The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 5204, up 57 points or 1.1%. SPX opened the week at 5258, losing one percent for the week. Yesterday’s tumble was severe and may have been triggered by the interviews of two FOMC members who doubted that rate cuts were coming soon, if at all, this year. That spooked the market, although SPX did recover about half of the losses today. Trading volume just did reach the 50-day moving average (dma) yesterday but ran well below average for the rest of the week. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, closed today at 16.0%, down 0 ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 5234, down 7 points or -0.1%. SPX opened the week at 5155, gaining 1.5% this week. Today’s weakness may have resulted from the FOMC chairman’s speech today. Many traders naively expect Powell to give them a schedule for rate cuts. Trading volume ran well below the 50-day moving average (dma) for the entire week. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, closed today at 13.1% after opening the week at 14.8%. I track the Russell 2000 index with the IWM ETF, which closed today at 205.1, down almost three points on the day but e ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 5124, down 34 points or -0.7%. SPX opened the week at 5131, setting up a weekly loss of 0.1%. Today’s loss appeared to start with this morning’s jobs report. Trading volume has declined all week and has been below the 50-day moving average (dma) for the last two days. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, closed today at 14.7%. VIX opened the week at 13.5% but rose steadily as the market softened and traders looked for protection. I track the Russell 2000 index with the IWM ETF, which closed today at 207, down a tenth of ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 5137, up 41 points or 0.8%. SPX opened the week at 5093, setting up a weekly gain of 0.8%. Today’s strong showing made up for earlier losses this week. Trading volume ran below the 50-day moving average (dma) all week with the exception of Thursday; I don’t know why it spiked then. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, closed today at 13.1%. VIX opened the week at 14.2% but steadily declined the rest of the week. I track the Russell 2000 index with the IWM ETF, which closed today at 206, up two points on the day (+1.1 ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 5006, down 24 points or 0.5%. SPX opened the week at 5027, setting up a weekly loss of 0.4%. Trading volume ran below the 50-day moving average (dma) most of the week; even when the CPI report disappointed the market on Tuesday and SPX took a tumble, trading volume didn’t spike higher. The bulls managed to push the S&P 500 stocks back to Monday’s levels by the end of trading on Thursday. That is an impressive recovery. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, opened the week at 13.5% and closed today at 14.2%. VIX nearly ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 4959, up 52 points or 1.1%. SPX opened the week at 4893, setting up a weekly gain of 1.3%. Trading volume ran above the 50-day moving average (dma) most of the week. After a disappointment on Wednesday that rates were not likely to be raised by the FOMC at the next meeting, the bulls got over it and opened today's trading with a gap opening and a very strong showing. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, closed today at 13.9%. Even with the market’s large pullback on Wednesday, VIX didn’t exceed 14.5%. The bulls didn’t ev ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 4891, almost unchanged with a decrease of three points or -0.07%. SPX opened the week at 4853, setting up a weekly gain of 0.8%. Trading volume ran at or slightly above the 50-day moving average (dma) this week. Today’s trading volume came in below the 50 day moving average (dma). The S&P 500 index appears to be slowing a bit after strong gains over the past two weeks. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, closed today at 13.3%. VIX opened the week at 13.8%, declined to a low on Wednesday of 12.4% and rose over the la ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 4840, up 59 points or 1.2%. SPX opened this holiday shortened week at 4772, setting up a weekly gain of 1.4%, with most of that gain coming today. Trading volume ran at or slightly above the 50-day moving average (dma) this week. Today’s trading volume seems somewhat weak for a gap opening higher this morning and such a strong gain. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, opened the week at 14.1%, 
rose on Wednesday’s decline, but then dropped yesterday and today to close 
at 13.3%. I track the Russell 2000 index with the ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed today at 4784, essentially flat, up less than four points or 0.08%. SPX opened the week at 4704, setting up a weekly gain of 1.7%, recovering last week’s losses. Trading volume ran just below the 50-day moving average (dma) all week. This level of trading volume seems lackluster for a bullish week of recovery. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, opened the week at 14.0% and steadily declined all week to close at 12.7%.   I track the Russell 2000 index with the IWM ETF, which closed today at 193. This is a much weaker chart ..read more

The Standard and Poors 500 index (SPX) closed Friday at 4697, up nine points or 0.2%, but down one percent for the first week of the new year. Trading volume ran at or just below the 50-day moving average (dma) all week. The bullish run from early November hit its high on 12/28 at 4793 and has now declined two percent from that high. VIX, the volatility index for the S&P 500 options, opened the new year at 13.2% and closed at 13.4% Friday after spiking as high as 14.6% earlier on Friday.   I track the Russell 2000 index with the IWM ETF, which closed yesterday at 193, down less than ..read more