yesterday, so I won't belabor the point, but investors are reacting to a...