The major stock indexes enjoyed a rally today, with volume mildly higher than yesterday.
Officially, the Dow industrials rose 1.2% on NYSE volume of 4.95 billion, while the NASDAQ advanced 1.5% on 2.2 billion. The leadership profile remains positive, with 406 stocks making new highs versus 79 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 rally has the look of new month buying of some of leaders, though some of the past leaders struggled badly today, such as JP Morgan and Apple. All rally and sell-off attempts of late have failed for want of a follow-through to the initial move. The bears failed to get the job done following Friday’s Dubai led set-up plunge, and thus the bulls had an open window to land today’s rally.
Whether or not the rally will prove itself meaningful, rather than just a set-up to another yin-yang reversal day, depends on the presence or absence of a meaningful follow-through. With JP Morgan and Apple joining other former leaders now in clear corrective mode, odds continues to predict a bear victory the most likely outcome.
401K investors should be invested in a money market fund.
Kevin Wilde, Chief Trading Strategist AlphaKing.com.