- We knew coming into Thursday that we would be dealt the largest amount of econ data that we had been dealt all week, though when we look back upon this week, we’ll certainly point to Wednesday’s FOMC forecasting as the primary driver of markets in the very near-term.  But let’s get back to a [...]

- Despite a healthy dose of earnings coming into Wednesday’s session, most notably AAPL after Tuesday’s close, which blew away estimates, early trading was more or less a standstill as investors awaited the 12:30pm FOMC meeting.  And it wasn’t the rate decision itself that was of importance, it was any kind of forecasting of the [...]

- Monday’s session was a tame one in terms of volatility and volume, as we had no econ data domestically and very little from overseas to digest, as well as a very light earnings calendar.  Only HAL released ahead of the open, ultimately topping analyst eps estimates.  Our major indices reversed 4-day winning streaks, but [...]

- Thursday brought us our largest dose of both earnings and economic data that we’ll have in this shortened trading week.  Ahead of the open, major earnings releases included BAC, MS, FCX, LUV, BLK, UNH, and UNP, with all but BAC topping eps estimates.  Among the economic data releases ahead of the open, weekly jobless [...]

- Our major indices posted gains for the second time in this shortened trading week as we’re now in the middle of our second week of earnings season with a slew of names still to come in Thursday’s session.  I’ll begin by noting the major names that released earnings Wednesday, which included BK, USB, PNC, [...]

- Our major indices showed a bit more volatility than in the previous two sessions, with the early morning trend being lower, followed by an modest afternoon rally that led to small gains but kept DJI and SPX at late July highs, and also marked the sixth consecutive close higher for COMP, which finished at [...]

- Our major indices eased off of Tuesday’s gains in Wednesday’s session as DJI and SPX entered the session at late July highs.  There were no highly significant earnings and the domestic econ calendar was light, but the weekly crude inventory released at 10:30am came in far higher than estimates and sent both WTI and [...]

- You’ll recall that Monday’s session proved to be a very hestitant beginning to the first full week of trading in 2012, on very low volume and very little tradeable news both domestically and globally.  Tuesday’s session told a slightly different tale, with movement for our major indices significantly greater, but still on very light [...]

- Market Stats:  DJI 33 to 12392.  SPX 3 to 1280.  COMP 2 to 2676.  RUT 4 to 753.  DJT 31 to 5100.  VIX 2.1% to 21.07.  SPY volume 99 mln vs 172 mln 20-day average.  1oyr yield flat to 1.95%.  30yr yield 1bp to 3.02%. – Commodities:  WTI -.25 to 101.31.  Brent -.61 to [...]

- The Eurozone re-entered the grand scheme of things Thursday, as it should have because it’s obvious to anyone paying reasonably close attention that the situation is an incredibly long way from being healthy. The specific event that brought it back to the surface was the issuance of common shares by Unicredit at a heavily [...]