Ken flagg's Blog Posts Tagged 'Summary:' (137)

Today's action was focused on the comments from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. During his press conference, Mr. Draghi failed to announce new measures to help stem the European debt crisis. The S&P 500 quickly dropped to 1,360 and hovered around that level until the final hour of the session. During the final 60 minutes stocks were able to recover a portion of their losses, and the S&P 500 finished down 0.7%.…

SMF Notes Early Floor Talk: Drifting with modest losses

Futures are drifting with modest losses this morning (S&P futures -4, DJ futures -20), after paring overnight gains amid a pullback in the euro and some weaker data in Europe.

Futures were higher last night as Asian stocks showed gains (Nikkei +1.0%, Hang Seng +0.4%, Shanghai +0.2%).…

Stocks started 2012 on a strong note by scoring its best single-session percentage move in two weeks. The effort took the stock market to a two-month closing high... A lack of corporate news and domestic data ahead of the open left many market participants to take their cues from foreign averages. Buying abroad was backed by a manufacturing reading from China that suggested activity began to expand after it had contracted in the prior month. India also reported…

Stocks had looked like they would come rallying back from three straight losses, but the broad market's inability to overcome resistance in the early going prompted many participants to exit their positions. Stocks chopped along for the rest of the session and eventually settled with modest gains.

After watching the stock market descend more than 3% during the course of the past three sessions, buyers were finally…

 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…

SMF Notes CF CF Industries Showing Notable Strength (132.11 +98.01)

Fertilizer name CF Industries (CF +6.5%) is trading higher and is the best performing materials stock today. CF is also outperforming the rest of the fertilizer group (TNH +6.3%, MOS +4.0%, POT +4.2%, IPI +2.4%, AGU +3.5%). The stock has been trading with additional volatility compared to the rest of the fertilizer group, on both the upside and…

The major equity averages were up with big gains before broad selling pressure cut down stocks in afternoon action. A late bounce made for a better looking finish, though.

Stocks ended the prior session in weak fashion, but buyers came rushing back in this morning. Their interest was stirred by news that Germany gave its support to the expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility, which is aimed at…

 Stocks Slip, but Still Score Third Straight Gain

The Dow ended the day with a gain of almost 150 points, but that is actually only half of what it had sported just a couple of hours prior to the close... Stocks got a nice pop at the open as market participants took their cues from Europe, where the major bourses bounced to gains that ranged from 4% to almost 6% amid hope that plans are being crafted to help restore…

- Moody's downgrades Soc Gen and Credit Ag; Europe rallies back from a lower opening

The world equity markets are mixed right now, but trading started off much worse. The Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo took a hard stance against the world's economies stating they should cut deficits and create jobs as opposed to relying on China to bail them out. Japan opened higher and drifted lower as their day progressed. In Europe,…

An improved tone abroad brought buyers back into the fold today. Support was unwavering.

News that a German court rejected a lawsuit to prevent Germany from participating in European Union bailouts helped several of Europe's bourses rally between 3% and 4% after they had suffered a series of steep losses that left them deep in bear market territory. The notion that Germany, Europe's most robust and diverse…

Better-than-expected domestic manufacturing data gave stocks a boost in the early going, but resistance triggered selling pressure that eventually intensified amid a weakened financial sector.

The first few minutes of trade lacked leadership. Participants were taking into account the latest initial jobless claims tally, which totaled 409,000. That was in stride with the 407,000 claims that had been widely…

Market Makes It Two In A Row

Despite a lack of leadership amid choppy action, stocks still scored varied gains on Friday. That gave the stock market its first back-to-back advance in three weeks.

After the prior session's surge, which was the stock market's second best single-session surge since March 2009, broad market stock futures traded with moderate gains. Big…

SMF Notes Market Update: Major Averages Sport 1% Gains

Market participants have become buyers after watching stocks fall for three straight sessions. Their interest has been helped by news that China, a driving force in the global economic recovery, generated stronger-than-expected GDP growth during the second quarter. That news helped many of Asia's major market averages rally back from the steep losses suffered…

 This week we've seen notable insider buying in the following stocks:

Genomic Health (GHDX) Director/10% owner Baker Bros. bought 181,693 shares at $27.04-27.48 on 5/27-6/1, worth ~$5.0 mln

Texas Industries (TXI) 10% owner/Longleaf Partners bought 117,259 shares at $39.48-40.88 on 5/26-5/31, worth ~$4.7 mln

Cincinnati…

Stocks ended the day with modest losses after a half-hearted attempt to rebound from the prior session's drop failed in the early going. The decline keeps stocks at monthly lows... Traders showed some buying interest this morning as markets abroad steadied and the dollar drifted lower. However, their lack of conviction quickly became apparent when they failed to defend early gains as stocks began to lose direction and then drift lower... Most of the major…

Stocks settled with solid gains after spending the first part of the session mired near the neutral line. Natural resource plays provided leadership as commodities kicked higher.

An initially positive tone ahead of the open this morning was offset as Europe's major bourses moved lower amid concerns that Greece may need more bailout funding. The country's flagging finances earned its debt another downgrade by…

A pleasing payrolls report supported a positive tone among participants on the first anniversary of the "flash crash." Stocks responded by climbing more than 1%, but a loss of momentum left them to drift lower in afternoon trade.

The S&P 500 fell in each of this week's first four sessions for a cumulative loss of close to 2%, but buyers were brought back into the action by news that nonfarm payrolls climbed by…