Stock Market Commentary – 2010.07.20

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The stock market enters the Tuesday trade somewhat weak and poised for a move below the prior session’s lows. With the market also managing another new low for the move in the prior trading session, it is clear that the flow of earnings reports is not fully countervailing investor’s fears of slowing in the US economy. We think the market was hopeful that some form of fresh stimulus might be forth coming from Washington but instead the focus is on extending unemployment benefits. In an election year, votes apparently dominate over constructive thinking and therefore the only thing expected from Washington is more inefficient deficit spending. With IBM earnings failing to inspire the bull camp overnight and the trade already bracing for negative news from a US Housing starts and permits report the bear camp should be fairly confident. The bulls really need to see something positive from Goldman earnings or the erosion on the charts will continue to unfold. While upcoming earnings reports could prompt periodic support to stock prices, we seriously doubt the fears of a double dip recession are going to be put down until the Chairman of the Fed attempts some positive cheerleading on Wednesday. Fortunately for the bull camp, we still don’t detect a high level of anxiety in the marketplace, but we also don’t detect much in the way of optimism and that should allow the trend to remain down.

Earnings Reports Today
07/20 Apple, Inc. (AAPL)
07/20 Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD)
07/20 Linear Technology (LLTC)
07/20 Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions Inc (MDRX) after close
07/20 Altera Corp. (ALTR) after close
07/20 Seagate Technology (STX) after close
07/20 Yahoo, Inc. (YHOO) after close
07/20 Biogen Idec, Inc. (BIIB) before open
07/20 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) before open
07/20 Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) before open
07/20 PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) before open
07/20 TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation (AMTD) before open

S&P 500: The September S&P in the early action managed to forge another new low for the move and that would seem to suggest that the bear camp saw the earnings reports released after Monday’s close as bearish. Failing to get a lift off IBM earnings has to disappoint a large portion of the market as that company is usually a key bellwether issue. Technically the S&P appears to be poised for a slide to 1040.00 and perhaps even down to 1037.50. Somewhat surprisingly, the markets have continued to shake off potentially unnerving Euro zone events and that suggests that classic slowing fears in the US are the main focal point of many traders.

DOW: Seeing the IBM earnings come and go without a definitive lift in equities prices probably emboldens the bear camp. In fact, with another new low for the move seen overnight in the September Mini Dow, we have to give the bear camp a distinct edge, especially into the US scheduled data flows later this morning. Ultimately we see a downside target in the September Mini Dow down at 9,800 but a higher low around 9,930 could be seen if the housing numbers are mixed or countervailing later this morning. Until the Fed Chairman takes the stand in his semi annual testimony to Congress tomorrow, the headlines are likely to favor the bear camp.

NASDAQ: The Nasdaq appears to have found some value on the charts as it managed to reject a fresh new low for the move in the prior trading session. While IBM earnings didn’t seem to help the broad market overnight, it is possible that some tech sector shares found some supportive information in that earnings report. However, the inability to hold above the 1800 level early this morning could be a key bearish technical signal for many traders. News of slack sales from Texas instruments overnight would seem to give the bear camp an added fundamental edge this morning, especially since general expectations are calling for some type of decline in US housing numbers later this morning. Ultimately we see a downside target in the September Nasdaq down at 1772.00.

TODAY’S MARKET IDEAS: We don’t expect to see aggressive downside action but we do expect prices to consistently work lower again today.

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