Jon Markman's Trader's Advantage

Daily Issues

Trades Update

May 21, 2013

After a slow start to the day, stocks finished Tuesday's session slightly higher, with the Dow Jones Industrials leading the charge. The Dow gained 52 points, or 0.3%, the S&P 500 ended higher by 3 points, or 0.2% and the Nasdaq edged up by 0.16%.

Tech stocks lagged the market with Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) both falling about 0.7% on the day. Both tech giants were in the news today as Apple CEO Tim Cook took questions from a Senate Subcommittee regarding the company's controversial tax practices and Microsoft announced their next generation Xbox console.

In today's issue of Trader's Advantage, I have parameters for two of yesterday's recommendations that filled, I'm canceling the other recommendation and I'll review our current positions.

Lack of Confidence May Undermine Rally

May 20, 2013

Stocks sank slightly lower in quiet, low volume trading on Monday despite a strong uptick in the sort of merger and acquisition activity that has ignited risk appetites in the past. Energy led the gainers list, which was good for us, as crude oil prices edged higher. Consumer staples mostly declined, as did retailers and utilities.

No major economic data points were released, so investors were on their own with company-specific news. The second half of May and the first half of June are mostly news-free zones for companies, however, as first-quarter results are already reported and investors have not yet started thinking with any great detail about second-quarter results. In today issue of Trader's Advantage, I have a detailed explanation about the great number of factors that will determine the direction of the market for the rest of the year, I have two new recommendations and I'll review our current trades.

Trades Update

May 17, 2013

Stocks ramped higher once again on Friday on positive economic data, setting a new series of record highs for the Dow Jones and the S&P 500. Gains in growth stocks and those in the industrials and energy sectors boosted the broad market as consumer sentiment improved in May.

The Dow gained 120 points, or 0.8%, the S&P rose 16 points, or 1% and the Nasdaq also ended higher by 1%. In today's issue of Trader's Advantage, I'll review this week's market activity in my latest Markman-in-a-Minute podcast, I'm canceling one call recommendation and replacing it with another and we've taken some nice profits on one common position.