Some call it Santa Claus rally, others year-end rally. Regardless of the label, S&P 500 seasonality is firmly bullish for the next couple of weeks. But this is not an automatic VIX sell signal, in fact, it tends to be a VIX trap. ... >> READ MORE...

This is the closest the do-it-yourself investor gets to insider information: Here is a look at what commercial oil traders are doing. If anyone knows the ins and outs of oil and oil patterns, it’s them. That’s why they are dubbed the smart money.... >> READ MORE...

Bears must feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day as another V-shaped thrust suffocates hopes of a market crash. Stocks took the stairs down and the elevator back up. Where’s the next stop?... >> READ MORE...

Falling oil prices in 2008 led to a stock market meltdown. It’s 2014, and oil prices are crashing again. Will stocks follow the 2008 script? We live in a complex world, and there are a number of correlations that may cause a surprise outcome.... >> READ MORE...

The Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEArca: XLE) lost as much as 28.57% from June to December. Every attempt to go bottom fishing was greeted by further losses … until now. Here's an interesting development.... >> READ MORE...

It’s been an ugly December for the global economy, and many believe it will get worse. However, not all is terrible. There are some positives. Patience may be rewarded as stocks gyrate at a near-term inflection point.... >> READ MORE...

Historically, December is a good month to own small caps. However, the tendency for a nasty mid-month pullback is often overlooked. Will this correction send small caps even lower, or is it a good time to buy?... >> READ MORE...

Friday was the first time since October 15 that the S&P 500 displayed a blatant internal deterioration. The ensuing Friday/Monday slump quickly erased three weeks of up side progress.... >> READ MORE...

The Nasdaq-100 bars painted a bearish reversal pattern in early December. We’ve just seen the effects of this reversal pattern, but as long as trade remains about this support, there’s no reason to worry.... >> READ MORE...

Gold was the most hated asset class going into December, especially after Swiss voters rejected a proposal to boost the country’s gold reserves by some 1,500 tons (about 7% of global annual demand). Is this a good ‘blood in the streets’ trade?... >> READ MORE...