Investors 411 Blog

Jobs Jobs Jobs

The Jobs report comes out at 8:30 EST this AM. Right now there seems to be no end in sight for job losses MSNBC story .  Jobs are central to how fast and how deep the recession progresses. Current unemployment stands at 6.7% and consensus figures have this rate rising to 8% by years end. Layoffs are going to grow. Its one thing to know this and another to live through it. -525,000 jobs and 7% rate are the expected numbers

Waiting for announcement… and the number is -524,000 and unemployment rate at 7.2% – a huge 0.5% increase in just one month. Last two months revised down add to the +0.5 increase. Total job loss for 2008 was 2.6 million.

Bad, but could have been worse. Probably will not negatively impact stocks because the private ADP report earlier this week was much worse. (see previous Updates) Major question – will this 524k number get revised downward at the next report. Sure looks like we will reach 8% sooner rather than later.

Imagine This

What if Bush plan to tie social security to the stock market had passed? How much worse off we’d all be now – especially seniors.

23 Electric Cars of the Future

Treehugger.com has a photo and well referenced presentation of 23 electric cars. You can skim through the presentation or follow some of their links – LINK

Project Better Place

This Israeli company just keeps growing. Better Place has introduced an entire electric car system and its partners include Renault, Nissan and A123 Systems. They are launching systems in Israel, Denmark, Australia and Hawaii. A123 has applied for $1.84 billion in loans to build its lithium ion battery plant in the USA.

Good Economic News

Everywhere you turn you get the bad news – Let’s focus on some positives.

#1 Oil prices have fallen from $140 to $40 a barrel
#2 Mortgage rates are now at or near all time lows (30 year fixed – 5.01% and 15 year down near 4.70%)
#3 We have the mother of all stimulus plans about to be launched.
#4 An administration that is less likely to waste $ in Iraq and pork spending.

Stocks.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

Headline – Job’s Report

Index % Change Volume

Dow -0.32% down
NASDQ +1.12% down
S&P500 +0.34% down
Russell2000 +0.91% –

italics = same comments as yesterday.

US Market & Foreign Markets

Technicals – Major US markets were mixed yesterday as volume fell. Markets did well despite Wal Mart and Intel coming out with negative news. The Dow is at 8742 almost exactly midway between its consolidation range – 8500 to 9000.

Bottom Line – The jobs news is going to impact markets at 8:40 this AM (see above). However yesterday US markets held up pretty well despite some bad economic news.

Chart of the benchmark S&P 500

Chart of the Russell 2000

Chart of the NASDQ

Chart of the Dow

Fundamentals – See above editorial. ADP numbers take investors by surprise. 8% unemployment seemed built into stocks, but the rapidness of the decline has caught everyone with their pants down.

Obama Rally = HOPE A whole bunch of stimulus that has already been thrown at stocks, plus the composition of Obama’s economic team & his proposed stimulus package.
Earnings season begins in a week.

Forecasting Future Trends

The following is a group of indexes that are all interrelated and strongly influence how stocks moves. At different times one index may be more influential than the other.

LIBOR – LIBOR is the rate banks charge each other. It price has fallen from 3.4% three months ago to about 1.40% (good news for stocks)

LIBOR chart (3 month)

Treasuries – T Bills yields show how fearful investors are. The lower the rate the more the fear. Short term yields – 3 month fell to 0.04% and longer term 10 year fell to 2.44% (low yields show fearfull investors flooding to Treasuries instead of stocks)

Treasury Bonds chart

Baltic Dry Index – Measures flow of goods between countries. Yesterday it rose 4% yesterday. Almost 90% drop since June.

BDI chart

Strategy and Recommended Sectors (Listed below)

Buy the dips.

US Indexes (ETF’s) – Buy the ETF that go long when there is a 5 to 10% drop in the Dow and short of sell them when prices rise. Volatility is he recognizable trend and shorter term traders shout
use it.

Emerging Markets – China (FXI) technically is the best play. China is economically better off than the USA – Better growth and less debt. Brazil (EWZ) Solid economy – tied to oil and alternative energy (sugar cain ethanol). If/when the US recovers Brazil will outperform, but right now more volatile than US stocks.

Alternative energy – (GEX &PBW) These two market baskets of alternative energy stocks should outperform because of Obama’s economic stimulus plan.

Gold – (GLD) Technically still in a negative pattern, but fundamentally countries are devaluing their currencies and printing money. This should keep gold prices high. If gold can break out of its trading pattern is could explode higher.

Short Term Outlook

Reading the Tea Leaves-

PANIC STILL RULES the credit markets and trade markets
Without credit (treasury bills/bonds) and goods (BDI) flowing, a long term stock rally is unlikely.

Strategy – Shorting rallies to protect gains is working. (see below) Until we some light at the end of the recession tunnel VOLATILITY continues to be the most predictable major stock market trend. Obama rally (stimulus package) is holding up equities right now.

Best guess – We should again challenge 9000 next week.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

Long Term Outlook – BEARS RULE

Changes to Bottom Line Section Bolded

Technicals – Series of Lower Lows and Lower Highs = Bears Rule. Obama/stimulus rally phase 2 is underway. Technical Range for 2009 – 7449 (low) and 9654.- This is a wild guess. Any sustained move above Dow 9650 is bullish.

Fundamentals – Financial transparency problem is far far far far far far far far far bigger than anyone thought. It’s looks like the recession will last through 2009 – perhaps longer Hopes of a more competent Obama administration have rallied stocks.

Asset Allocation/Recommended Sectors (long term)

50% to 90% Cash – Long Term Investors (up to 15 to 25+% stocks – only buy big dips) Wait for the next big dip to add 5 to 10%
Be Cautious and PROTECT YOUR MONEY (use ETF’s that short major indexes) when stocks have a big rally

*5%+ Emerging Markets
EWZ (Brazil) should out perform other emerging markets in a rally and under perform in a fall – highest risk and dependent on oil prices
FXI (China ETF) should outperform USA

*5%+ Alternative Energy
GEX(Alternative energy ETF) Obama administration will focus on this area

*5+% Gold
GLD is the ETF for gold-

Chief Strategy – Buy the DIPS of trending sector – This is not your father’s buy and hold market – over the 8 Bush years the Dow has gone from 11,000 to 9000 and huge uncertainty clouds the future.

The major trend now is volatility.

Traders who have a strong tolerance for risk jump in on dips and invest more. Sell and/or go short into major rallies. Long term Investors who can tolerate risk and are 100% in cash nibble just a little on big dips. (5% on each big dip) Do not buy into rallies.

Shorting – Three ETF that short 2x what the major indexes do.

TWM – ultra short Russell 2000
QID – ultra short NASDQ
SDS – ultra short S&P 500

As Always Do Your Own Research Before Investing

On Friday the government’s employment numbers for last month will be published. ADP National Employment numbers (a private group) yesterday released a figure of 693,000 jobs lost in December. This is way up from the 500,000+ jobs lost in November. There was a huge jump in the number of lost service sector jobs. After US markets closed Monster’s Online job’s Index echoed the ADP estimates. CNBC (financial channel) story on job loss figures.

8% job loss seems to be the figure economists are projecting for the future. The frightening aspect of the ADP #s are how fast the job loss is growing.

Jobs are perhaps the most crucial component of the whole financial mess. One significant result – The bigger the job loss the less the ability to pay mortgages = more defaults = lower home prices.

Economic Outlook 2009 and beyond

The Financial Times today has an editorial by Nouriel Roubini, the economist who definitively and accurately predicted the whole financial meltdown titled "Warning: More Doom Ahead "

The last 1/2 of this editorial clearly sets out the enormity of the problem and outlines the credit bubbles that have yet to burst. Roubini does end on a relatively positive note.

"Thanks to the radical actions of the G-7 and others, the risk of a total systemic financial meltdown has been reduced. But unfortunately, the worst is not behind us. This will be a painful year. Only very aggressive, coordinated, and effective action by policymakers will ensure that 2010 will not be even worse than 2009 is likely to be."

Tomorrow

Will go over recommended ETF positions instead of focusing on credit and trade market flows (BDI & Treasury bonds)

Stocks.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

Headline – Jobs Jobs Jobs

Index % Change Volume

Dow -2.72% up
NASDQ -3.23% down
S&P500 -3.00% down
Russell2000 -3.42% –

italics = same comments as yesterday.

US Market & Foreign Markets

Technicals – Just when technical factors seemed to be on the brink of another upside move some sobering fundamental numbers on JOBS spoil the party. Technically volume was not a forecasting factor in the significant price drop. Volume figures were mixed and a bit below average.

Bottom Line – If we can hold onto gains this week, another leg higher is very possible. Next major resistance level is around Dow 9650. See charts.

Chart of the benchmark S&P 500

Chart of the Russell 2000

Chart of the NASDQ

Chart of the Dow

Fundamentals – See above editorial. ADP numbers take investors by surprise. 8% unemployment seemed built into stocks, but the rapidness of the decline has caught everyone with their pants down.

Obama Rally = HOPE A whole bunch of stimulus that has already been thrown at stocks, plus the composition of Obama’s economic team & his proposed stimulus package.
Earnings season begins in a week.

Three Month Treasury Bill & LIBOR

Credit markets are the dog and the Stock Markets are the tail. Without credit the tail won’t wag.

Real progress is being made . LIBOR continues to fall 3.4% two months ago to about 1.40% LIBOR rates have fallen significantly and leveled off inthe last few days. LIBOR is the rate banks charge each other, not businesses. Some credit cards, loans and mortgages are tied to LIBOR so this is good news. Some credit cards & mortgage rates are tied to Fed prime rate.

LIBOR chart (3 month)

Treasury Bonds

The 3 month T Bill fell to 0.07% Shorter term yields fell. Longer term rose yields rose. The 30 year T bond rate is just above 3%. .
Fearful investors are putting their money in Treasury bonds for 3 months to 30 years, they are NOT investing in stocks. Investors are willing to pay an unbelievably low 2.47% for a ten year treasury bond.

Yields keep falling = Continued deterioration of credit market. Low Yields = There is simply NO confidence in the credit markets PANIC STILL RULES

Baltic Dry Index

The Baltic Dry Index is a forward looking indicator that measures pre production materials that are shipped around the world. For better definition see LINK
Bloomberg data and chart LINK (If the link does not work Google – bloomberg baltic dry index) Set range indicator to one month and you will see this chart.

BDI rose yesterday (+almost 2%) to 789 We have had a significant rally off the lows of @660 three weeks ago week.

Long term picture The BDI had seen an almost 90% loss since June. It seems, a least for a week international trade has picked up but has again begun to slowly fall. These shipping figures confirm world wide recession.

Short Term Outlook

Reading the Tea Leaves-

PANIC STILL RULES the credit markets and trade markets

Without credit (treasury bills/bonds) and goods (BDI) flowing, a long term stock rally is unlikely.

Strategy - Volatility rules and a 6+% move higher in the Dow is a big move in a week. Personally, will start adding some SHORT positions to protect the gains of last week. The higher we go the more short positions.

Shorting rallies to protect gains is working. Until we some light at the end of the recession tunnel VOLATILITY continues to be the most predictable major stock market trend.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

Long Term Outlook – BEARS RULE

Changes to Bottom Line Section Bolded

Technicals – Series of Lower Lows and Lower Highs = Bears Rule. Obama/stimulus rally phase 2 is underway. Technical Range for 2009 – 7449 (low) and 9654.- This is a wild guess. Any sustained move above Dow 9650 is bullish.

Fundamentals – Financial transparency problem is far far far far far far far far far bigger than anyone thought. It’s looks like the recession will last through 2009 – perhaps longer Hopes of a more competent Obama administration have rallied stocks.

Asset Allocation/Recommended Sectors (long term)

50% to 90% Cash – Long Term Investors (up to 15 to 25+% stocks – only buy big dips) Wait for the next big dip to add 5 to 10%
Be Cautious and PROTECT YOUR MONEY (use ETF’s that short major indexes) when stocks have a big rally

*5+% US Index Funds
UWM (ETF that does 2x what Russell 2000 does) & QLD (ETF that does 2X the NASDQ ) DDM (ETF that does 2X the Dow ) SSO (ETF does 2X the S&P 500)

*5%+ Emerging+3 Markets
EWZ (Brazil) should out perform other emerging markets in a rally and under perform in a fall – highest risk and dependent on oil prices
FXI (China ETF) should outperform USA

*5%+ Alternative Energy
GEX(Alternative energy ETF) Obama administration will focus on this area

*5+% Gold
GLD is the ETF for gold-

Chief Strategy – Buy the DIPS of trending sector – This is not your father’s buy and hold market – over the 8 Bush years the Dow has gone from 11,000 to 9000 and huge uncertainty clouds the future.

The major trend now is volatility.

Traders who have a strong tolerance for risk jump in on dips and invest more. Sell and/or go short into major rallies. Long term Investors who can tolerate risk and are 100% in cash nibble just a little on big dips. (5% on each big dip) Do not buy into rallies.

Shorting – Three ETF that short 2x what the major indexes do.

TWM – ultra short Russell 2000
QID – ultra short NASDQ
SDS – ultra short S&P 500

As Always Do Your Own Research Before Investing

2009 Call

This is not your father’s "Buy and Hold" market . 2008 huge losses and the unpredictability of the future shows no safe trends except volatility. Therefore, we can use volatility as an investment tool until some clear longer term patterns become established. This does mean you have to pay more attention. After stocks rally (Dow +5 to 10%) buy an ETF that shorts to protect your gains.

The range prediction in the Bottom Line section is between the 2008 low 7449 and the November high of 9654 . This is just a wild guess based on technical factors. Volatility could easily move stock prices above and below these levels.

Tomorrow we will go over specific sector (ETF’s) to invest in and why.

2009 Economic Problems

Investors basically look 6 months into the future and if they see signs or have confidence that the situation will improve then they will start investing again. This is not going to happen quickly because many have had close to 40% of their portfolio’s wiped out and there are some dark clouds on the horizon. Here’s a list of some of those clouds.

#1 – Financials/Banks are still over leveraged. There is easily over $10 trillion of over leveraged debt (credit default swaps) that has not been written off.
#2 – Transparency – There is none. TARP has thrown money at banks, but there has been no accountability.
#2 – Mortgages – The number of people defaulting on mortgages is going to grow and overall housing prices continue to decline.
#4 – Unemployment rises – It looks like the unemployment figures will reach 8+% this year.
#5 – This mess took decades to create, it will not be solved overnight.
#6 – Clearly recession is a worldwide problem. This could lead to more problems like protectionism and sink us further into a hole.
#7 – We entered this disaster with both a huge trade and federal deficit.

The good news is that stocks have fallen a long way and many of these factors are in some ways built into equity prices. Technically it does look like stocks have made a bottom around Dow 7500.

Like Tinkerbell believed in Pete Pan you have to believe in Obama’s economic approach and your fellow Americans for an economic recovery. The "free market"/Ayn Rand zealots that lead us into this disaster could easily again take control. Critical to all of this is a housing recovery. China relative stability and continued growth could help lead us out of this mess.

Back to Politics Tomorrow

Stocks.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

Headline – Obama Rally Part 2

Index % Change Volume

Dow -0.91% up
NASDQ -0.26% up
S&P500 -0.47% up
Russell2000 -0.16% –

italics = same comments as yesterday.

US Market & Foreign Markets

Technicals – After a rally, when markets basically go nowhere and volume increases, the end result is usually a reversal of trend. Technically what’s happening is the bulls and the bears are having a big fight at the Dow 9000 resistance level and one side is going to run out of troops (the increased volume) More often than not the trend reverses because the (in this case) the bulls used up so many troops (buyers) to get to the resistance level.

Bottom Line – today is significant because it will probably set the pattern for the next few days. We have in the last month established a range between @ Dow 8500 and 9000. Both the 8500 support and 9000 resistance have held.

If we can hold onto gains this week, another leg higher is very possible. Next major resistance level is around Dow 9650. See charts.

Chart of the benchmark S&P 500

Chart of the Russell 2000

Chart of the NASDQ

Chart of the Dow

Fundamentals-

Obama Rally = HOPE A whole bunch of stimulus that has already been thrown at stocks, plus the composition of Obama’s economic team & his proposed stimulus package.
Earnings season begins in a weak or two and usually the next week or two warnings impact stocks.

Three Month Treasury Bill & LIBOR

Credit markets are the dog and the Stock Markets are the tail. Without credit the tail won’t wag.

Real progress is being made. LIBOR continues to fall 3.4% two months ago to about 1.42% LIBOR rates have fallen significantly. LIBOR is the rate banks charge each other, not businesses. Some credit cards, loans and mortgages are tied to LIBOR so this is good news. Some credit cards & mortgage rates are tied to Fed prime rate.

LIBOR chart (3 month)

Treasury Bonds

The 3 month T Bill fell to 0.04% Shorter term yields fell. Longer term rose yields rose. The 30 year T bond rate is back above 3%. Slow but moving in right direction.
Fearful investors are putting their money in Treasury bonds for 3 months to 30 years, they are NOT investing in stocks. Investors are willing to pay an unbelievably low 2.48% for a ten year treasury bond.

Yields keep falling = Continued deterioration of credit market. Low Yields = There is simply NO confidence in the credit markets PANIC RULES

Baltic Dry Index

The Baltic Dry Index is a forward looking indicator that measures pre production materials that are shipped around the world. For better definition see LINK
Bloomberg data and chart LINK (If the link does not work Google – bloomberg baltic dry index) Set range indicator to one month and you will see this chart.

BDI flatted yesterday (-1) to 772 We have had a significant rally off the lows of @660 three weeks ago week.

Long term picture The BDI had seen an almost 90% loss since June. It seems, a least for a week international trade has picked up but has again begun to slowly fall. These shipping figures confirm world wide recession.

Short Term Outlook

Reading the Tea Leaves-

PANIC STILL RULES the credit markets.

Without credit and goods (BDI) flowing a long term stock rally is unlikely. However, Dow 9654 is a possibility. That is the number the Dow reached on around election day. The Obama stimulus plan (hope) dominates the investment news. "Buy the rumor and sell the news" is an old Wall Street axiom. Despite a technical breather the tea leaves indicate that we rally till the stimulus pakage becomes apparent.

Strategy – Volatility rules and a 6+% move higher in the Dow is a big move in a week. Personally will start adding some SHORT positions to protect the gains of last week. The higher we go the more short positions.

AS ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE INVESTING

Long Term Outlook – BEARS RULE

Changes to Bottom Line Section Bolded

Technicals – Series of Lower Lows and Lower Highs = Bears Rule. Obama/stimulus rally phase 2 is underway. Technical Range for 2009 – 7449 (low) and 9654.- This is a wild guess . Any sustained move above Dow 9650 is bullish.

Fundamentals – Financial transparency problem is far far far far far far far far far bigger than anyone thought. It’s looks like the recession will last through 2009 – perhaps longer Hopes of a more competent Obama administration have rallied stocks.

Asset Allocation/Recommended Sectors (long term)

50% to 90% Cash – Long Term Investors (up to 15 to 25+% stocks – only buy big dips) Wait for the next big dip to add 5 to 10%
Be Cautious and PROTECT YOUR MONEY (use ETF’s that short major indexes) when stocks have a big rally

*5-10% +% US Index Funds
UWM (ETF that does 2x what Russell 2000 does) & QLD (ETF that does 2X the NASDQ ) DDM (ETF that does 2X the Dow ) SSO (ETF does 2X the S&P 500)

*5%+ Emerging Markets
EWZ (Brazil) should out perform other emerging markets in a rally and under perform in a fall – highest risk and dependent on oil prices
FXI (China ETF) should outperform USA

*5%+ Alternative Energy
GEX(Alternative energy ETF) Obama administration will focus on this area

*5+% Gold
GLD is the ETF for gold-

Chief Strategy – Buy the DIPS of trending sector – This is not your father’s buy and hold market – over the 8 Bush years the Dow has gone from 11,000 to 9000 and huge uncertainty clouds the future.

The major trend now is volatility.

Traders who have a strong tolerance for risk jump in on dips and invest more. Sell and/or go short into major rallies. Long term Investors who can tolerate risk and are 100% in cash nibble just a little on big dips. (5% on each big dip) Do not buy into rallies.

Shorting – Three ETF that short 2x what the major indexes do.

TWM – ultra short Russell 2000
QID – ultra short NASDQ
SDS – ultra short S&P 500

As Always Do Your Own Research Before Investing