Weekly StatSheet For The ETF/No Load Fund Tracker Newsletter – Updated Through 04/11/2013

Ulli ETF StatSheet Contact

ETF/Mutual Fund Data updated through Thursday, April 11, 2013

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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

The domestic 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 Trend Tracking Index (TTI—green line in above chart) has bounced off its long term trend line (red) by +4.22% as part of the post election rebound.

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 line to the downside. Be sure to tune into my blog for the latest updates.

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Retailers And Jobless Claims Helped Push Major Market ETFs To Higher Ground

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Thur pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

The market continued its rally to a fourth day after struggling for direction earlier in the session. Two of the three major stock indexes pushed further into record high ground. The Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 rose 0.4% each. They were up as much as 0.6% apiece. The Nasdaq was only fractionally higher.

The market opened with an early boost from a larger-than-expected drop in weekly jobless claims. According to Labor Department, jobless claims dipped by 42,000 (or 11%) to 346,000 in the week ended April 6, from a revised 388,000. The median forecast of 49 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a drop to 360,000. Based on these numbers, a slowdown in hiring last month may have been temporary, easing concern the labor market was taking a turn for the worse. A surprising turn in better sales from retailers also gave investors more encouragement.

19 out of 24 industries in the S&P 500 gained. Retailers jumped the second most, rallying 1.4 percent. On the opposite side, The S&P Information Technology Index dropped 0.8 percent, after the biggest jumped since January yesterday. Personal- computer shipments plummeted in every region of the world in the first quarter as buyers opted for smartphones and tablet and Microsoft’s Windows 8 met with weak demand. Global PC unit shipments fell 14 percent. Makers of computer hardware and software fell sharply. Hewlett-Packard dropped 6 percent, Microsoft fell 5 percent and Intel 2 percent.

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Another Wild Run On The Street As The Bull Hits New Records

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Wed pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

Stocks were off to the races Wednesday, as the S&P 500 marched to its highest level ever. Markets climbed 1 percent on Wednesday, with both the Dow and S&P 500 ending at historic highs as cyclical shares led the way higher for a second straight day.

The S&P 500 finally surged past the record set in Oct 2007, joining the new all-time intraday high club. The index has struggled to breach the level of 1,576.09 for the past several weeks, but surpassed above it on Wednesday to rally as high as 1,589.07. The Dow also hit another intraday milestone, rising as high as 14,826.66.

All 10 industries in the S&P 500 advanced. Buying was focused in the tech and health-care sectors as they surged 1.8 percent. The S&P 500 and Dow rose 1.2 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively. In another encouraging sign, data showed NYSE and Nasdaq volume in the stock market today was higher than Tuesday’s levels. However, it remained below the daily average so far this year of about 6.36 billion shares.

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7 ETF Model Portfolios You Can Use – Updated through 4/9/2013

Ulli Model ETF Portfolios Contact

In regards to the S&P 500, it was a slow week with the index mainly hovering below its unchanged line but in the end it gave back only 1 point since the last ETF Model Portfolio report.

There has definitely been a slowdown in upward momentum in regards to equity indexes but our model portfolios all gained as the market pullback supported some of the bond positions. YTD it’s been equities that have taken the limelight and gold turned out to be the loser, at least to this moment in time.

Right now, the focus is on the upcoming earnings season, and it would not surprise me to see the indexes head further north based on the motto of this year that bad news is good news and good news is good news, which is one of those results you get when you live in a centrally planned market environment.

Sure, it makes me wonder how long this can go on, but as trend followers we don’t concern ourselves with the answer, since no one has it anyway, but we’ll simply continue to track the trends and let our sell stops provide the answer as to when it’s time to get out.

In the meantime, here is the latest update for our Model ETF Portfolios, which you can use based on your risk tolerance:

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Market Heads North Close To Record High While Economy Continues South

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Tue pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

Stocks surged on Tuesday, with the Dow closing at a record high on a rally in cyclical shares and as earnings season started to heat up. The S&P 500 hit an intraday high of 1,573.89, just below its October 2007 intraday high of 1,576; which is a nice recovery from the losses last week.

Investors are eying the start of earnings season and firm economic readings from overseas. Energy and materials were top performers, drawing support from Chinese inflation that slowed more than expected. Gold settled at its highest level in more than a week; crude oil rose on global supply concerns.

There is clear sign that investors are using market declines as buying opportunities, as the markets return to near-record levels. Stocks got a boost from a promising start to the earnings season. According to Thomson Reuters, about 5 percent of S&P 500 companies have reported results so far, almost three-quarters of them have topped expectations.

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Index ETFs Are Back To Winning Ways; Europe Rises On German Data

Ulli Market Commentary Contact

Mon pic

[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]

The major index ETFs advanced Monday, shedding early losses as investors grew optimistic first quarter earnings would help equities rebound from their biggest weekly decline of the year.  The gains were modest as buyers came in because they needed/wanted additional exposure in equities.

Federal reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to address a conference in Atlanta after today’s close, with investors looking for hints as to how long the central bank intends to continue its easing policies.

After sliding 67 points, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) finished 48 points higher. The trend turned positive with 21 of the 30 components within the blue-chip index finishing higher for the day, led by Bank of America Corp and Coca Cola Co.

The S&P 500 Index (SPX) rose 10 points with consumer stocks gaining the most. Nine of the 10 business groups within the benchmark index advanced with telecommunications being the sole laggard.

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