Jon Markman's Trader's Advantage

Daily Issues

Bulls March Forward

September 2, 2010

Bulls proved today that they still have some stamina left as the market continued its upward trend for the second day of the month. It would be nice if this continued through September, but statistics show that it is highly unlikely.

So in today's Trader's Advantage, we take a look back in time and see just how much history is stacked against the bulls. I also have a few new trades for you as we continue to look overseas for growth, domestically for value and at chart breakouts for special cases which do well in slowdowns. We also had a disappointing loss today, so we'll close out one position. Continue Reading »

Beginning of the Month Reversal

September 1, 2010

Today's reversal was an expected one on the first day of the month ahead of a holiday weekend. But every time something good seems to happen, in reality it is just a continuous pattern. U.S. equities have been pacing back and forth these past few months, stuck in what seems to be a penalty box, while emerging markets are in secular bull trends.

So in today's Trader's Advantage, we talk about the jail that U.S. stocks, as well as equities of other developed nations are stuck in and why emerging markets are moving forward. I also update one of our holdings and sell a few that showed promise and hardship today. Continue Reading »

The End of a Drab Month

August 31, 2010

We ended a dismal August with the major indexes hovering around the flatline for the session. Somewhat fitting for a market that has shown little life and dismissed any positive earning reports today with a wave and a sniff saying, 'not good enough.'

In today's Trader's Advantage, we'll preview September and discuss why it traditionally hasn't been a great month for bullish investors. We will also take a look at some of our portfolio names that suddenly find themselves in investing sweet spots. Continue Reading »