Stock Market Impresses the Pessimists | February 21st 2015

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending February 21st, 2015 (Stock Market Impresses the Pessimists 02-21-2015) It was one of those weeks where a lot of things could have gone wrong, but somehow, some way, many of the “wild cards” remained calm and cool, and nothing actually went wrong. The big positive…

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Investors Hold Tight to Last Year’s Gains | February 8th 2014

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending February 8th, 2015 (January Closes With Unhappy Investors 02-08-2015) Hopes were high for a strong finish to what actually turned out to be a pretty good week for the stock market. While we were higher in midday action on Friday, some late-afternoon selling kicked in and…

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January Closes With Unhappy Investors | January 31st 2015

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending January 31st, 2015 (January Closes With Unhappy Investors 01-31-2015) Bulls had been hoping for a positive close on Friday that would have finished out January trading with a win, but that was not in the cards. The lackluster fourth-quarter GDP number showing 2.6% versus the…

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Stocks Zig and Zag | January 25th 2014

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending January 25th, 2015 (Stocks Zig and Zag 01-25-2015) Bulls were looking for a strong Friday to close out what had been a fairly upbeat week, but that was not to be the case. Stocks zigged and zagged early in the session Friday right around the…

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Consumer Sentiment at 11-Year High | January 17th 2015

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending January 17th, 2015 (Consumer Sentiment at 11-Year High 01-17-2015) The three major stock market indices saw some brief, early downside on Friday morning, but they managed to reverse and close out the day with a much-needed win. The January Consumer Sentiment report led the stock market…

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Jobs Climb, Stocks Slide | January 11th 2015

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending January 11th, 2015 (Jobs Climb, Stocks Slide 01-11-2015) Bulls were looking for good economic news and a strong finish to what was a very tough week, and all that they got was one of the two. The government’s employment report showed 252,000 newly created jobs in…

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Oil Remains on Radar in New Year | January 4th 2015

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending January 4th, 2015 (Oil Remains on Radar in New Year 01-04-2015) In a light-volume and uneventful Friday, the stock market kicked off 2015 with a mixed and mellow performance that left the Dow slightly higher and the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 lower. It was a quiet day…

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Stocks See Gargantuan Meltdown | December 20th 2014

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending December 20th, 2014 (Stocks See Gargantuan Meltdown 12-20-14) This week was not for the faint of heart. With oil prices crashing and Russia unraveling, it looked like the stock market was ready for a gargantuan meltdown. The major indices had dipped below their 50-day moving…

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Oil Prices Remain Culprit | December 14th 2014

State of the Stock Market Analysis for the Week Ending December 14th, 2014 (“All You Need Is Jobs” 12-14-14) It was not a Black Friday, but it was dark enough to have investors fretting as we headed into the weekend. We have become so accustomed to having late-Friday rallies that calm investors’ nerves. Closing out…

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