Market Summary – 5/31/2015

The market was down all across the board this past week. The Dow was down 276.19 on the week and closed Friday at 18,010.68. The S&P 500 dropped 22.97 points and ended at 2,107.39. The VIX was up and closed Friday at 13.84. The NASDAQ ended the week at 5,070.03.

The SPDR sectors also plunged this past week. XLY (Consumer Discretionary) dropped by 0.83% to end Friday at 76.30. XLP(Consumer Staples) lost 0.93% to close at 48.79. XLE (Energy) sputtered through the week and lost 2.26% to close Friday at 78.39. XLF (Financial) was down 1.05% to close at 24.60. XLV (Health Care) fared the best this past week. It closed Friday at 74.94 after a relatively small decrease of 0.05% on the week. XLI (Industrials) had a bad week in which it dropped 1.92% to close at 55.81. XLB (Materials) decreased by 1.00% to end the week at 50.61. XLK (Technology) dropped 0.53% to close the week at 43.37. And XLU (Utilities) had a subpar week as it only lost 0.16% to close at 44.50.

Major Commodities:

  • Gold:  $1,189.80/ troy ounce
  • Oil: $60.23/barrel
  • Silver: $16.70/ troy ounce

Major Currency Exchange Rates:

  • USD/EUR: 0.92
  • USD/RUB: 52.34
  • USD/JPY: 124.17
  • USD/CNY: 6.20
  • USD/CAD: 1.25
  • USD/GBP: 0.65

Quote of the Week: “The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets.” ~John. D. Rockefeller

Market Summary – 4/12/2015

The market was up all across the board this past week. The Dow was up 301.85 to close at 18,057.65. The S&P 500 increased by 37.19 and ended at 2,102.06. The VIX was down and closed Friday at 12.58. The NASDAQ gained 140.04 and ended the week at 4995.98.

The SPDR sectors were also up across the board this past week. XLY (Consumer Discretionary) increased by 1.29% to end Friday at 76.67. XLP(Consumer Staples) gained 0.96% to close at 49.60. XLE (Energy) powered through the week and increased by 3.11% to close at 80.14. XLF (Financial) was up 0.12% to close at 24.24. XLV (Health Care) closed Friday at 74.06 after a 2.88% increase of the week. XLI (Industrials) had a nice week in which it gained 2.78% to close at 56.97. XLB (Materials) bounced back this week. lt increased by 1.49% to close at 49.70. XLK (Technology) increased by 1.72% to close the week at 42.08. And XLU (Utilities) had a subpar week as it only gained 0.25% to close at 44.66.

Major Commodities:

  • Gold:  $1,204.60/ troy ounce
  • Oil: $51.64/barrel
  • Silver: $16.38/ troy ounce

Major Currency Exchange Rates:

  • USD/EUR: 0.9446
  • USD/RUB: 53.85
  • USD/JPY: 120.18
  • USD/CNY: 6.20
  • USD/CAD: 1.26

Major Upcoming Earnings Reports (via NASDAQ):

  • Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK)
    • Monday, April 13 (After Hours)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.45
  • J P Morgan Chase & Co (JPM)
    • Tuesday, April 14 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $1.38
  • Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
    • Tuesday, April 14 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.97
  • Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
    • Tuesday, April 14 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $1.52
  • Intel Corporation (INTC)
    • Tuesday, April 14 (After Hours)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.4
  • Bank of America Corporation (BAC)
    • Wednesday, April 15 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.29
  • Progressive Corporation (PGR)
    • Wednesday, April 15 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.43
  • U.S. Bancorp (USB)
    • Wednesday, April 15 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.76
  • PNC Financial Services Group, INC (PNC)
    • Wednesday, April 15 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $1.7
  • Delta Air Lines, INC (DAL)
    • Wednesday, April 15 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.29
  • Netflix, INC (NFLX)
    • Wednesday, April 15 (After Hours)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.68
  • American Express Company (AXP)
    • Thursday, April 16 (After Hours)
    • Consensus EPS: $1.37
  • Citigroup, INC (C)
    • Thursday, April 16 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $1.4
  • Goldman Sachs Group, INC (GS)
    • Thursday, April 16 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $4.14
  • Mattel, INC (MAT)
    • Thursday, April 16 (After Hours)
    • Consensus EPS: -$0.09
  • Philip Morris International INC (PM)
    • Thursday, April 16 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $1.01
  • Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW)
    • Thursday, April 16 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $1.43
  • General Electric Company (GE)
    • Friday, April 17 (Pre-Market)
    • Consensus EPS: $0.3

Quote of the Week: “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” ~Warren Buffet

Market Summary – 4/5/2015

The Finance Club hopes you enjoyed Good Friday and Easter.

To start off this week’s market update, let’s review the major indices.

The market made slight gains across the board this past week. Last Friday was Good Friday, so the market ended Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average started the week off at 17,727.48 and finished the following Monday at 17,880.85. The S&P 500 started off at 2,064.11 on Monday, and increased to end the week at 2,080.62. However, the NASDAQ ended the week at 4,917.32 after starting Monday off at 4,921.78. The VIX ended at 14.74 today. The major indices were actually down to begin last week, but rallied through Wednesday, Thursday, and Monday for a strong finish.

After a horrendous week, the major SPDR sectors, for the most part, bounced back this past week. XLY (Consumer Discretionary) increased by 1.56% to end the week at 76.05. XLP (Consumer Staples) was up 1.49% to finish at 49.52. XLE (Energy) also fared well, increasing by 0.90% to end the week off at 79.12. XLF (Financial) increased by 1.04% this past week to end today at 24.25. XLV (Health Care) had a bad week as continued to plunge. It dropped by  0.73% to finish off at 72.10. XLI (Industrials) increased by 0.16% to end at 55.85. XLB (Materials) gained 0.70% and ended the week at 46.36. XLK (Technology) experienced a 0.07% gain to end the week at 41.77. Finally, XLU (Utilities) did the best this past week. It increased by 2.13% to finish at 45.17 on the week.

Major Foreign Exchange Rates (as of 4/6/15):

    • USD/EUR: 0.911
    • USD/JPY: 119.36
    • USD/CNY: 6.17
    • USD/DEM: 1.79

Major Commodities (as of 4/6/15):

    • Gold: $1,218.60/troy ounce
    • Oil (light crude): $52.14/barrel
    • Silver: $17.11/troy ounce
    • Platinum: $1,180.40/troy ounce
    • Corn: $3.85/bushel
    • Sugar: $0.1674/pound

Here are some major upcoming earnings reports (via NASDAQ):

  • Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, INC. (PLAY)
    • Tuesday, April 7 (Pre-Market)
    • Estimated EPS: $0.3
  • Schnitzer Steel Industries, INC. (SCHN)
    • Tuesday, April 7 (Pre-Market)
    • Estimated EPS: -$0.08
  • Bed, Bath, & Beyond INC. (BBBY)
    • Wednesday, April 8 (After hours)
    • Estimated EPS: $1.81
  • Pier 1 Imports, INC (PIR)
    • Wednesday, April 8 (After hours)
    • EPS: $0.36
  • Rite Aid Corporation (RAD)
    • Wednesday, April 8 (Pre-Market)
    • EPS: $0.07
  • Ruby Tuesday, INC (RT)
    • Thursday, April 9 (After hours)
    • EPS: -$0.06
  • Walgreens Boots Alliance, INC (WBS)
    • Thursday, April 9 (Pre-Market)
    • EPS: $0.94

Market Summary – 3/29/2015

To start out this article, here is a recap of major market indices.

 

The market was down all across the board this past week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average started the week off at 18,136.73 and plummeted to finish the week at 17,712.66. The S&P 500 started off at 2,107.99 on Monday, but ended the week at 2,061.22. The NASDAQ ended the week at 4,890.99 after starting Monday off at 5,020.60. On Friday the VIX was at 15.07.

 

The major SPDR sectors were also down this past week. XLY (Consumer Discretionary) decreased by 2.42% to end the week at 74.91. XLP (Consumer Staples) fared the best this week but was still down 0.47% to end Friday at 48.71. XLE (Energy) also fared decently well, only dropping 0.66% to end the week off at 76.40. XLF (Financial) plummeted 3.16% this past week to end Friday at 23.93. XLV (Health Care) had a bad week as it fell 2.48% to finish off Friday at 73.04. XLI (Industrials) dropped 2.75% to end at 55.55 on Friday. XLB (Materials) lost 1.26% and ended the week at 48.61. XLK (Technology) suffered a 2.75% decline to end the week at 41.37. Finally, XLU (Utilities) finished the week at 43.88, down 2.45% on the week.

 

Major Foreign Exchange Rates:

    • USD/EUR: 0.918
    • USD/JPY: 119.23
    • USD/CNY: 6.21
    • USD/DEM: 1.80

 

Major Commodities

    • Gold: $1,199.80/troy ounce
    • Oil (light crude): $48.87/barrel
    • Silver: $17.07/troy ounce
    • Platinum: $1,143.60/troy ounce
    • Corn: $3.91/bushel
    • Sugar: $0.1674/pound

 

 

Here are some upcoming earnings reports (via NASDAQ):

 

  • Monsanto Company (MON)
    • Wednesday, April 1 AM
    • Estimated EPS: $2.96
  • CarMax Inc. (KMX)
    • Thursday, April 2 AM
    • Estimated EPS: $0.6
  • Micron Technology, Inc. (MU)
    • Thursday, April 2 PM
    • Estimated EPS: $0.8

Market Summary – 3/22/2015

The market was up all across the board this past week. The Dow was up 378.41 to close at 18,127.72. The S&P 500 increased by 54.67 and ended at 2,108.07. The VIX was down 2.98% to close at 13.02. The NASDAQ gained 154.66 and ended the week at 5026.42.

The SPDR sectors were also up across the board this past week. XLY (Consumer Discretionary) increased by 2.14% to end Friday at 76.7. XLP(Consumer Staples) jumped 1.37% to close at 48.94. XLE (Energy) powered through the week and increased by 3.06% to close at 76.91. XLF (Financial) was up 1.60% to close at 24.71. XLV (Health Care) closed Friday at 74.90 after a 4.30% increase of the week. XLI (Industrials) had a nice week in which it gained 1.85% to close at 57.12. XLB (Materials) was the only sector to fall this week. It fell 1.22% to close at 49.23. XLK (Technology) increased by 2.53% to close the week at 42.54. And XLU (Utilities) had a stellar week as it increased 3.45% to close at 44.98

Major Commodities:

  • Gold:  $1,184.60/ troy ounce
  • Oil: $46.57/barrel
  • Silver: $16.88/ troy ounce

Major Currency Exchange Rates:

  • USD/EUR: 0.9243
  • USD/RUB: 59
  • USD/JPY: 120.028
  • USD/CNY: 6.2127
  • USD/CAD: 1.26

Major Upcoming Earnings Reports (via NASDAQ):

  • Scholastic Corporation (SCHL)
    • Thursday AM
    • Estimated PS: -$0.56
  • Winnebago Industries, Inc. (WGO)
    • Thursday AM
    • Estimated PS: $0.38
  • Blackberry Limited (BBRY)
    • Friday AM
    • Estimated PS: -$0.02
  • Spark Energy, Inc. (SPKE)
    • Friday AM
    • Estimated PS: $0.8
  • The Finish Line, Inc. (FINL)
    • Friday AM
    • Estimated PS: $0.84

Market Summary – 1/25/2015

Market Update

Here is the Market Blog for the week of 1/20/2015, brought to you by Aabhash Gautam and Ken Croker.

 

The week of January 20, 2015 was a rather bullish week. The major indices were up all across the board. Here’s where they finished on Friday:

Dow Jones: +2.03% to finish at 17,672.60

S & P 500: +0.34% to finish at 2,051.82

Nasdaq: +1.15% to finish at 4,757.88

SPDR Sector Performances:

  • Energy (XLE): +0.39%
  • Utilities (XLU): +3.71%
  • Materials (XLB): +2.44%
  • Technology* (XLK): +3.65%
  • Industrials (XLI): +1.01%
  • Healthcare* (XLV): +1.04%
  • Financials* (XLF): +2.41%
  • Consumer Staples (XLP): +1.58%
  • Consumer Discretionary (XLY): +3.16%

Other Indicators

  • S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX): -25.59%
  • SPDR Gold (GLD): +2.72%

Last week the Swiss National Bank’s decision to abandon the Swiss franc’s peg to the Euro heavily hurt the nation’s economy. Mild effects were also seen worldwide, with stock markets falling in the US and volatility rising. The market bounced back this week, with the European Central Bank buying back bonds to counter the Swiss National Bank’s decision.  More on these decision can be read here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19PyOwL4PSHXGIywfYkf9rtK29A5E8MjEOYHGkPeVr_4/edit

Weekly Commodity Update- Oil: Oil had another disappointing week. The death of the Saudi Arabian king, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, caused U.S. oil to fall this past week. The United States Oil Fund fell to $17 this week. WTI had a significant drop this week to end at $45.59. Brent Crude Oil ended at $48.79. Crude still seems to be spiralling out of control with no end in sight. Analysts are predicting this crisis may take a full year to stabilize, which is not good news for major oil exporters such as Russia and Venezuela.  Russia was forced into evasive action this past week, as it rewrote its budget after losing $21 billion to this crisis. Investors looking to invest in oil should do so with a long-term mindset at this point in time.

Major Stock Performances this Past Week:

Apple (APPL) : After peaking at $119 per share on November 26, 2014, the Apple stock dropped in price until last week. It’s stock price got a boost from a good earnings prediction from SkyWorks Solutions, the company that sets the chips in Apple Iphones. Apple sputtered through the first part of the year before this past week’s push. Analysts predict stellar 4th quarter earnings on Tuesday which will most likely raise the stock’s price even higher. Furthermore, Apple has always been regarded as one of the safest stocks on the planet leaving no large room for long-term worry.

Conclusion: Bullish on Apple

Twitter (TWTR): Twitter saw its stock price rise by just under $2 last week to end at $39.42. Twitter’s rise comes at the heels of speculation that Google is preparing to buy Twitter.

Conclusion: Bullish on Twitter

Google (GOOG): Google had a very impressive week. Google opened the week at $510.90 and ended at $539.95 on Friday. The $29 increase came the heels of speculation that the tech giant would be buying Twitter. The deal itself hasn’t occurred yet, but I believe Google is on the rise and should be in most people’s portfolios. Also note that it will be releasing its earnings on Thursday.

Conclusion: Very Bullish on Google

Ebay (EBAY): Ebay saw its stock price soar by $2 between Wednesday and Thursday of last week. As of Thursday it had increased by 7% on the week, before dropping to $56.76 on Friday. The bullish trend this pack occurred after it announced a stepped-up buyback program of its shares, as well as plans to reduce its expenses via layoffs. However, Ebay may not sustain the trend for long as it fell short of earnings expectations with a revenue of $4.9 billion vs. expected $4.93 billion.

Conclusion: Neutral on Ebay

Stocks to Watch this Week:

Microsoft (MSFT): Microsoft was bullish last week as it rose from $46.32 on Tuesday to $47.18 on Friday. Microsoft has an earnings report tomorrow and analysts have predicted strong earnings for the tech giant. Keep your eyes on Microsoft as it may see a jump after-hours tomorrow and on Wednesday, depending on the strength of its earnings report.

Major Upcoming Earnings Reports:

  • Monday
    • Microsoft (MSFT); Texas Instruments (TXN)
  • Tuesday
    • AM: 3M (MMM); American Airlines (AAL); Procter & Gamble (PG); Pfizer (PFE); Illinois Tool Works (ITW); Caterpillar (CAT); Lockheed Martin (LMT)
    • PM: Apple (AAPL); AT&T (T); Yahoo (YHOO); Ace Limited (ACE)
  • Wednesday
    • AM: Boeing (BA); Progressive (PGR)
    • PM: Facebook (FB)
  • Thursday
    • AM: Alibaba (BABA); Ford (F); Dow Chemical (DOW); Time Warner Cable (TWC); Sherwin-Williams (SHW); Valero (VLO); Hershey’s (HSY)
    • PM: Google (GOOGL); Amazon (AMZN); Visa (V)
  • Friday
    • Chevron (CVX); Honda (HMC); Eli Lilly and Company (LLY); Xerox (XRX)

Happy Trading Everyone!

Aabhash Gautam, Secretary

Ken Croker, VP

Market Summary – 11/30/2014

Level: Intermediate

Trade Advice: Beginner

Indices:

All of the major indices dropped on Friday, but the market was still up across the board. Here is a breakdown of each major index:

  • S&P 500: +1.39% to end at 2,067.56
  • Nasdaq: +2.20% to end at 4,791.63
  • Dow Jones: +1.15% to end at 17,828.24

SPDR Sector Performances (%):

  • Energy (XLE): -1.14%
  • Utilities (XLU): -0.22%
  • Materials (XLB): +1.00%
  • Technology* (XLK): +2.15%
  • Industrials (XLI): +1.61%
  • Healthcare* (XLV): +1.30%
  • Financials* (XLF): +1.20%
  • Consumer Staples (XLP): +0.45%
  • Consumer Discretionary (XLY): +1.91%

*Currently the club is mainly tracking the technology, healthcare, and finance sectors.

Notable Stock Performances from this week:

Facebook seems to finally be rebounding in the right direction, after dropping sharply in late October. It started the week at $73.59 and ended at $77.70! We expect it to continue its rise.

Alibaba continued its crazy roller coaster trend this past week. It began the week at $111.96. At this point it was very bullish, like weeks past, and it peaked at $115.000 on Tuesday! But, it then declined sharply on Friday to end at $111.64. After peaking at $119.15 and declining to $114.15, Alibaba has refused to overcome the resistance of around $114. I recommend buying it this Monday morning, when it is low, and to sell it around mid-week when it should be at its highest, as evidenced by the trend seen in recent weeks.

Sony has steadily climbed in price the past month, after it announced plans to jump 70% in revenue over a 3 year period. Analysts have claimed that this led to shareholder hype and interest, leading to Sony at its highest value in the past year at $21.99.

Google has been on a roller coast this past week. It began the week at $542.47. On Monday it dropped to $538.91, before picking back up again on Tuesday where it ended up at $541.08. But, that isn’t the whole story. Throughout Tuesday, Google started out by peaking at its weekly high of $543.50, before declining to 541.15 within 30 min. Within an hour, it had picked back up to $543.16, before sharply declining to $538.96 at 3:00 pm. Finally, it ended at 541.08 after hours. Wednesday and Thursday saw Google hovering around the resistance level of $541, which it failed to decisively break. To end the week, Google finally broke this level by ending at $541.83. Personally, I believe this sets up Google in a prime position to have a fairly large gain next week. I would recommend buying this stock, as it is at a one month low, but take note that it is also primed for either a modest loss or a stellar gain (I explain WHY down below in my predictions for next week).

Apple hit a new all time high of $118.93 on Friday. Apple has been incredibly bullish in the past 43 days. On October 16, the price per share of Apple was $96.26. On Friday, it closed at $118.93. Although it is too late to capitalize on this gain, investing in Apple for the long run may not be a bad idea. Apple has always been seen as a popular “forever” share, a share you can purchase and never worry about as it will almost always go up. However, if you are looking for a more short term investment, Apple may still gain this next week if it manages to break the resistance level of about $119.

Evaluation of last week’s predictions:

The prediction of increased volatility in Facebook stock was correct, as FB’s one week volatility jumped to 1.85% for this week (according to FINVIZ). It did this in a bullish manner, with FB stock increasing 1.03% over the course of the week. Facebook ended up at $77.70, up from $73.59 where it started on Monday.

We correctly predicted last week that energy would retrace slightly. The energy sector so far this week has gone down 1.14%. However, our prediction consisted of two parts. We predicted that in the long run, the energy sector will increase. So, now we must analyze it in the coming weeks, to see if our long term prediction was correct.

Our president, Michael, correctly predicted that it was a ripe time to purchase the Disney stock. This week, Disney made gains of $2.58. Anyone who bought the stock on Monday would have made a 2.88% gain. However, note that Michael used LEAPS to act on this prediction, meaning that the bullish prediction was again a long term one. Therefore, the finance club will continue analyzing this prediction in the upcoming weeks.

Finally, last week we predicted that it would also be a great time to buy shares in Goldman Sachs. Our prediction has failed, at least in the short term. This past week, Goldman Sachs could not break the ceiling of about $190. It ended at $188.41, which is down about $2 from $190.14, where it began on Monday. We will still continue to keep an eye on Goldman Sachs, as it may break resistance in the coming week, which would result in a major gain.

Aabhash’s Predictions:

Facebook stock will continue to rise next, as it finally broke the resistance level of about $75 on Wednesday. This break led to Facebook ending at a one month high. Normally, breaking resistance means that the share price will most likely increase, so the stock should continue to rise in the coming week.

Take a look at FINVIZ’s quote for Koss Corporation, a headphone equipment retailer. For approximately 9 months, its stock [NASDAQ: KOSS] has been forming the bullish wedge down pattern while at the same time facing disappointing fundamentals. The result was lots of confusion among investors in the months of September and October, thus maintaining the pattern. In November the wedge down pattern was finally confirmed by a break upward. The proximal cause of this break upward was a legal insider buy (more on legal insider trading in the future) by the CEO. However, this bullish trend, only based on a technical pattern, will not continue for long. Now that the bullish force of a wedge down pattern is gone, investors will begin to act solely on the bearish fundamentals, which will drive the stock over the course of the next month.

Google is primed for a modest move in either direction. The fate of our prediction will be known on Monday. If Google can manage to decisively break the resistance level of ~$542, it will most likely skyrocket through the week. If not, Google will most likely flounder in a roller coaster trend, much like it did last week. So, keep an eye out for Google because its performance early in the week could dictate whether or not you can make money off of it.

Apple recently climbed to record highs, and ended the week at $118.93. Apple was bullish all week, peaking over $119 on 3 different days! But, there seems to be a resistance around $119 that the stock simply can’t overcome. I believe Apple will definitely break this ceiling in the near future. As of now, Apple is in a similar situation in regards to Google. Both stocks are primed to have stellar gains, but it all depends on whether or not they can break their respective resistance levels. I recommend keeping an eye on Apple to see if it breaks $119 by Monday. If Apple hits $120+ by Tuesday, you should probably buy it.

Market Blog Quote of the Week:

“Half of the investors trading your ‘hot stock’ are trying to get rid of it”.

-Charles Wheelan

Happy Trading Everyone!


*Any losses incurred as a result of recommendations made by either the President, Vice President, or Secretary are not the legal liability of the RHS Finance Club. By using our recommendations, you have waived the right to take any legal action against Rocklin High School, its Finance Club, or the Rocklin Unified School District for any monetary losses incurred on your part. Invest at your own risk, and with the mindset that you may lose money.

Market Summary – 11/23/2014

Hello RHS Finance Club members! The following information is brought to you by our VP, Ken Croker, and our President, Michael Trehan.

The market had modest gains ending November 23. Here’s a breakdown of the major indices this week:

  • S&P 500: Up 1.2% for the week, after a large gap up on Friday.
  • Dow Jones: Up 0.51% for the week, large gap Friday
  • Nasdaq:  Up 0.24% for the week, breakaway gap on Friday

Let’s break the market down into sectors: Telecommunications was hit hard, with Verizon (VZW) down almost 2.5% for the week. Energy had a nice run this week, with XLE up 3.3%. Technology was a laggard, with XLK closing up only 0.36%. Basic materials outperformed, with XLB seeing a 2.75% pop.

Predictions:

  • Energy will retrace slightly, with a long run upward
  • Facebook is still consolidating and may experience a large move in either direction
  • Disney looks ripe for a long term entry, which Michael has done so through LEAPS (education blog on that later).
  • Goldman Sachs has a setup similar to Disney, and may also be an entry-candidate.

– Michael Trehan, Pres. and Ken Croker, VP

Market Summary – 11/09/2014

Michael: Here is our second issue of the Market Blog! Please email me with any comments or corrections.

Indices:

  • DJIA: Up 1% to close at 17,574.
  • S&P: Up 0.65% to close at 2,032.
  • Nasdaq: Flat, closed at 4,633.

For our members:

Right now, our club is tracking the technology, healthcare, and financial sectors for the most part.

Look at almost any technology stock and you will see a parabolic run upwards that hugs the upper Bollingers (other than FB and GOOGL – more on that later). This is great, especially if you had a long position, but what do you do now? You could wait for a small pullback and buy on the pullback, or you could just buy into the strength and ride out any retracements. Facebook, however, has not been performing on par with the market. This is probably because of its recent earnings, in which management said they expected more costs later on. No fundamental shift has occurred, so I am bullish on the stock. Since Facebook’s implied volatility is low, I will be carefully looking at prices and risk/reward ratios for near-the-money naked calls on it.

Aabhash, great job on predicting which way Alibaba’s earnings would turn out. In future meetings, we’ll be looking at many strategies with which we can play earnings. Although Facebook did not rise much over the past week as you said it would, I remain bullish on it for the longer term. The medical sector also has not seen the large gains you had predicted, but that was just a guess on your part. We’ll also talk about sentimental analysis in later meetings.

For next week, I am expecting a small pullback, and a continuation of the trend higher. Also, email me where you think the S&P is going to close next Friday with an explanation. If you are right within a small margin, there might be a small award.

Remember that the stock market is open the entire week, but the bond market is closed Tuesday because of Veteran’s day. Have fun.

– Michael Trehan

Market Summary – 11/02/2014

President: This is our first issue of the MARKET BLOG! Take a look at the Indices section below, certain stocks that our members are interested, our Secretary’s opinion, and the President’s comments. Please email any errors, especially numerical, to the President and Secretary. Enjoy!

Our secretary brings you the following information:

Indices: This week was an amazing week for the bulls! Stocks were up all across the board as the Dow was up almost 600 points. It finished the week at 17,390.52. The S&P 500 was up 56 points to 2,018.05. The NASDAQ composite ended at 4,630.74 after a 100 point surge on Thursday.

For our members: Amazon bounced back after a 10% dip last week to end at 305.46! Facebook dropped to 74.99 this week. The Cure Direxion Index, which is a leveraged biotech ETF,  was incredibly bullish as it leaped from 107 on Monday to finish at 118.78 on Friday. Tesla dropped 14 points to start off the week but it soared from 220.68 to 242.77 on Tuesday. Tesla finished at 241.70, up from 234.50 on Monday. Finally, Alibaba started the week of very strong as it topped 100 before dropping to 97 after-hours on Tuesday. It finished at 98.60 to end the week. Lots of earnings!

CURE skyrocketed this week as the Ebola scare continues to rage through our country by the day. It has been up 33 points since mid-October! It should be noted that this is about the time the public began to worry about Ebola, leading to the price markup. Facebook shares fell this week because they were a “beat and lower” because of higher cost expectations next year. Alibaba started the week bullish as ever, with many believing it to top expectations for its upcoming Q3 report. But, the optimism died down rapidly after hours on Tuesday as the stock fell 3 points within hours. Amazon managed to slowly but surely climb back over 300 after dipping 10% last week. This is mainly due to rebounding confidence and overall optimism surrounding Amazon.

Secretary: I think that Alibaba will fulfill its potential for Q3 and I believe that its shares will jump well over 100 points. I recommend buying Facebook right now as it is lower than what it normally is; I almost guarantee Facebook will jump over $80 per share in the next 10 days. I also recommend buying Apple as it is experiencing its annual “holiday-season” surge, along with Google and Amazon. Finally, the Cure Direxion Index will continue to increase incredibly, until the Ebola hype dies down, so I predict that it will close well over 130 by the end of this coming week

President’s Comments: First, let’s talk in terms of dollars and percentages, as points are usually reserved for indices. I am not sure how your Alibaba earnings play will turn out, but good luck. Might want to play it with options. Also, remember that just because you realize that a stock (Facebook) is undervalued doesn’t mean that others will realize it and the stock may continue to drop. I completely agree with you that this is a great entry opportunity for Facebook, but I would change your time frame from a swing trade (10 trading days) to a long term entry. As for Apple, also recall that such holiday revenue increases are already factored into the share price, as the market looks around six months ahead. Take a look at stockcharts.com and the performance of Apple over the past decade during different months. CURE is a 50/50 shot, as Ebola may or may not be contained. Right now, the markets think that it is not a big deal; just look at the amazing rebound we had. And don’t forget why the market was up a lot this week: Japan began its QE program right as we ended ours.

Secretary: Thanks a lot Michael, and Happy Trading Everyone!!!

-Aabhash Gautam