The major stock indexes traded back and forth the unchanged level today, with volume remaining missing in action.
Officially, the Dow industrials rose 0.3% on NYSE volume of 4.9 billion, while the NASDAQ advanced 0.3% on 2.0 billion. The leadership profile remains positive, with 147 stocks making new highs versus 96 making new lows.
The short term momentum oscillators remain negative, non-confirming the bullish stance of the AlphaKing Trading Indicator for the NASDAQ (while the Russell 2000 AK Trading Indicator remains negative.) We have no new trades at this time.
Today’s sideways churn has the look of end of month window dressing, and risk of a serious downside plunge remains extreme. All the leadership groups remain in trouble - the semis, small and mid cap stocks, the financials and transports - while the larger indexes are fighting to hang onto critically important support.
If the stock indexes hold and rally off current levels, on the backs of the Dubai debacle, then the bulls would have the green light for an end of year rally push, and we would jump onto that trade in a hurry if such a bullish Houdini act lands for real, as it is the reaction to news that has future trend implications rather than what anyone thinks the news should mean. We will follow the leaders wherever they go, and for now they continue to point south.
401K investors should be invested in a money market fund.
Kevin Wilde, Chief Trading Strategist AlphaKing.com.