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The Big Picture
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Good Morning, Traders. Solar stocks are back again in a big way with CSIQ blowing away estimates and gapping up to new highs. Following CSIQ's lead, FSLR gapped above a tight range of congestion, allowing us to establish a long entry in the <i>Model Portfolio</I> above the 15-minute high. FSLR is a good example of how to not get caught up in opening gap hype and make the safer entry once the stock can "show and prove". SOL is reporting earnings today before the market so we took off 75% of our position ahead of the report. SOL should follow with some good numbers and if not we have a nice profit buffer with reduced position size.
Core sector list finished mixed, as the battle between leaders and laggards ensues. While the leadership of 2008 continues to push higher (Railroads, Oil, Coal , and Natural Gas were the day's biggest winners), the lagging financials (again!) weighed down heavily on the $SPX. Viewing the hourly comparison chart above we can clearly see how the SPX is underperforming small, mid-cap, and tech indices since May 7. The whole point of putting up charts like this one is not to look in the rear-view mirror but to get an idea of where to look when scanning for new stocks. Comparision charts like these can help a trader to "know where to look" so that they have the wind at their back, so to speak.
While the S&P is lagging a bit, the the Nasdaq 100 is flexing it's relative strength muscles. The second chart listed above shows an hourly cup and handle pattern in the $NDX. It hasn't really extended out yet over the highs of the cup but it looks imminent which bodes well for those of you with QQQQ in your cupboards or the likes of Apple, Google, etc.
We don't really want to end on a down note or sound pessimistic but in the spirit of the <a href="http://shadowtrader.net/glossary.html">top line figures inverted</a> close today we do want to mention that volume was notably higher. NYSE total turnover increased by 20% and Nasdaq by 10%. When that happens and market goes nowhere its often a sign of churning (read: distribution) as bigger institutional players are selling to smaller retail players. We remain long but nimble as always. Treat all stocks like employees. If they don't do their job and go up when they are supposed to go up (BBD) or go down when they are supposed to go down (FARO), just fire them quickly.