Before the Open (May 3)

Good morning. Happy Thursday.
The Asian/Pacific markets closed with a bearish bias. India and New Zealand were weak; there were no big winners. Europe is currently mostly up. France, Germany, Amsterdam, Norway and Stockholm are doing well. Futures here in the States point towards a positive open for the cash market.

The dollar is up. Oil and copper are down. Gold and silver are down.
After three days of trading, the S&P’s net change is less than 0.1%. Dips get bought, rallies get sold. Over the last couple months the market has chopped much more than it has moved directionally – a big difference from the preceding months where the market kept going and going and could barely pull back.
Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream” sold for a record $119.9 million last night. It’s important because whoever bought it could have put the money in the market but instead bought a painting. I wonder what the correlation between the price of art work is relative to cycles in the stock market.
On the earnings front, GMCR is getting crushed. David Einhorn is finally going to get his way. Visa and Prudential are down. GM is down slightly. VIA did well but that’s no guarantee the stock will move up this morning.
I’m expecting a somewhat slow day. Tomorrow we get the latest employment numbers. Last month’s report caused a big gap down and intense selling.
Be conservative until the market breaks out of its funk. That means be ahead of the curve taking profits. Take half off on initial moves and move stops up on your remaining shares. Swing for singles and an occasional double…swinging for the fences will likely result in giving profits back. More after the open.
headlines at Yahoo Finance
headlines at MarketWatch
today’s upgrades/downgrades
this week’s Earnings
this week’s Economic Numbers

0 thoughts on “Before the Open (May 3)

  1. Wondering if munch epic was bought to symbolise the Stockmarket frustration…..and its subsequent leanings to the ‘primal Scream ?…….

  2. Hey Brian – I’m short again at SPX 1400 as yesterday’s move to 1403 was enough to satisfy my upside target up to 1407 where a reversal was to most likely occur. 1392-1394 is the first downside objective and then 1380 ideally. If it gets there in a 5 wave down sequence, I’d look for an eventual test of 1357-1359. If it’s 3 waves down into that area I may look to cover the short position and reverse to long.

        1. I see your channel. I’m adding to my short position on a move below 1399 and I’ll cover both positions above 1404, but I still think in the very term the bias is to the downside so I don’t want to get shaken out unless 1404 gets taken out and starts to become support.

  3. Who the hell named this symbol? This is bad.
    ^PUSY – S&P Global Ex-U.S. Property (US)
    Write an article on ^PUSY
    Comments & Rumors On ^PUSY
    Have something to say about ^PUSY?
    Member Analysis Of ^PUSY
    Publish an analysis on ^PUSY
    ^PUSY Research Media
    Upload media on ^PUSY
    Sorry ladies. Oh I’m going to get flamed.

  4. Rumor has it that Benny & the Feds are buying SPX at 1394. If someone can verify that, speak up now and I’ll cover short positions.

    1. I suspect the market will not go down much tomorrow. either the fed knows the number will be good or they plan to throw in the prop. otherwise they would not allow a selloff, even though it’s drawn out and very much under control. just a feeling

  5. Brian – IMO, since the late morning bounce, SPX is looking impulsive to the downside. I’ll add another short position on a break of the day’s low if it becomes resistance.

      1. Brian – I’d like to add a 3rd short position on the test of 1393-94, but with only 15 minutes to trade and the jobs report tomorrow, being 2 positions short is all I’ll risk into the close.

  6. very heavy insto selling on my inds,but not much price movement
    smells of distribution
    but are they distributing to the bears or the bulls

  7. whatever the jobs number is can be spun any way ws wants. if the number is good they could say it means no qa and take it down…. and they could bang it to buy it… or not, just sell it. the number and what they say about it all mean nothing

  8. ws likes to whipsaw in times of indecision. I will have stock in one hand, cash in the other, and play contrary. I would not let them dictate and chase them

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