Homebuilders were one of the strongest industries early in the pandemic as city dwellers headed to the suburbs. While the social trend has continued, bullishness has faded in the stocks. This chart shows the broken trend line in the iShares US Home Construction Index. It apparently tried to form a bullish ascending triangle against resistance at $58.50 but never...
The SPDR Energy ETF had a historic selloff last year, but now it’s holding some key levels as an important chart pattern appears. First, XLE spent the last two weeks of 2020 holding roughly $37.90. That was near the low from March 2009. Looking back even further, it’s also near a high from November 2004. That’s when crude oil began its major ramp toward $100. ...
Gold had a big rally in June and July. The yellow metal has consolidated since, but now may be attempting a breakout. This chart shows the downward-sloping trend line on gold that began on August 7. Several patterns may indicate prices are ready to start moving. First, notice how XAUUSD has held close to the line, unlike its test and breakdown on November 6 and...
Alphabet was the only megacap Nasdaq member to break out on its last set of quarterly numbers. Now it’s pulled back to some interesting levels. First, GOOGL tested its 50-day simple moving average (SMA) on Monday and held that line. Second, that SMA is near the September 2 peak of $1726.10. It bounced around that same level twice last month, which could mean old...
Apple’s price chart continues to show improvement amid reports of strong demand for the iPhone 12. First, the tech giant started December by breaking above $120 and holding its ground on December 10 and 11. It then proceeded to break $125 and hold its ground again yesterday. This second level is important because it was key resistance on October 12 and 13. MACD...
Walmart has fallen by the wayside lately as investors focused on reopening stocks. But now it could be poised for a rebound as the coronavirus pandemic worsens. The big box retailer has a trendline starting at the March lows, which was tested in early July and late October. It’s now returned to consolidate at that line. WMT’s 50-day simple moving average (SMA)...
General Motors has been in the fast lane since the fourth quarter began. It’s now having its steepest pullback of the rally, offering momentum investors a potential opportunity. The first feature on GM’s chart is yesterday’s hammer candlestick. Sellers tried to push the shares below $41 but weren’t able to keep it there. Second, that $41 level is potentially...
Bitcoin has moved sideways for most of December as it consolidated its October and November gains. But now the chart could point to further upside. The main pattern at work is the bullish ascending triangle that began with the Thanksgiving pullback. BTCUSD proceeded to make a higher low one week ago. It then successfully tested that low with a false breakdown on...
Las Vegas Sands jumped on November 9 when news of Pfizer’s vaccine hit. It’s consolidated since, and is now showing some potential signs of continuing higher. The first pattern on LVS is its gap above the previous high around $56. The shares have held their ground above those old highs, suggesting it’s found support above old resistance. Next is the higher low...
Catalent is an interesting company because it managed to get added to the S&P 500 before Tesla in early September. It also traces its history back to the creation of soft-gel pills in the early 1930s. CTLT has trended higher most of the year, fueled by strong results. The stock rallied after its last earnings report on November 3, and has now retraced most of...
For over a month, the stock market has priced in a post-Covid reopening. Now there could be signs of that trend exhausting itself. First and foremost is the recent double-bottom on the iShares 20+ Year Bond ETF. We cited downside in this instrument twice as it hit the top of its channel. But it made a slightly higher low/double following the last drop. That could...
One of the most interesting things about the rally since early November is the broad participation by smaller companies, and the near-total abandonment of megacaps. For example, the S&P 500 made new 52-week highs in five of December’s first eight sessions. However, only two of the 10 biggest U.S. companies by market cap accomplished the same feat: Alphabet and...
Stocks began this week bordering on complacency, according to various sentiment gauges. Yesterday we got the first potential warning of a pullback as the S&P 500 hit a new intraday high and quickly sold off. That resulted in a bearish outside day, which can be a reversal pattern. The VIX had just the opposite – a bullish outside day. It also occurred around the...
Target has been one of the most interesting large companies in the last 2-3 years. It’s managed to dodge the retail apocalypse, build a thriving digital business and enamor a new generation of younger shoppers. The stock pushed to new highs after a strong earnings report on November 18. It then pulled back gently and is now trying to make a higher low above its...
Chipotle Mexican Grill is one of the biggest restaurant survivors of the pandemic. It’s consistently beaten estimates by growing in the digital space. Like many other beneficiaries of coronavirus, CMG has chopped in a range since September. However, the price action may be pointing toward a breakout. First, the shares closed yesterday at a trendline running...
Streaming-video giant Netflix has been dead in the water since early July. But now some of its chart features could be getting interesting. First, NFLX’s range of motion has tightened lately as the rest of the market’s expanded. We can see that in its bullish inside week (beginning November 16). Two small candles have followed as prices inched higher. Bollinger...
Semiconductors have remained one of the strongest corners of the market. Now Skyworks Solutions could be ready to join the rally. The iPhone supplier has struggled with insider selling despite beating estimates on November 2. But its chart is looking more bullish lately. The first signal was MACD turning positive back on November 30. That was the same day Morgan...
Most of the high profile ‘FANG’ stocks haven’t done much recently. That is, aside from Alphabet, which is leaving them all in the dust. GOOGL was the only company worth over $300 billion to hit a new 52-week high yesterday. It was also one of only a few traditional technology stocks to hit new highs, accompanied by a few semiconductor firms like Lam Research and...