Ticker Sense

May 13th Blogger Sentiment Poll

Blogger Sentiment Poll Participants: 

24/7 Wall St (-) The Aleph Blog (-) Biiwii (-) BullBear Trading  Carl Futia (-) Dash of Insight (+) Dividend Growth Investor (N) Elliot Wave Lives On (+) Expected Returns  Fallond Stock Picks (-) Global Economic Intersection (-) GEI – Investing Blog (-) Humble Student of the Markets (+) In the Money  Learning Curve (-) MaoXian  Night Owl Trader (+) The Mess That Greenspan Made  Peridot Capitalist (-) Prometheus Market Insight  PUG Stock Market Analysis (N) Quant Investor  Shanky’s Tech Blog (N) Short Takes (+) Smart Money Tracker (N) StockAdvisors.com  Traders-Talk  ValuePlays  VIX and More (-) Wall St. Cheat Sheet  Wall Street Sector Selector (-) Wishing Wealth (+) Zentrader (+)

ETF Inflows Continue in April and Total Assets Rise to $1.5T

ETFs (including ETNs, ETPs, etc) experienced a net inflow of $9.5B in April while total assets rose 1.7% to $1.49T.

Are Stocks Cheap? A Review of the Evidence

Fernando Duarte and Carlo Rosa We surveyed banks, we combed the academic literature, we asked economists at central banks. It turns out that most of their models predict that we will enjoy historically high excess returns for the S&P 500 for the next five years. But how do they reach this conclusion? Why is it that the equity premium is so high? And more importantly: Can we trust their models?

via libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org

May 6th Blogger Sentiment Poll

Blogger Sentiment Poll Participants: 

24/7 Wall St (-) The Aleph Blog (-) Biiwii  BullBear Trading (+) Carl Futia (-) Dash of Insight (+) Dividend Growth Investor (+) Elliot Wave Lives On (+) Expected Returns  Fallond Stock Picks (+) Global Economic Intersection (-) GEI – Investing Blog (-) Humble Student of the Markets (+) In the Money  Learning Curve (-) MaoXian  Night Owl Trader (+) The Mess That Greenspan Made  Peridot Capitalist (-) Prometheus Market Insight  PUG Stock Market Analysis (N) Quant Investor (N) Shanky’s Tech Blog  Short Takes (+) Smart Money Tracker (+) StockAdvisors.com  Traders-Talk  ValuePlays  VIX and More (N) Wall St. Cheat Sheet  Wall Street Sector Selector (N) Wishing Wealth (+) Zentrader (N)

Defensive Sectors Leading... So What!!!

More than a few have grumbled (including us) over the fact that the much thought of defensive sectors (health care, consumer staples and utilities) have been the leaders this year.  And last week’s WSJ story, Investors Should Beware the Dark Side of Defensive Stocks suggested that “this may feel like a bull market, but the real winners have been bear-market darlings.”

But contrary to the current thinking it is not unusual for a defensive sector to be one of the three top performing sectors in an up market.

As shown at below, there have been 26 years since 1982 where the S&P 500 was positive.  In twelve of those years, health care was one of the three best performing sectors, while consumer staples was in the top three ten times.  Utilities have only been best six times, but it should not surprise anyone that in a low interest environment a sector with a 3.7% yield is one of the best performing.

 

April 29th Blogger Sentiment Poll

Blogger Sentiment Poll Participants: 

24/7 Wall St (-) The Aleph Blog (-) Biiwii (N) BullBear Trading (+) Carl Futia (-) Dash of InsightDividend Growth Investor (+) Elliot Wave Lives On (+) Expected ReturnsFallond Stock PicksGlobal Economic Intersection (-) GEI – Investing Blog (-) Humble Student of the Markets (+) In the MoneyLearning Curve (-) MaoXianNight Owl Trader (-) The Mess That Greenspan MadePeridot CapitalistPrometheus Market InsightPUG Stock Market Analysis (-) Quant Investor (-) Shanky’s Tech Blog (-) Short Takes (+) Smart Money Tracker (+) StockAdvisors.com  Traders-Talk  ValuePlays  VIX and More (N) Wall St. Cheat Sheet  Wall Street Sector Selector (-) Wishing Wealth  Zentrader (-)

April 22nd Blogger Sentiment Poll

Blogger Sentiment Poll Participants: 

24/7 Wall St (-) The Aleph Blog (-) Biiwii  BullBear Trading (-) Carl Futia (-) Dash of Insight (N) Dividend Growth Investor (+) Elliot Wave Lives On (+) Expected Returns  Fallond Stock Picks (-) Global Economic Intersection (-) GEI – Investing Blog (-) Humble Student of the Markets (N) In the Money  Learning Curve (-) MaoXian  Night Owl Trader (-) The Mess That Greenspan Made  Peridot Capitalist (-) Prometheus Market Insight  PUG Stock Market Analysis (-) Quant Investor (N) Shanky’s Tech Blog (-) Short Takes (-) Smart Money Tracker (N) StockAdvisors.com  Traders-Talk  ValuePlays  VIX and More (+) Wall St. Cheat Sheet  Wall Street Sector Selector (-) Wishing Wealth (N) Zentrader (-)

April 15th Blogger Sentiment Poll

Blogger Sentiment Poll Participants: 

24/7 Wall St (-) The Aleph Blog (-) Biiwii (-) BullBear Trading  Carl Futia (+) Dash of Insight  Dividend Growth Investor (+) Elliot Wave Lives On (+) Expected Returns  Fallond Stock Picks  Global Economic Intersection (-) GEI – Investing Blog (-) Humble Student of the Markets (+) In the Money  Learning Curve (-) MaoXian  Night Owl Trader (+) The Mess That Greenspan Made  Peridot Capitalist (-) Prometheus Market Insight  PUG Stock Market Analysis (-) Quant Investor  Shanky’s Tech Blog (-) Short Takes (N) Smart Money Tracker (+) StockAdvisors.com  Traders-Talk  ValuePlays  VIX and More (N) Wall St. Cheat Sheet  Wall Street Sector Selector (-) Wishing Wealth (+) Zentrader (+)

Spring Discount on Reminiscences Newsletter!!!

Until the end of April we are offering a discount on a one year subscription to our Reminiscences newsletter.    Get twelve issues of Reminiscenes for $168.75 or 25% off!!!*

Log on to Birinyi.com of more information or to take advantage of this offer.  Use coupon code SPRING.

Our Conservative, Growth and Trading portfolios are up 14%, 8% and 11% respectively vs a 10% gain in the S&P 500.

^{* Vaild for only new subscribers and valid for one year only.}

Up, Down, Up, Down, Up, Down...

We have noticed a curious pattern over the past few weeks: the S&P 500 has had 13 consecutive trading days of alternating closes (“down” day followed by a “up” day or vice versa).

The only other period that the S&P 500 has had more consecutive “up/down” (or vice versa) days was March 1934 when it went 15 trading days.   It logged 11 alternating days in June 1981 and 10 in April 2002.

April 8th Blogger Sentiment Poll

Blogger Sentiment Poll Participants: 

24/7 Wall St (-) The Aleph Blog (-) Biiwii (-) BullBear Trading (-) Carl Futia (+) Dash of Insight (+) Dividend Growth Investor (+) Elliot Wave Lives On (+) Expected Returns  Fallond Stock Picks (+) Global Economic Intersection (-) GEI – Investing Blog (-) Humble Student of the Markets (N) In the Money  Learning Curve (-) MaoXian  Night Owl Trader (-) The Mess That Greenspan Made  Peridot Capitalist (-) Prometheus Market Insight  PUG Stock Market Analysis (N) Quant Investor (N) Shanky’s Tech Blog (-) Short Takes (-) Smart Money Tracker (+) StockAdvisors.com  Traders-Talk  ValuePlays  VIX and More (N) WallSt. Cheat Sheet  Wall Street Sector Selector (-) Wishing Wealth  Zentrader (+)

What Worked in 1Q13?