Weekly StatSheet For The ETF/No Load Fund Tracker Newsletter – Updated Through 05/22/2014

Ulli ETF StatSheet Contact

ETF/Mutual Fund Data updated through Thursday, May 22, 2014

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If you are not familiar with some of the terminology used, please see the Glossary of Terms.

 

1. DOMESTIC EQUITY MUTUAL FUNDS/ETFs: BUY — since 10/25/2011

TTI

Our main directional indicator, the Domestic Trend Tracking Index (TTI), broke through its long-term trend line generating a Sell for this area effective 8/9/2011. Over the recent past, we’ve seen the TTI hovering slightly below and above this dividing line between bullish and bearish territory. The clear break to the upside occurred on 10/24/11 and, effective 10/25/11, a new Buy signal for domestic equities went into effect.

As of today, our TTI (green line in above chart) is positioned above its long term trend line (red) by +2.61%.

To avoid a potential whip-saw, a Sell signal to move out of all domestic equity positions will be generated once we have clearly pierced the red line to the downside. Be sure to tune in for the latest updates.

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Biotech Gives Pop To Nasdaq; New Data On China’s Manufacturing

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Thur pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

1. Moving The Markets

The stock market opened full steam ahead on Thursday and showed no signs of a pullback. The Nasdaq led index gains today up 0.55%, while the S&P rose 0.21% and the Dow squeezed out a 0.06% increase. The Nasdaq was propelled upwards today by a surge in biotech stocks. The Nasdaq biotech index (^NBI) showed a 1.9% increase, as notable ‘momentum’ names like Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) and Alexion (ALXN) posted substantial gains.

Among the biggest variables influencing the markets this year have been uncertainty over when U.S. growth will accelerate and concern that China’s growth is slowing. Well, we received an update today that China’s manufacturing contraction eased in May, as HSBC’s preliminary purchasing managers’ index rose to 49.7 from 48.1 in April. Numbers above 50 on the 100-point scale indicate expansion.

Elsewhere on the earnings front, electronics seller Best Buy (BBY) says its quarterly earnings were $1.31 per share, a turnaround from a loss of 24 cents per share a year earlier.  Positive earnings announcements from Dollar Tree (DLTR) and other retailers also helped lift the market higher today.

Our 10 ETFs in the Spotlight edged up as well with 9 of them showing green numbers YTD.

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Markets Back On Top Across The Board

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Wed pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

1. Moving The Markets

Major U.S. stock indexes mounted a solid comeback today; recovering their losses from the prior day and seeing the Dow log its largest gain in five weeks. As the chart above shows, all major indices gained nicely.

We heard the latest Fed minutes today, but surprisingly there was little reaction from investors, most likely because the minutes were in line with what had been expected; i.e. the economy is recovering but not enough to be considered ‘strong growth’.

Retail stocks, which were a big drag on the markets yesterday, shined bright like a diamond today with Tiffany & Co (TIF) jumping 9.1% after raising its full year profit forecast. After the steep drop in the sector yesterday, the retail sector gained back 1.2% today.

Investors will get a fresh batch of data on housing and the economy on Thursday, as well as earnings from Hewlett-Packard (HP), Best Buy (BBY) and Sears (SHLD), among others.

Our 10 ETFs in the Spotlight moved higher with 9 of them staying on the plus side YTD.

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Retail Numbers Drag Markets; MSFT Unveils Surface Pro 3…Are You Excited?

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Tue pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

1. Moving The Markets

Markets finished the day all covered in red, with the indexes retreating as the chart above shows. All 10 primary S&P 500 sector indexes fell, and nearly three-fourths of Nasdaq-listed names were down for the day.

Yesterday, I mentioned that there were still a few notable companies due for earnings reports this week. Well, Staples (SPLS) and TJX (TJX) reported today, and the results were disappointing to say the least; the effect of that news rippled across the broad spectrum of retail stocks and was responsible for pulling markets down today.

In the auto world, General Motors (GM) shares took a tumble after the company announced it is recalling another 2.6 million vehicles globally, raising the number of vehicles it has recalled so far this year to almost 15.4 million. And in tech news, Microsoft (MSFT) unveiled the Surface Pro 3 tablet at an event in New York today, as it attempts to fuel interest in its struggling tablet line amid increasing competition. The unveiling had little impact on the stock, which actually dropped 0.18% today.

Tomorrow, we will hear the latest Fed minutes, which should be interesting in that the U.S. economy remains forecast to continue growing.

Our 10 ETFs in the Spotlight slipped along with the indexes; 8 of them remain on the plus side YTD.

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Markets Respond Mixed To M&A News As Q1 Earnings Season Winds Down

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Mon pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

1. Moving The Markets

Stocks dwindled around breakeven for most of the day, but finished strong led by Internet stocks and mixed M&A success. All the major indexes closed higher as the chart above shows.

In M&A news, AstraZeneca (AZN) rejected yet another takeover bid from Pfizer (PFE). AstraZeneca rejected a revised £69 billion ($116 billion) bid from Pfizer, saying the U.S. company’s “final” offer is inadequate and would present significant risks for shareholders. The most recent offer would give AstraZeneca shareholders 26% of the merged company, indicating that there is a small window for a higher cash component. Pfizer has said though that the £55 per share bid is “final” and that it would not go hostile.

Shares of AT&T (T) also slumped today after the company’s $48.5 billion bid for satellite TV operator DirecTV (DTV) was rejected.

First quarter earnings season continues to wind down in the U.S. More than 90% of companies have posted results and profit gains among S&P 500 stocks are up just more than 2% from a year earlier, according to FactSet. Campbell Soup (CPB) experienced a 2.4% drop today after reporting weaker-than-expected quarterly sales and lowered its full-year revenue growth forecast. Home Depot (HD), TJX (TJX), Lowe’s (LOW), Target (TGT) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) are among notable companies slated to post results throughout the week.

Our 10 ETFs in the Spotlight edged higher although no new highs were made today; 9 of them currently remain on the plus side YTD.

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ETFs/Mutual Funds On The Cutline – Updated Through 05/16/2014

Ulli ETFs on the Cutline Contact

Below are the latest ETF Cutline reports, which show how far above or below their respective long-term trend lines (39 week SMA) my currently tracked ETFs/MFs are positioned.

The first report covers the ETF Master List from Thursday’s StatSheet and includes 398 ETFs, of which currently 338 (last week 338) are hovering in bullish territory.

The second report includes only High Volume ETFs. To clarify, High Volume (HV) ETFs are defined as those with an average daily volume of $10 million or higher.

These ETFs are generated from my selected list of some 97 that I use in my advisor practice. It cuts out the “noise,” which simply means it eliminates those ETFs that I would never buy because of their volume limitations. 81 ETFs (last week 81) have managed to remain in bullish territory after the recent market volatility.

The third report covers Mutual Funds on the Cutline. There are currently 591 (last week 587) above the line and 258 below it out of the 859 that I follow.

Take a look:

1. ETF Master Cutline Report     

2. ETF High Volume Cutline Report

3. MF Cutline Report

In case you are not familiar with some of the terminology used in the reports, please read the Glossary of Terms.

If you missed the original post about the Cutline approach, you can read it here.