November 2011 Blog Posts (18)

Energy: Crude oil closed higher by 1.6% at $99.79 per barrel. Heightened tensions between Iran and the West helped futures trade back above the $100 level. Futures notched highs at $100.15 in early afternoon trade but pulled back from those highs heading into the close. Natural gas gained 3.2% to finish at $3.63 per MMBtu. Futures rebounded following yesterday's sizeable selloff... Metals: It was a relatively uneventful session for the precious metals. Gold…

Black Friday Boasts $816 Million in U.S. Online Holiday Spending, Up 26 Percent vs. Year Ago

comScore reported U.S. retail e-commerce spending for the first 25 days of the November -- December 2011 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $12.7 billion has been spent online, marking a 15-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. Black Friday ( November 25 ) saw $816 million in online sales,…

Shorts include: AGQ, BIB, BIS, BZQ, CMD, DDM, DIG, DUG, DXD, EET, EEV, EFO, EFU, EPV, EWV, EZJ, FXP, GLL, JPX, LTL, MVV, MZZ, PST, QID, QLD, QQQ, REW, ROM, RXD, RXL, SAA, SCC, SCO, SDD, SDK, SDOW, SDP, SDS, SFK, SIJ, SJF, SJH, SJL, SKF, SKK, SMDD, SMK, SMN, SPXU, SRS, SRTY, SSG, SSO, SZK, TBT, TLL, TQQQ, SQQQ, TWM, TWQ, UBR, UBT, UCC, UCD, UCO, UDOW, UGE, UGL, UKF, UKK, UKW, UMDD, UMX, UPRO, UPV, UPW, URE, URTY, USD, UST, UVG, UVT, UVU, UWC, UWM, UXI,…

AA Alcoa Stock and Options Trading Videos

AAPL Apple Computers Stock and Options Trading Videos

ADBE Adobe…

In July 2008, WTI crude traded as high as $147.00 a barrel. This high price of crude at that time was straw that broke the camels back. Many traders and investors believe that the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was the catalyst for the 2008 stock market crash, however, the high energy prices really started that sharp decline in the economy. This morning, spot crude is trading at $101.69 a barrel while the major stock indexes are all declining lower.



Is crude…

GMCR, SPLS, LRCX, WYNN, SNDK, RIMM, ADSK, CTXS, & KLAC top the % gainers; ATVI, TEVA, CELG, GRMN, & VRTX weaker in a strong tape today; NASDAQ TRIN bullish @ 0.51; NASDAQ A/D +3.5:1

Today's Market Focus

•December 10-year T-notes this morning are down -11.5 ticks. T-note prices yesterday climbed to a 1-month high and finished with moderate gains on concern…

Morning Call for Thursday, November 10, 2011

Overnight Developments…

 Stocks Score Strong Finish for Second Straight Session

Stocks overcame morning selling pressure to stage a steady advance that continued into the close, giving stocks substantial gains. The move was broad based, but for the most part financials led the way... Market participants bid stocks higher in the opening minutes of trade, but sentiment soured before long. Subsequent selling pressure came as traders shrugged…

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou agreed to step down to allow the creation of a national unity government that will secure international financing and avert a collapse of the country’s economy.

Papandreou met with Antonis Samaras, leader of the main opposition party, and agreed to form a government intended to lead Greece “to elections immediately after the implementation of European Council decisions on…

The following are this week's top 20 percentage gainers and top 20 percentage losers, categorized by sectors (over $300 mln market cap and 100K average daily volume).

This week's top 20 % gainers

Technology: SIFY (4.94 +30.93%), LEAP (8.84 +26.6%), RATE (20.58 +21.56%), QTM (2.82 +20.43%), IDT (13.31 +19.15%), VHC (22.15 +19.13%), ALSK (7.7 +18.97%), DMD (7.76…

Morning Quotes (ET) Last Chg %chg Updated

US Stock Futures

S&P (Globex) (Z1) 1226.10 -23.20 -1.86% 7:15:00 AM

DJIA (CBOT) (Z1) 11751 -146 -1.23% 7:14:02 AM

 

European Stocks

Europe…

•December 10-year T-notes this morning are up +27 ticks. T-note prices yesterday stayed firm the entire day and settled sharply higher on increased safe-haven demand as stocks plummeted and as Japan intervened in the currency market to sell yen, which fueled speculation Japan may take its dollar proceeds from the yen sales and buy Treasuries: TYZ11 +31, FVZ11 +17.5, EDH12 -0.5. Bullish factors included (1) increased safe-haven demand for Treasuries after global…

•December S&Ps this morning are trading down by -23.20 points. The US stock market yesterday settled sharply lower on concern European leaders will struggle to raise funds to contain the region's debt crisis along weaker-than-expected U.S. manufacturing data: Dow Jones -2.26%, S&P 500 -2.47%, Nasdaq Composite -1.93%. Bearish factors included (1) carry-over weakness from a slide in European stocks on concern indebted nations will struggle to raise funds…

•Global stocks this morning are sliding with the Euro Stoxx 50 down -2.88% and Dec S&Ps down -23.20 points. Treasuries and the dollar rallied, while commodities tumbled after Greek Prime Minister Papandreou pledged to hold a referendum on Europe's bailout plan for Greece, which risks pushing the country into default if voter's reject the EU's financial accord. The euro fell to a 1-1/2 week low against the dollar, credit default swaps to insure European…

•Global stocks this morning are sliding with the Euro Stoxx 50 down -2.88% and Dec S&Ps down -23.20 points. Treasuries and the dollar rallied, while commodities tumbled after Greek Prime Minister Papandreou pledged to hold a referendum on Europe's bailout plan for Greece, which risks pushing the country into default if voter's reject the EU's financial accord. The euro fell to a 1-1/2 week low against the dollar, credit default swaps to insure European…