This afternoon, the Federal Reserve Bank announced that they will keep the fed funds rate at zero to a quarter percent until the end of 2014. This statement by the central bank has caused the U.S. Dollar Index to plummet intra-day. As we all know by now, when the dollar dips the markets flip. Everything [...]

The stock markets are flat today after mixed data across the globe. Overnight, China gave the futures a push after reports showed inflation cooled slightly. The consumer price index rose 4.1% in December in China. Overnight, the Dow Futures had been higher by over 100 points. This morning the ECB disappointed the markets when they [...]

Does supply and demand even matter any longer? Just think about it for a minute, it is really the central bank’s policy that really moves the market. Just look at Alcoa (NYSE:AA) today, the company missed its earnings estimate and the stock is still inflating higher after the Chinese government basically said that they will [...]

After some early selling, the markets have floated back to the positive side. This is not surprising as light volume plays a key role in an up market. In addition, the S&P 500 broke out of a triangular range yesterday. This means further upside in the next week is likely. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF [...]

The stock market continues to rejoice in the new year. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ are all sharply higher on the day. The upside is being fueled by optimism on the global economy. This is mainly stemming from Europe. As the Euro gains traction, the Dollar has fallen sharply. The weakness [...]

The triangle pattern broke to the upside on the S&P 500 today. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:SPY) is trading at $128.21, +2.71 (+2.16%). This breakout was expected based on the bullish pattern formation seen last week. In addition, new money flow was likely to enter the market on light volume. The combination of all these factors [...]

WTI oil has now traded above $90.00 a barrel since late October 2011. While high energy prices used to signal global economic demand and strength; it is still a direct tax on consumers. These days high oil is affected by geopolitical events, weather, and the obvious action in the U.S. Dollar Index. At this time, [...]

The markets are down again today. The selling is not massive but it is the third drop in a row. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:SPY) is trading at $121.79, -1.32 (-1.07%). The big driver to the downside today is clearly commodities. Almost every single commodity is dumping sharply. Everything from oil to gold and [...]

The solar sector is finally participating in a rally. Throughout 2011, the solar stocks have fallen, even during great market moves to the upside. The obvious issue has been margin pressure and the problems in Europe. Europe has long been one of the biggest buyers of solar energy. Austerity measures have meant major cutbacks in [...]

This morning, the major stock indexes are trading sharply higher. The 150.0 point rebound in the Dow Jones Industrial Average comes after yesterday’s bloodbath decline in all of the major stock market indexes. The daily moves in the stock market have been very dramatic with wide range swings. One day risk is on and the [...]