detail.aspx 10 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=711 Stocks declined, following a three day rally for the S&P as concerns about Europe’s debt crisis resurfaced after Greek leaders wrestled 711 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=712 712 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=709 Stocks were little changed, following yesterday’s gains, as reports showed that American jobless benefits fell last week, offsetting concerns ... 709 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=708 U.S. stocks gained, following a four day decline in the S&P 500, as manufacturing data from China to Germany and the ... 708 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=707 U.S. stocks erased earlier gains after data showed consumer confidence rose less than expected and business activity ... 707 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=706 Stocks dropped, sending stocks lower for a third straight day, as Greece signaled opposition to budget oversight in return 706 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=705 Stocks were unchanged, commodities erasing earlier gains, after the U.S. economy grew less than forecast and earnings... 705 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=710 710 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=703 U.S. stocks fell, after a five day rally in the S&P, amid a stalemate between European policy makers and Greek bondholders over how ... 703 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=701 U.S. Stocks gained, extending the three week rally for the S&P, as leaders in Europe gathered in Brussels to discuss new ... 701 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=700 U.S. stocks declined, ending a three day rally in the S&P, amid disappointing quarterly results from companies including Google... 700 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=699 U.S. stocks rose, extending the S&P’s rally for a third day, after jobless claims fell to the lowest level since ... 699 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=697 U.S. stocks were little changed Wednesday as initial enthusiasm over the International Monetary Fund’s plan to bolster lending to the euro zone ... 697 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=702 702 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=696 Stocks fell, ending a four day rally in the S&P, after reports that several euro region countries face credit ... 696 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=695 Stocks gained and the euro strengthened as lower yields at Italian and Spanish auctions eased concerns about a worsening European ... 695 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=693 U. S. stocks fell, snapping a two day rally for the S&P amid concern that Europe’s debt crisis will stunt global ... 693 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=691 U.S. stocks rose towards its highest level since July as China may act to spur economic.. 691 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=690 Stocks were little changed, after rallying last week, after leaders discussed plans ... 690 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=692 692 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=689 U.S. stocks fell after better than forecast jobs growth and a drop in the unemployment rate failed to extend a weekly rally as concerns over European ... 689 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=688 Stocks fell; indicating a two day rally in the U.S. Indexes will come to an end, after European debt concerns overshadowed improving ... 688 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=685 Stocks sank, pulling the major indexes down from the highest levels since July as renewed concerns European banks need to raise capital and ... 685 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=684 U.S. stocks surged amid signs that manufacturing output is increasing from China to Australia ... 684 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=683 U.S. stocks are very quiet on the last trading day of the year, erasing some earlier gains as concerns over Spain’s budget deficit overshadowed ... 683 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=686 686 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=682 U.S. stocks rose as concern over European debt eased after Italian borrowing costs dropped at an auction ... 682 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=681 U.S. stock futures were flat indicating the S&P will hold on to the longest rally in more than a year, as global debt concerns eased after Italian borrowing .. 681 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=680 U.S. stocks were quiet, following the holiday weekend, swinging between gains and losses after a report showed American home prices were worse .. 680 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=687 687 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=678 U.S. stocks retreated, after the biggest rally of the month for the S&P 500 Index, as optimism faded about the European Central Bank’s plan to lend euro-area banks a record amount ... 678 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=676 Stocks jumped during the opening bell after encouraging signs out of Europe and a rise in housing data suggested the world’s largest economy ... 676 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=675 U.S. Stocks rose, as European finance ministers look for additional aid through new budget rules, sending the S&P higher for a third ... 675 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=677 677 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=674 Stocks rose, snapping a three-day decline in the S&P 500 Index, after reports on American jobless claims and U.S. manufacturing data signaled .. 674 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=671 Stocks retreated, sending the S&P 500 Index lower for a third day after German Chancellor Merkel said there’s no easy and fast solution to the .. 671 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=672 U.S. stocks fell, and the dollar rallied, as the Federal Reserve refrained from taking more steps to stimulate the economy and concerns grew over .. 672 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=670 Stocks fell, after the first back to back weekly advance in the S&P in two months, as Moody’s said all of the European Union ... 670 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=673 673 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=669 U.S. stock futures, Global stocks and the euro fell, erasing earlier gains, after European Central Bank President Draghi didn’t signal ... 669 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=667 Stock futures fluctuated between gains and losses as speculation grew that the European Central Bank will do more to contain the debt crisis ... 667 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=665 Stocks rose following the biggest weekly gain since 2009 in the S&P 500, Italy proposed budget cuts and Germany and France pushed for a new European ... 665 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=668 668 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=663 U.S. stock futures maintained gains after a report from showed the world’s largest economy is making progress in the labor market. The unemployment .. 663 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=664 Trade Objective: While the 30yr Bonds having been on a rollercoaster ride over the last couple months; the 10 year Notes seem to have found a nice range over the last four. Volumes for both stocks and bonds seem to be sliding and could very well 664 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=662 Stock Index futures fell, following the largest three day rally in the S&P 500 in 32 months, as jobless claims increased and weaker Chinese manufacturing ... 662 Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=661 Global stocks surged after six central banks acted together to help ease the strains from Europe’s debt crisis by making additional funds 661 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=656 Stocks and Commodities rose for a second day as borrowing costs for Italy and Spain declined and European finance ministers prepared to meet 656 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=657 Global stocks surged on renewed hopes for yet another new solution to Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and U.S. Holiday retail sales climbed 657 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=660 660 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=655 U.S. stock futures pointed to a weaker open Tuesday, putting the S&P 500 on track for a fifth day of losses as a weaker reading 655 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=654 U.S. stocks plunged more than 2 percent Monday, extending its losing streak to four days, as U.S. lawmakers failed to agree on budget cuts. The euro 654 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=659 659 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=652 U.S. stocks fell for a second day, as concern that Europe’s debt crisis is worsening overshadowing positive economic news in the American ... 652 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=653 Trade Objective: With the resumption of its upward trend earlier this month after a round of intervention by the Bank of Japan at the end of October, it’s becoming crystal clear that The Bank of Japan can’t push the value of its currency lower without the help of the G-7. A coordinated 653 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=651 Stocks opened lower on Wednesday as policy makers warned Europe’s debt crisis posed danger to global economic growth on growing signs the contagion .. 651 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=648 Global stocks fell for a second day and the euro slumped as Europe’s debt crisis sent Italy’s bond yields back into a perceived ... 648 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=649 Trade Objective: Recently congress passed new free-trade agreements; in particular the agreement with South Korea happens to be the biggest for the U.S. since NAFTA in 1994. South Korea should open the door for a potential large export market for .. 649 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=650 test 650 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=647 Stocks in the U.S. and Europe declined after yields on Italian bonds increased to a euro-era record, deepening concerns Europe ... 647 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=643 U.S. stocks rose after Italy’s Senate approved a budget bill paving the way for a new interim government, trimming the first back to back weekly .. 643 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=658 658 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=642 Stocks around the world rose, rebounding from their biggest one day declines since August, as American Jobless claims fell to a seven month low and ... 642 Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=641 Global stocks plunged as the European debt crisis intensified, after margins were increased on Italian bonds. Treasuries and the Dollar ... 641 Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=640 U.S. and European stocks rose as Italian lawmakers prepare to vote on Prime Minister Berlusconi’s budget and commodities advanced for a fifth day, led .. 640 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=638 U.S. stock futures dropped, after the first weekly drop in the major indexes since September, as Italy’s borrowing costs soared and political changes in Europe brought ... 638 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=639 639 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=637 U.S. stocks fell as concerns about Europe offset the decline in the unemployment report. 637 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=635 Stocks and commodities rose after the European Central Bank unexpectedly cut interest rates and the region’s leaders increased pressure on Greece to meet austerity measures to meet ... 635 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=636 Trade Objective: With the resumption of the downward trend in September from its peak in March and last week’s projection from Credit Suisse reducing its three and twelve month price forecasts stating cocoa as both fundamentally and technically weak, any break below support ... 636 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=633 U.S. stocks rose, but retreated from the highs of the session after the Federal Reserve refrained from announcing additional stimulus and lowered its outlook on the.... 633 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=634 Stocks dropped and the euro weakened, while the surge in German bunds sent yields down to the most on record, amid concern Europe's bailout of Greece is going to unravel. U.S. Treasuries ... 634 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=631 U.S. stocks declined, reducing the biggest monthly gains in 24 years in the S&P, on concern European leaders will struggle to raise funds to contain 631 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=632 632 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=630 Stocks were mixed after opening lower as strong corporate earnings offset a desire to take profits following a strong rally yesterday and the biggest 630 Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=628 Global stocks surged, after European leader agreed to expand a bailout fund to stem the region’s debt crisis. Treasuries and bunds fell, the euro 628 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=627 U.S. and European stocks rose as U.S. durable goods orders topped forecast and Germany’s parliament approved plans to boost the European .. 627 Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=626 U.S. stocks dropped, after rallying for three straight days, as home prices fell more than anticipated and European leaders canceled tomorrow’s 626 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=625 U.S. stocks rose, after the longest weekly rally since February in the S&P 500 index, as investors are anticipating a blueprint to end Europe’s debt crisis and optimism ... 625 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=624 Trade Objective: As the S&P rallies this morning to the high end of its recent range (August to present), based on a sense that Europe will handle its business this weekend and finalize a solution to their sovereign debt crisis. The market still remains vulnerable to selling ... 624 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=622 Stock futures advance, indicating the S&P 500 Index could erase its weekly decline amid speculation policy makers are getting closer to deal to contain the debt ... 622 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=629 629 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=623 Trade Objective: With the current uncertainty surrounding recent global economic numbers, as well as, the upcoming EU summit and increased volatility in crude options, conditions point towards a market that could see both positive and negative news driving ... 623 Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=620 U. S. Stocks were unchanged , after yesterday’s drop, as higher than estimated corporate earnings overshadowed concerns that Germany will postpone the European ... 620 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=618 U.S. stocks fell, a day after the S&P Index traded at the highest level since August, as the ongoing European crisis is offset a increase in American .. 618 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=619 619 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=617 U.S. stock futures were unchanged, erasing an earlier loss for the S&P 500 Index, as financial companies climbed after Bank of America swung a third ... 617 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=616 U.S. Stock futures declined, after a German government spokesman made statements that were not very optimistic to a “swift resolution” of Europe’s debt crisis 616 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=614 Global stocks gained, extending a third weekly gain, as the G-20 began talks on ways they can help tame Europe’s debt crisis and American retail sales and Google’s results ... 614 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=615 U.S. stocks fell, halting the biggest S&P 500 Index rally in seven days since 2009, as profits in JP Morgan dropped and concerns that equities had ... 615 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=613 According to industry sources, the amount of sugar pending shipment to China and Egypt from Brazilian ports rose 18 % last week indicating increasing demand. China alone may need to import as much as 3 million tons in 2011-2012 as China’s 613 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=610 U.S. stocks rose for a third straight day on investors’ optimism Europe will contain its debt crisis. The S&P added 20 points, extending its gains ... 610 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=607 U.S. stock futures retreated, after yesterday’s big rally, as European Central Bank’s Jean-Cluade Trichet said the financial system is being threatened... 607 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=606 U.S. stocks rose, indicating the S&P 500 could rally the most in a month, as leaders of Germany and France pledged a plan ... 606 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=612 612 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=603 Following the biggest two day rally in U.S. stocks in a month, The S&P 500 rose again, after European Central Bank President Trichet said ... 603 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=604 604 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=605 Trade Objective: Gold’s recent plunge from its early September highs has paved the way to enter into new positions. The key to its recent demise was driven by margin call selling with the latest wave of ... 605 Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=602 Global stocks rose for the first time in four days amid speculation policy makers are examining measures to shield banks from ... 602 Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=601 Global stocks declined, after the S&P 500 fell to a one year low, as Europe’s policy makers struggles to reassure investors they can contain the region’s ... 601 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=600 Stocks fell, following the biggest quarterly loss since 2008, and commodities dropped to a 10 month low as Europe’s finance chiefs discuss ideas to weigh the... 600 Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=599 Stocks fell, sending the MSCI World Index to its largest quarter loss quarterly loss since 2008 as declines in Chinese manufacturing and German retail sales ... 599 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=598 U.S. stocks rallied after a report showed jobless claims declined more than forecast and Europe strengthened as German lawmakers backed 598 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=597 Stock futures rose indicating the S&P 500 index may extend the biggest three day advance in a month, amid speculation policy makers in Europe will find a way to ... 597 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=594 U.S. stock futures advanced, following the biggest gain in one month for the Dow Jones, amid speculation that policy makers will move to avoid a worsening of the European 594 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=591 U.S. stock futures retreated, extending losses after the biggest decline in a month yesterday as the Federal Reserve’s assessment of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis ... 591 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=590 U.S. stock futures were little changed, following a two day drop for the S&P 500 index, as investors awaited a Federal Reserve announcement that ... 590 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=589 Stock Index futures maintained gains after housing data showed builders began work on fewer homes than forecast in August 589 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=586 U.S. stocks rose, signaling the S&P Index could rise for a fourth straight day, as a package of loans for European banks raised confidence ... 586 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=588 588 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=585 U.S. stock futures are on the rise this morning, indicating the S&P 500 Index will could gain for the third straight day, on speculation China may support 585 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=584 U.S. stock futures pared declines and European stocks rebounded from a two year low after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she’s confident Europe will find .. 584 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=582 582 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=580 Global stocks fell this morning as concern that Europe’s debt crisis is worsening and growth in America service industries is slowing. S&P 500 futures lost more than 2 percent trading 580 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=579 Global stocks plunged, indicating the S&P 500 index will slump a second day, while Gold and Treasuries rose after a report showed American employers added 579 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=577 U.S. and European equities recovered from early losses after American jobless claims decreased and investors await data out at 10:00 AM ET that may show the nation’s manufacturing ... 577 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=574 Stocks rose for a fourth day as investors speculate the Federal Reserve will take steps to spur economic growth with the U.S. unemployment rate above 9 percent. The S&P 500 574 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=575 The information reviewed at the August 9 meeting indicated that the pace of the economic recovery remained slow in recent months and that labor market conditions continued to be weak. In addition, revised data for 2008 .. 575 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=573 573 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=571 U.S. stock futures traded lower after data on the economy showed growth in the second quarter was less than estimated. Investors are waiting 571 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=569 After rallying for three straight days, stock futures pared gains as data showed unemployment claims unexpectedly rose last week. Nasdaq futures fell 569 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=567 With the lowest valuations in more than 2 years, the S&P 500 index rose, indicating a rebound, as speculation the Federal Reserve ... 567 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=568 568 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=566 U.S. stock futures rose, indicating the S&P 500 index could rebound from a four week losing streak, the longest streak since 2009. Speculation the Federal Reserve will unveil further ... 566 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=565 U.S. stock index futures dropped after government data showed that jobless claims rose last week and consumer inflation accelerated in July more than ... 565 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=563 U.S. stock futures gained as better than estimated earnings reports and higher commodities propelled the market higher. The S&P 500 index gained ... 563 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=562 562 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=560 The S&P 500 is near its cheapest level compared with earnings in more than two years this morning, and the index is gaining, indicating it could rebound after three weeks of losses. The back ... 560 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=561 Earlier this year Cotton made new record highs based on a combination of emerging market demand and horrible crop conditions. The market traded as high as $2.27 per pound on ... 561 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=559 U.S. stock index futures rose following an increase in retail sales, signaling the benchmark index may trim a third straight weekly drop, while European ... 559 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=556 Renewed concerns about Europe’s debt crisis overshadowed better than expected jobless claims in the U.S., signaling the S&P 500 index could sink to an 11-month low. U.S. The S&P traded at 1,103 in early trading, the lowest close on the S&P 556 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=558 558 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=555 After the biggest drop in stocks since 2008, U.S. stock index futures rose, indicating the market will rebound, before a meeting of Federal Reserve policy makers today. European stocks ... 555 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=553 U.S. sock futures plunged and Treasuries rose in response to Standard & Poor’s decision to cut the U.S. long-term credit rating by one level, from AAA to AA+. The S&P dropped... 553 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=554 The recent wave of bad economic news, along with the credit rating downgrade of U.S debt over the weekend, has investors flocking to the Treasury markets as a safe haven. The low interest paying guaranteed returns from the U.S. government.... 554 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=551 U.S. stock futures rallied, after the worst drop in more than two years, as a better than expected growth in jobs eased concern the economic recovery is weakening. Labor Department data... 551 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=549 Stock Index futures headed for a retreat from Wednesday’s gains, after the latest reading on jobless claims show a large number of Americans remain unemployed. All the major indexes .... 549 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=546 U.S. stock futures are on the rise this morning after a report from ADP showing the private sector added more jobs than forecast and earnings continued to beat ... 546 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=547 547 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=543 U.S. stock futures fell, signaling the major indexes may retreat for a seventh consecutive day, after consumer spending unexpectedly dropped. A slump in new hiring .... 543 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=542 U.S. stock futures are on the rise this morning as President Obama announced an agreement on a deal to increase the federal debt limit and avoid ... 542 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=541 With the debt ceiling deadline looming and economic growth slowing, there is a good chance we can see a correction of 5% or greater in the S&P 500. The low in June... 541 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=539 539 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=537 U.S. stock futures rose this morning in early trading as reports that officials in Europe will agree on plans to recapitalize struggling banks and halt the surge in bond yields. The S&P was up 7 trading ... 537 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=538 538 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=534 Earlier this year,on April 29, Silver made a new multi-decade high (48.75/oz.). Since then, the price of Silver retraced 35% to 32.50 an ounce. Over the past two months the contract has been range bound until the... 534 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=530 The overall supply of WTI Crude Oil has be adequate and gaining momentum with the recent release of the U.S. Strategic Oil Reserve (60M Barrels). Demand has been waning from constricted consumer spending and lower industrial output, showing signs that the ongoing recovery has been faltering... 530 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=531 The September Wheat contract has traded as high as $9.71 earlier this year. Since then it has retreated 39%, to $5.92 (low on 7/1) due to improved growing conditions in Europe and the potential for Russian wheat to enter the world market. The fundamentals for wheat in .... 531 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=532 During the 1st World War, Switzerland was established as a neutral country and since has been declared a safe haven for currency deposits. Now that the European Union seems to be suffocating in debt, once again, the Swiss Franc has become the #1 alternative currency to the Euro. For years ... 532 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=535 535 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=529 529 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=526 Summary of the daily economic reports 526 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=527 U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open even though a report showed more Americans than forecast filed for unemployment benefits last week. Before the bell, the S&P 500 added 4 points to 1308, the Dow was up 35 to 12,254 and the Nasdaq tacked on 8, to 2,302. 527 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=523 Stock index futures pointed to a higher open before data that may show home sales increased and the Greek parliament voted to pass austerity measures, a major step to resolve the country’s debt problems. 523 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=524 Summary of the daily economic reports 524 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=520 U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open Tuesday as reports that European leader’s are making progress on Greek debt negations. Before the opening bell, the S&P 500 gained 5 points to 1282, the Dow rose 40 points to 12,038, and the Nasdaq added 7. 520 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=522 Summary of the daily economic reports. 522 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=519 Stock index futures pared their gains before the bell after trading higher overnight, following a report on consumer spending indicating the economic recovery is slowing. Investors remain cautious as the Greek parliament meets this week to vote on additional austerity measures to meet the conditions of the bailout package agreed upon by international leaders. European sovereign debt and disappointing technology earnings have weighed on the Dow, closing lower seven out of the last eight weeks. 519 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=518 The S&P 500 fell for the third straight day, as worries in Europe overshadowed positive economic news in the U.S. This came a day after an extremely volatile session with a wave of bad economic news, oil-market intervention and Greek austerity rumors. During the first half of the session the Dow Jones had dropped below 12,000, down over 100 points, and the S&P 500 headed lower, down 11 points to 1273, despite a larger than expected rise in durable goods orders and a rise in first quarter GDP. 518 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=525 525 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=515 U.S. stock futures dropped in early morning trading as jobless claims rose more than economist had forecast, highlighting the continued weakness in the labor market. In Europe, the Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet is warning that the debt crisis threatens to infect banks. Yesterday’s downgrade of economic growth by the Federal Reserve also added to the weakness. 515 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=516 In a bid to push oil prices lower, the International Energy Agency will release 60 million barrels of oil from strategic government stockpiles around the globe. The announcement comes weeks after OPEC failed to agree on an increase in production. Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s biggest producer, said after the failed meeting on June 8th, they will increase supplies in an attempt to lower prices. 516 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=517 Fed Chairman Bernanke, in his post statement news conference, said the factors affecting the current economic slowdown are “likely to be temporary.” but acknowledged that he is concerned about the weakness of the financial sector, the housing sector, and that “deleveraging might still be stronger than they had thought previously.” Bernanke also went on to say that the central bank can take additional actions to stimulate the economy, “if conditions warranted.” Some economist believe... 517 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=511 U.S. and European stocks were down a few points in early morning trading suggesting that the four day rally in the S&P 500 may come to an end, the longest winning streak since April 29th. The Greek Parliament’s vote of confidence in Prime Minister Papandreou, yesterday after the markets were closed, should allow Greece to meet the austerity requirements of European leaders... 511 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=512 The Federal Reserve released their statement after two days of meetings and gave no indication of a change in policy. Although they have downgraded their assessment of the U.S. Economy, they have no intentions of taking additional steps to improve jobs or economic growth. Fed officials left its benchmark interest rate at record-lows, in a range of zero to .25 percent, and confirmed their pledge to keep rates low for “an extended period.” ... 512 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=513 All three major stock indexes started the day in negative territory, and throughout today’s session, posted modest gains before falling again after the Federal Reserve issued a very cautious economic outlook, confirmed the end of the $600 billion bond purchase program, and said interest rates will remain low for ‘an extended period of time.” The S&P 500 gained 2.5% over the last four days, after trading near a 3 month low last week, but the win streak came to an end during the final hour of trading... 513 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=508 The stock market climbed in early trading this morning, attempting to move its win streak to four sessions as the Greek government prepares a vote that could provide some relief towards avoiding a default on their debt. Investors are optimistic that Greek Prime Minister Papandreou will receive support within his parliament... 508 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=509 Market Update – Home Sales 509 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=510 510 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=507 507 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=504 504 Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=502 502 Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=498 498 Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=497 497 Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=495 495 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=485 485 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=481 481 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=477 477 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=475 Trade Objective: The political unrest and the recent upheaval of former President Gbgabdo and his regime have lifted the expectation that the Ivory Coast may resume export operations of cocoa as early as next week (Ivory Coast represents 37.4% of Global Cocoa Production). This could not come at a better time because the latest cocoa grindings reports have grown bullish over the past quarter. The YOY cocoa grindings for the Europe= +3.5%/Germany= +22%/USA= +16%, which is showing a growing demand for cocoa beans. 475 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=474 474 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=472 The current debate going on throughout the financial community is whether or not the Quantitative Easing measures (QE/QE-lite/QE2) will be perpetuated. The government has increased the Federal Reserve Balance Sheet to approximately 3 Trillion, which is the largest in U.S. history... 472 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=470 The current crop fundamentals have grown extremely bullish for corn over the past 30 days with current inventories at 4 year lows that rival the same extreme levels exhibited in 1974. Although the USDA Planting Intentions Report showed the largest crop planting for corn since 1944... 470 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=469 469 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=467 The electricity generation sector is one of the main drivers in long term natural gas trends. The public health and political issues arising out of the Japanese Nuclear Crisis has cast an unfavorable light on the viability of costly nuclear power plants, leaving the world concerned... 467 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=466 466 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=464 The July Wheat Futures contract has recently fallen $2.60 from its high of the year (950’6). This was partially due to the political unrest in the Middle East and the devastating earthquake/tsunami in Japan. Egypt and Japan are some of the top importers of U.S. Wheat leading to fears of decreased demand... 464 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=465 465 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=461 461 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=458 458 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=456 456 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=451 The Price of Silver made a new 31 year high (34.315) recently and is quickly shrinking the price ratio between itself and Gold from 60.7 ounces of Silver to one ounce of Gold last year, to 46.9 as of last week. Ongoing concerns regarding Middle East unrest and the continuing... 451 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=452 Recently, the price of Crude made a two year high (103.41). Ongoing concerns arising from Libyan protests and Algeria unrest and the continuing depreciation of currency values worldwide due to quantitative easing has added to Crude speculation on the buy side... 452 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=453 The Australian dollar has been consolidating for the past two months between .9850 and 1.0168 (12/31/10 All-Time High). The commodity export countries of Australia and Canada have had a favored outlook based on the current commodity demand cycle... 453 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=450 450 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=446 The Swiss Franc continues to build a base around the 1.0300 area. The heightened safe-haven demand for Swiss Franc continues to expand as the Middle East crisis unfolds... 446 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=445 Corn has been on the rise and recently passed through overhead resistance set back in August 2008. Last week, the USDA announced that the Corn Supply Projections would rival the 2nd lowest level in U.S. History (1995/96) at 5.0%. The lowest on record... 445 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=443 U.S. stocks were mixed, as analyst downgrades to a handful of stocks and worries about the health of euro-zone finances overshadowed the M&A deal activity. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 19 points early on to 12,254. Some stocks like Wal-Mart and Verizon fell on downgrades and general perceived weakness. Some, like GE, rose on purchasing activity. The NASDAQ Composite rose to 2,817 and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index moved to 1,330. The energy and materials sectors continues to gain on rising energy prices and the hope that demand would increase after a bigger-than-expected surge of imports and exports in China last month. 443 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=444 444 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=440 440 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=436 436 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=435 435 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=427 427 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=426 426 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=421 U.S. stocks jockeyed between slim losses and slim gains following an unexpected rise in factory orders, which was countered by a downgrade for grocers. By late-morning trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was basically flat at 11,670, the NASDAQ Composite was down to 2,674 and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell to 1,266. Much of the drop can be attributed to food retailers after Bank of Montreal and Morgan Stanley downgraded Safeway, Vitamin Shoppe, and Whole Foods, citing limited upside moving forward. Shares of Safeway fell 4.6%, Vitamin Shoppe was off 3.4% and Whole Foods dropped 2.9%. Much of the downgrade was due to the collision between retail prices and inflationary food prices. 421 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=420 Stocks rallied, sending the S&P 500 Index to its biggest positive move in about a month, and oil climbed on strong ISM numbers and seemingly growing confidence that the U.S. is in a recovery stage even though China may be slowing. By early afternoon trade in NY, the S&P 500 increased to 1,275, the Dow Jones Industrial Average to 11,705 and the NASDAQ to 2,701 to start off the New Year with a bang. In addition, Crude Oil rose to a 27-month high and crossed above $92.00 and Copper continued to rally. Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury note fell, sending the yield 10 basis points higher. 420 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=424 424 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=416 U.S. stocks opened with a small gain, boosted by a weaker dollar and a stronger economic outlook for 2011 and continued to trend up through mid-morning trade. By early afternoon, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to 11,615, the S&P 500 to 1,261 and the NASDAQ to 2,670 as it became apparent that traders were set on finishing the last week of the year in positive territory before we close out 2010. Small market moves are expected for the last trading days of the year as investors who are anxious to lock in yearly gains are expected to trade cautiously; not a time to rock the boat. Year-to-date, the Dow is up 11%, the S&P 500 is up nearly 13% and the NASDAQ is up more than 17%. Small-cap stocks have outperformed large caps this year, with the Russell 2000 up more than 26%, which has been the trend for the past decade. 416 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=417 417 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=410 Stocks rose this morning, finally completing the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index’s recovery after the fall that followed Lehman Brothers collapsed, eventually filing a record bankruptcy in 2008. The S&P 500 Index was trading at 1,253.40 in New York, which is above its level on Sept. 12, 2008, the last session before Lehman accelerated the financial crisis. Stocks also climbed today as a reaction to tensions in Korea apparently dissipating. North Korea indicated a willingness to avoid further confrontation with South Korea and says it will resume talks regarding its nuclear program. Other major U.S. indexes climbed as well as the Dow Jones Industrial Index was at 11,525 and the NASDAQ at 2,665 during the same time period. 410 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=409 U.S. stocks were up in the pre-market and in early trading, but erased early gains as technology stocks weakened and the dollar strengthened. By mid-morning trading the leading U.S. indexes were mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling to 11,462, the S&P 500 flat at 1,244 and the NASDAQ up 1 point to 2,644. Boeing led the Dow's decline, falling 3.1%. Over the weekend the chief executive of Qatar Airways said the company could cancel orders for Boeing's 787 Dream liners if there are further delays to its delivery. The benchmark stock indexes have traded quietly in the past few weeks... 409 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=411 411 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=407 U.S. stocks wavered early in the day as new data pointed to a continued slowdown of the U.S. economic recovery and investors still seems edgy and concerned over the fragility of the euro-zone. Although the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down early, weakened by a 0.5% drop in American Express it began to rally a bit into the morning as some more positive numbers were released from the industrial sector. Shipping has been used as an indicator for the health of an economy because as shipping increases it shows that more products are being moved. When Fed-ex raised its full-year forecast, it was a small shot in the arm to the market as it reversed early losses. By mid-morning the Dow Jones was up about 50 points to 11,507, the S&P 500 index was at 1,242, and the NASDAQ was at 2,638. 407 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=406 U.S. stocks opened slightly higher, as investors were encouraged by a bigger-than-expected rise in U.S. retail sales for November. A disappointing sales report from Best Buy limited gains, but the market began to rally as business sales outpaced inventories and producer prices increased more than expected last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 65 points by mid-morning to 11,494 buoyed by some of its top performers like Walt Disney, Bank of America and Caterpillar. The NASDAQ Composite rose to 2,634 and the Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed to 1,245, lead by its health-care sector in. Consumer stocks were strong, with Hasbro rising 1%, Target advancing 0.7% and Tiffany adding 0.4%, on the retail-sales report. 406 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=404 U.S. stocks rose in early trading following the report that the U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in October on surging exports, but the gains were muted as China unveiled plans for more tightening by raising band reserves. The total U.S. deficit in international trade of goods and services fell more than 13% to $38.71 billion from a revised $44.60 billion the month before, while the U.S. trade deficit with China narrowed 8.3% to $25.52 billion as exports to the country surged nearly 30% to a record $9.30 billion and imports fell slightly to $34.82 billion. Economists had predicted a $44.0 billion trade gap. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed only about 10 points, to 11380, the NASDAQ Composite added 0.1% to 2,619 and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index advanced to 1,235, lead by the industrials. 404 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=397 U.S. blue-chip stocks edged lower, as mixed corporate news and economic data overshadowed an encouraging weekly jobs report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 27 points early and maintained a similar level as it traded at 11,338 though most of the morning session. DuPont led the drop; falling 1.9% after the company said it exceeded internal expectations in 2010 and forecast higher margins, but said its pharmaceutical revenue would likely drop in 2011 as patents begin to expire. The NASDAQ Composite actually edged up to 2612. The Standard & Poor's added 0.1% to 1229. U.S. stocks pared gains after Ireland's Labor Party said it would vote against the country's bailout package, according to Reuters. Earlier in the day, Fitch Ratings downgraded Ireland to triple-B-plus, the third-lowest investment-grade rating. 397 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=396 396 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=395 U.S. stocks extended gains after pending home sales unexpectedly soared 10.4% while investors mulled whether European officials can help stop the spread of the euro zone's debt crisis. Even with the impressive housing numbers month-over-month, the index remains down 21% from a year ago, when buyers were racing to claim a tax credit. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to 11,341 in early trading, and broke above 11,358 in mid-morning trade. Home Depot led the blue-chip index's gains, rising 3.2% and Financials were among the market's biggest gainers as Bank of America shares gained 2.8% and J.P. Morgan Chase added 2.5%. The Standard & Poor's 500-share index gained to 1,218 and the NASDAQ Composite rose to 2,571. 395 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=393 393 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=392 392 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=389 Following one of the worst sell-offs in months, U.S. stocks stayed neutral through mid-morning trade as concerns over Irish debt seem muted and concern shifts to Chinese price stabilization efforts. With the U.K. stepping in and offering a $134.89 billion package to support Ireland’s debt the Euro has strengthened and the U.S. dollar weakens again after recent strength and seems to stabilize the markets in early trading. With all the macro-economic news affecting the U.S. markets, traders seem to be taking a break to reassess their position on the market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added three points to 11,026, the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose to 1,181 and the NASDAQ Composite was up to 2,482 by mid-morning, which was basically unchanged from the beginning of the trading day. The only help seemed to come from strength in the Consumer-discretionary stock sector, especially from the bargain retailers like Target, BJ’s wholesale club, Wal-Mart and Home Depot. 389 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=387 As we entered into the Friday after Veteran’s Day, there was massive shedding of the risk trade as the impact of a possible slow down in China seemed to weigh heavily on investor sentiment. Markets across the board seemed to be affected as speculation grew that China will lift their interest rates to avoid an over-heating of their growing economy. By mid-morning the S&P 500 was down almost 14 points to 1,200, the Dow down 90 points to 11,193, and the NASDAQ down 30 plus points to 2,525. Additionally, commodities across the board experienced heavy losses as the prospect of lower future demand from China dampened recent exuberance which has lead to solid price gains in across the board. Gold was down over $37 to $1,366 an ounce, January Soybeans down $0.38 to $13.00 a bushel, March Sugar down over $2.00 to $27.61, Crude Oil down almost $3.00 to $84.87 a barrel; all this even in the face of U.S. Dollar weakness.... 387 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=388 388 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=385 U.S. stocks pulled back from last week's rally as investors seem to still be digesting the impact of the FOMC plan to inject $110 billion a month into the U.S. economy over the next six months and concerns regarding the financial health of Europe reemerge. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 72 points early and then hovered around 54 points down at 11,389 through mid-morning trading. The S&P 500 was trading down at 1,220 while the NASDAQ fell to 2,577. Besides the QE2 injection by the FOMC, another hot topic is the extension of the Bush tax cuts, which could affect the health of the market as we move closer to the end of the year. For now, the focus seems to be on finding fair valuation amongst the effects of the stimulus and pressures from the Euro-zone. 385 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=386 386 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=382 Investors stayed cautious even after the big Gain by Republicans in Congress. Stocks were higher on the onset of trading, but waivered and fell into negative territory as investors seemed to shift their focus onto the outcome of the FOMC meeting, which is scheduled to be announced at 2:15 EST today. By mid-morning the Dow was trading at 11.169, the S&P 500 at 1,190 and the NASDAQ at 2,523. Interestingly, the U.S. Dollar gained some strength ahead of the Fed announcement as it looked like there was a bit of profit taking form the dollar shorts. Volume is expected to continue to be light until the policy announcement actually takes place. 382 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=383 Since gapping higher in early October, soybeans have been on a tear trending steeply higher. A longer term chart resistance lies in the upper 1300 region and strong potential to reach this zone is currently being driven by China’s insatiable thirst for the typically lower cost source of protein... 383 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=381 U.S. stocks climbed on Tuesday and actually stayed up through the mid-morning trade, boosted by a weaker dollar after India and Australia hiked their interest rates to tighten their money supply while the U.S. money supply is set to expand following tomorrow’s Fed meeting regarding more quantitative easing. Adding to the bullish sentiment, which many see as movement that has been ‘baked in the cake’, is the overwhelming sentiment on the floor that Republicans will take back at least the house in today’s mid-term elections, which is perceived as a move into a more business friendly environment. By mid-morning the Dow was at 11,209, the S$P 500 at 1,194, and the NASDAQ at 2,530. 381 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=379 The U.S. stock market rose earlier as a reaction to some higher earnings numbers and strong manufacturing numbers from China, suggesting that the recovery may be further along than previously thought. However, the market pared some of its gains ahead of the midterm election tomorrow and the Federal Reserve policy making committee meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 108 points early, but by mid-morning trade was at 11,171. The other major U.S. equity indexes were also up as the S&P 500 was trading at 1,188 and the NASDAQ at 2,511 during the same time frame. 379 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=380 380 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=378 U.S. stocks were pulled lower by cyclical stocks as investors seem to have grown more conservative regarding the Federal Reserve's attempts to stimulate the economy. The market has seemed to have factored in a $1 trillion stimulus following the November 2nd thru 3rd Fed meeting, but with news coming from sources close to the Fed that the stimulus may not approach that monetary vicinity; it has put additional pressure on the equity market. Energy stocks were hit the hardest after the Oil inventory report showed a 5 million barrel growth in U.S. stockpiles. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down over a 100 points by mid-morning trade to 11,057, while the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index moved down to 1,175 and the NASDAQ Composite fell off to 2,488. 378 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=374 The U.S. Dollar weakens after this weekend’s G-20 meeting as it hits a 15-year low against the Japanese Yen. G-20 members agreed to avoid a currency war and not to adopt a strategy of ‘competitive devaluation’. With more talk of QE2 (quantitative easing part 2), the value of the dollar continues to drop as the Fed will most likely issue new bond purchases to inject more money into the system during their November meeting. U.S. stocks climbed, partially in reaction to the falling dollar and a boost by a jump in sales of existing homes. By mid-day trade the Dow was at 11,173, the S&P 500 index at 11,184, and the NASDAQ at 2,494. 374 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=375 Current high supplies and clement weather is continuing to weigh on the price. Natural gas in U.S. storage for the week ended Oct. 15 stood at 3.683 trillion cubic feet, approximately 8.4% above the five-year average and about 1.3% below last year's numbers... 375 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=376 After a 5.00 plus move from late 2007 to present, this market has stalled and is currently forming a topping formation similar to 2003-2004, the last time we cut short term interest rates this drastically. Even though there is current talk of QEII coming to our door step in a matter of days, easing rates even more than the current minuscule number, we believe the FED is erring to the side of re-inflating the economy as opposed to having to fight deflation... 376 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=377 377 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=371 Stock fell, as the Dow dropped over 130 points in early trading and stayed in that range through mid-morning. The Dow was trading at 11,025, the S&P 500 at 1,175 and the NASDAQ at 2,450 as poor earnings forecasts from Apple along with iPad sales that missed their mark helped to drag the market down. Additionally, the MSCI World Index, the indexes that gauges equities in developing nations, was down from a six-month high and China surprisingly raised interest rates sending the US Dollar higher. 371 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=373 373 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=367 U.S. Equities see little movement ahead of earnings reports. The rally seems to have briefly slowed as talks of Quantitative Easing are out of the headlines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at 11,021, the S&P 500 at 1,167 and the NASDAQ at 2,409 by mid-day trade. On Friday October 8th the Dow closed above 11,000 for the first time since May 3, even though a sub-par jobs report was released, seemingly increasing investors' confidence that the Fed will take action to support the economy when it meets in early November. From now until after the elections, investors seem focused on earnings. 367 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=368 368 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=364 U.S. stocks rose sharply on some positive nonmanufacturing data from the ISM as well as the Bank of Japan's surprise move to pump more funds into economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 163 points to 10,917 by mid-morning, easily erasing Monday's 78-point drop. The NASDAQ Composite rose to 2,394 and the S&P 500 index surged above the key resistance level of 1,150 to trade at 1,158 during the same time frame. Also helping sentiment, the Bank of Japan unexpectedly announced it will buy more Bonds in its version of quantitative easing and simultaneously cut its key overnight call rate to a range of 0.0%-0.1%, which is virtually zero. 364 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=365 365 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=363 On the last day of the month, and the quarter, U.S. stocks moved higher early after encouraging manufacturing and jobs data. However, the market pared gains into mid-morning trade with concern as Moody’s downgrades Spain and European debt issues begin to mount again. The U.S. major indexes were all down with the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the red at 10,770, the S&P 500 at 1141.40, and the NASDAQ at 2361. Although September’s gain still brought the benchmarks back into positive territory for the year, the market has lost a bit of momentum in the past week. 363 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=361 U.S. stocks fell early Tuesday as weaker-than-expected reports on consumer confidence and manufacturing added to investor concerns about the health of the economy. However, they pared early losses and began to rally as the market entered into mid-morning trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 10,848, the S&P 500 Index at 1,145 and the NASDAQ at 2,373 even with the poor news. There seems to be a lot of emotion in trading as investors jockey between poor economic news and speculation that we are close to a continued recovery. 361 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=360 U.S. stocks surged, putting the market on pace for its fourth-straight weekly gain as readings on housing and capital spending by businesses pointed toward a stabilizing economy and helped spur on investor’s appetite for risk. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped over 180 points by mid-morning trade and stood firm at 10,842. All 30 of the measure's components rose, and the Dow is on track to have a typically unusual September rally if prices hold, which would actually be its biggest September gain since 1939. The S&P 500 was also up to 1,146 and the NASDAQ to 2,370 as risk seemed to be entering back into the equities market despite poor jobs numbers and mixed economic reviews from the FOMC earlier in the week. 360 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=356 U.S. stocks wavered between small gains and losses in a tight trading range as investors treaded cautiously ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy announcement. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up eight points early but fell back to 10,734 by mid-morning; the NASDAQ Composite fell to 2,348, and the S&P 500 to 1,139. Investors remain focused on the Fed's policy announcement, due at 2:15 p.m. EST. The main question is whether the Fed will make any further moves to spur economic growth. 356 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=353 Recent positive growth numbers from China, their strengthening currency against the U.S. Dollar and the weaker U.S. Dollar index have supported a September rally in the stock market. However, U.S. stocks remain stuck on a yo-yo string today as disappointing consumer confidence numbers served up some cold coffee to seemingly stall the market move as consumer sentiment fell to a one-year low. By mid-morning trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at 10,587, the S&P 500 index was trading at 1,124, and the NASDAQ was barely holding on to gains at 2,311. Consumer data served as a bit of a slap in the face to investors who had become quite optimistic in response to the recent positive economic news. 353 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=351 September is typically the worst month for U.S. equities market, but in a stark change from August, September’s tone seems to have turned more positive post-labor day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained to 10,450, the S&P 500 to 1,108 and the NASDAQ to 2,243 following reports that the number of people filing for unemployment benefits dropped more than expected and the U.S. trade deficit narrowed. Following strong Bond sales in Europe yesterday, investor fears seem to be temporarily abated in this, the real first week of September trading. Additionally, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. trade deficit contracted sharply in July, which is its biggest drop in 17 months, as exports of airplanes surged and imports fell. However, next week’s reports may be much more important ... 351 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=349 Successful Portuguese and Polish bond sales quelled yesterday’s Eurozone fears that helped pressure the market down and drove the market to an early rebound. By mid-morning trade the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at 10,417, the S&P 500 Index at 1,101, and the NASDAQ at 2,232 as optimism seemed to creep into the market ahead of the Fed’s Beige Book Report and Obama’s discussion of business stimulus, both due later in the trading day. 349 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=348 U.S. stocks declined today, especially in the financial sector as questions regarding the strength of the European bank stress tests have again put the region’s strength into question. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down to 10,377, the S&P 500 index to 1,095 and the NASDAQ to 2,218 by mid-morning trade. The Dow has now moved back into losing territory for the year as the U.S. equity market continues to jockey between gains and losses, largely in response to economic news. 348 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=347 U.S. stocks rose early in a reaction to an unexpected climb by 5.3% in pending sales of existing U.S. homes. However, they faded and remained range bound through mid-morning as the news seemed to struggle to be digested along with expected poor jobs numbers and a continuing build in U.S. inventories. By mid-morning the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at 10,275, the S&P 500 at 1,085 and the NASDAQ at 2,190. However, there still seemed to be an overall feeling from traders that we are still in for a long recovery as U.S. factory orders rose less than expected in July, U.S. productivity fell more than expected in the second quarter, and the level workers filing for jobless claims last week all point to continuing underlying issues. Tomorrow’s monthly unemployment data will be critical and early estimates suggest that unemployment is set to rise to 9.6%. 347 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=346 Strong manufacturing data helped overshadow poor jobs data to start September off on a strongly positive note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rocketed over 240 points to 10,257 by mid-morning trade, the S & P 500-stock index moved to 1,078 and the NASDAQ moved to 2,173. The movement comes after U.S. manufacturing activity expanded in August for the 13th straight month, with the ISM manufacturing PMI beating expectations to rise to 56.3, from 55.5 in July. However, the reaction to the report, especially after the Fed continues to voice concern over the recovery, may be a bit of an over-reaction. Along with the positive ISM report, there was a poor ADP jobs report, and a build in inventories. Still today's report seems to have been taken as positive and includes strength in both exports and imports and an increase in prices paid. 346 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=343 General headline news U.S. stocks erased early losses as a better-than-expected reading of consumer confidence gave a bit of an early boost. However, the Dow has shed nearly 4.1% this month, which is its first down August in five years and one of the worst Augusts in nearly a decade. Investors seem edgy, waiting for the Fed minutes which will be released today at about 2 PM EST. 343 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=345 With sugar in deficit over the past two years and increased planting worldwide finally taking hold, witness India (#2 exporting country) exporting for the first time since the shortage as expectations for a surplus this upcoming season are high and rising... 345 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=338 In early trading the Dow fell sharply and was down just over 102 points after the Durable goods orders were quite disappointing in July, increasing only 0.3% instead of the expected 3% rise. Investor’s fears continue as the slowdown in the U.S. recovery is becoming more evident each day. However, the U.S. equities markets pared their early losses, but still remained in the red in a little more than an hour into the trading session. The Dow was trading at 10,014, the S&P 500 at 1,046 and the NASDAQ at 2,118 as early market reactions subsided a bit. Adding to the poor durable goods orders was the unexpected drop in new homes sales of 12.4%, which is a dismal figure and brings annualized sales down to 276,000. It is the same story that has continued to weigh on market sentiment; with the effects of stimulus coming out of the economy... 338 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=340 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 340 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=339 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 339 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=335 Analysts say that the jobs report has been shown to hold five times as much weight as any other economic report released. Today, we see a prime example of the effect the jobless rate continued to have on the U.S. economy as equities tumbled following a poor jobs report that was much worse than expectations predicted. Jobless claims rose to the highest level in almost a year to 500,000 and the Philadelphia Fed Survey fell, both signaling slowing U.S. growth and the continued discussion of a double-dip recession. The Dow was down 165 points to 10,250 by mid-morning trade, and the other major indexes followed with the S&P 500 posting a 20 point loss to trade at 1,074 and the NASDAQ losing 40 points to 2,175. Two points that are very troublesome regarding the jobs report are that it greatly surpassed estimates of a rise to 480,000 and that for the economy to stand a chance to recover economists project the rate needs to drop to at least 350,000 before any serious headway can be made. 335 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=330 Five days of stock declines were alleviated in yesterday’s trading session with a strong rally that has reversed course again today as U.S. equities declined in early trade. The Dow Jones index was trading at 10,351, the S&P 500 index at 1,088 and the NASDAQ dropped to 2,204 points in a cautious reaction to the end of second quarter earnings season while traders search for direction. There was no significant economic news being released today, so traders were forced to digest yesterday’s news and look to earnings to set the tone for the day. Many of the earnings were mixed across different sectors, and the market continued to trade lower through mid-morning. 330 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=331 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 331 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=327 Positive investor sentiment in today’s trading was evident well before the opening bell based on some stronger than expected economic data from the manufacturing sector and earnings reports from Home Depot and Wal-Mart. The Dow was up early, and then rallied over 130 points to 10,432 by mid-morning trade. Other major U.S. indexes followed suite with the S&P rallying to 1,095 and the NASDAQ to 2,214 during the same time period in the trading day. Economic data released today seemed to quell recent fears of deflation and served as a bright spot in what has been a week of negative news coming from the economic front. Both Home Depot and Wal-Mart’s stock price rose as their respective earnings pictures improved. Home Depot’s earnings climbing 6.8% and Wal-Mart’s profit rising 3.6% ... 327 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=328 Looking back at 2005 and 2009’s spike rallies in coffee, the market rallied earlier in the year before selling off at year’s end. We believe once the critical supply of Central America’s-- particularly Columbia’s high quality washed Arabica beans which are currently in short supply... 328 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=329 After nearly doubling in price (hitting a two year high) since the middle of June due to the severe drought in Russia and Eastern Europe, including a ban on Russian exports for the rest of the year-- wheat has pulled back significantly on what is presumed to be a stockpile here in the U.S. that... 329 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=323 In a twist to the recent trend, U.S. equity markets shrugged off some poor economic news early and gained some ground in the face of weaker news from the materials sector. After being down almost 1% shortly after the open, the major indexes all mounted an advance as the Dow was trading at 10,294, the S&P at 1,078 and the NASDAQ at 2,182 by mid-morning trade. However, trading was quite choppy as the major indexes vacillated between minor profits and losses as traders didn’t seem like they were confident in their sentiment. One thing that most investors have been able to agree upon is the tremendous level of underlying uncertainty continuing to fuel trade. Aided by poorer than expected New York manufacturing numbers, poor U.S. housing news, and less than optimistic GDP information coming from Japan, the concern regarding the slowing global growth continues to gain momentum. 323 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=324 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 324 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=321 Firm data, weak data, stock market up, stock market down. Consumer is happy, consumer is sad, Dollar is the green, Dollar is in the red. It feels like the market commentary should be written by Dr. Suess these days. After the slew of poor economic news this week, a glimmer of hope coming for gains in retail sales, rising consumer confidence and a CPI report showing a less deflationary tone in the economy helped to prop the market up early. However, the very modest gains turned to modest losses and the market turned into the red by mid-morning trade. The Dow was trading at 10,296, the S&P at 1,079 and the NASDAQ at 2,177. Consumer confidence came in at a reading of 69.6, which was above July’s reading of 67.8, but still weak and well below June’s reading of 76. Retail sales increase 0.4%, which was still below the 0.5% predicted by analysts and still quite soft. Finally, the CPI report showed modest price growth with a 0.3% rise in core inflation... 321 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=322 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 322 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=318 Poor news continues to batter the markets and U.S. equities continued their slide today as the Dow touched 10,300 early on news of an unexpected jump in jobless claims to a five-month high and revenue forecasts from Cisco missed their mark. U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly climbed last week to 484,000, which is further evidence that the recovery is losing steam, and Cisco posted much weaker than expected quarterly revenue and failed to meet projections. The Dow was trading at 10,320 my mid-morning and the S&P broke down to 1,083. Adding to U.S. market woes, markets in Europe and Asia were also taken lower based on recovery concerns, lower industrial production and the announcement by the Bank of England that their economy may need further stimulus. If that wasn’t enough, Spain was back in the news as they face a second wave of crisis coming ... 318 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=319 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 319 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=316 If we needed a theme for today, it would be “Run from fear to safety”. More poor economic news today mixed with a less than optimistic stance from the Fed yesterday helped push the U.S. equity indexes deep into red territory in early morning trading. Although the FOMC announced that they will be taking proceeds from expiring mortgage bonds and purchasing Treasurys in order to help stimulate the lagging economy, traders obviously did not take the news as positive. The attitude is that global economic growth is slowing, positive corporate earnings have really been a result of cost cutting rather than top-line performance, and consumption is waning. With all the poor news hitting yesterday and today, it created extreme pressure on the market and sparked accelerated selling into mid-morning trade. The Dow was down 215 points to 10,428, the NASDAQ was down over 62 points to 2,214, and the S&P 500 broke the psychological support of 1,100 and was trading at 1,094.30. 316 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=341 Dissatisfying unemployment report last Friday initially sent the Dow Jones dropping 160 points, however it recovered by the end the day falling off a measly 21 points to settle at 10,653.56. The Dow finished down today 265.42 points at 10378.83. All 30 Dow components sold off with riskier financial and industrial stocks descending the most. Negative data and central bank messages from the U.S., Asia and Europe helped press global growth fears... 341 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=313 Anxiety seems to be the attitude emanating from investors today as discouraging data from the U.S. and China add to the uncertainty regarding what will be said in today’s FOMC meeting. The Dow was down early and stayed down as it traded at 10,583 through mid-morning trade, the S&P was down 13 points to 1,114, and the NASDAQ was down 36 points to 2,268. The trade surplus unexpectedly climbed to a one-and-a-half year high in China as exports grew and imports tightened in a reaction to the recent Chinese economic policies. This data further puts pressure on the Chinese government to allow their Yuan to appreciate to a fair market value in order to achieve a balance of trade that is more globally equitable. News from the U.S. did not help the situation as retail sales slipped another 0.2%, worker productivity declined 0.9%, labor costs rose 0.2%, and wholesale inventories rose.... 313 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=315 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 315 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=310 Investors seem to be looking to the Fed to help boost the recent rally. A slew of disappointing economic news over the past few weeks, including poor unemployment data last Friday has actually injected some optimism among market participants. Why the optimism in the face of a sluggish recovery and poor news? It seems that investors are now banking on the Fed to save Wall St. yet again. Poor economic news and a tepid recovery in the U.S. has led the Fed to use language suggesting that another stimulus will be in order if the economy can’t improve on its own. Based on the markets reaction today in the face of no positive news to speak of, many hope that time is now. In early trading the Dow was up 33 points to boost the index to 10,696, the S&P was up 3 points to 1,124, and the NASDAQ was up 8 points to 2,296. Tomorrow’s FOMC meeting will be quite pivotal because if the Fed isn’t careful in their language, it could send the market on a downward spiral. 310 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=311 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 311 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=305 Poor unemployment reports from the U.S. and Canada weighed the markets down in early trading as worries continue regarding the strength of the economic recovery. The U.S. economy lost many more jobs than expected and, perhaps in even harsher news, June’s numbers were revised downward as well. Overall payroll jobs in July declined 131,000, well above the projected 70,000 forecast, and the June numbers were revised to 221,000 jobs lost. Adding to the economic pressure in North America were the Canadian unemployment numbers that reported 9,300 jobs lost in July. With a population 1/10 the size of the United States, one can extrapolate Canada’s numbers to a comparable 93,000 jobs lost in the U.S. News coming from the respective labor boards is clearly negative and the Dow traded lower by over 130 points to 10,541, the S&P 500 lower by over 15 points to 1,110 and the NASDAQ lower by over 31 points to 2,261 by mid-morning trade. 305 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=306 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 306 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=303 “As the Pendulum Swings”, a new drama brought to you by your friends at Wall St… although it sounds like the promo for a new show in the Fall lineup, it has become the theme since earnings season began and today is no exception. U.S. equities fell today as an unexpected rise in weekly jobless claims gave investors’ pause for concern ahead of tomorrow’s monthly jobs report. By mid-morning trading the Dow was down almost 60 points and trading at 10,624.05 while the S&P was down 7.50 trading at 1,119.75. These declines erased yesterdays move as investors continue to search for value amidst a tornado of mixed economic news. It is not the headwinds we are facing that are so daunting, because they can be prepared for, but the winds that keep on hitting us from the side; those are the ones that knock you down unexpectedly. 303 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=304 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 304 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=301 Better than expected jobs numbers and expansion in the U.S. non-manufacturing sector were met with an early rally as the Dow edged toward 10,700. However, the market pared its gains into mid-morning trade as it still seems to be searching for a clear trend. Not surprisingly, the early rally was led by stocks in the consumer discretionary and material stocks sectors as a reaction to the reported numbers. The ISM non-manufacturing index rose to 54.3 which is an improvement over June’s 53.9 reading and surpassed the consensus estimate of 53. Any number over 50 suggests expansion and is thought of as a good sign of economic growth. Maybe the strongest number coming from the report was the rise in employment, which has been lagging behind the other numbers through the recovery. Since the financial crisis began, jobs reports have been looked to more than any other indicator and the 42,000 jobs added from June to July in the non-farm private sector were much stronger than expected... 301 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=302 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 302 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=337 Dow Jones reversed a 120 point decline last Friday to close out a heady month that added 691.92 points or 7.1% to the blue-chip index, the best month in a year. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained 6.9% in July. The month's stock gains were stimulated by a stellar set of second quarter earnings. Earnings have been better than most people expected... 337 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=298 U.S. equities declined early on some weak consumer data including reports from the housing and manufacturing sectors along with disappointing earnings from Proctor & Gamble and Dow Chemical. Weighed down early, the Dow was trading at 10,610, following yesterday’s 200 point rally to start the month of August off on a strong note. Pending home sales index fell 2.6% in June to 75.7, and the year-over-year index is down 18.6%. The National Association of Realtors voiced major concern that near-term sales of existing homes are likely to be sharply lower now that government stimulus is gone. In addition, factory orders fell 1.2% in June, following a 1.8% drop in May. The full set of data shows declines across many other categories in both capital and consumer goods as consumer spending softened again in the latest report. 298 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=299 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 299 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=295 As we continue to witness the tug of war in between corporate earnings and economic data, we are basically still at a stalemate to this point in the summer earnings season. The U.S. equities markets got an early boost when Exxon released stronger than expected earnings along with the release of some strong Economic data from Europe as European stocks also rose with companies like Telefonica and Cap Gemini reporting increased earnings and European consumer confidence climbing to the highest level in more than two years (which is something we have not seen here in the U.S). Boosted over 75 points within the first 10 minutes of trading it looked like the U.S. equities market was poised to regain the losses suffered in the previous day’s trade. 295 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=296 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 296 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=291 Pressure on blue chips and slowing orders helped to weigh down the market in early trading as Boeing missed forecasts and durable goods orders dropped. Although earnings were actually mixed today, Boeing’s profit fell 21% in the second quarter with weaker revenue. Also weighing on the market was poor news from the manufacturing sector which saw a slow down in June. New factory orders haven’t screeched to a halt like they did following the onset of the financial crisis, but they fell another 1% this month. July’s drop is on the back of a similar drop in June, and fell short of expectations that were actually predicting a 1% rise. 291 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=292 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 292 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=317 Stocks soared last Thursday as corporations registered strong earnings, adding to a surprise uptick in euro-zone economic activity and spurring demand for commodities. Dow Jones closed up 201.77 points, or 2%, at 10322.30, expunging Wednesday's 109 point stumble. Bellwethers Caterpillar, United Parcel Service and 3M rose after issuing better than expected earnings... 317 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=289 Early earnings reports from DuPont and host of other companies boosted the market at the open. DuPont reported that second-quarter profit almost tripled and revenue actually increased. The Dow Jones was trading above 10,550 and looked as if was heading toward another gain. There have never been four consecutive days of triple digit gains in the Dow, so bulls were crossing their figures that continued strong earnings would change that statistic. However, the optimism was sucked out of the market as the day wore on when the disappointing consumer confidence index came in at 50.4, dropping from 54.3 in June. Analysts projected the July number to come in at 51.0, so positive sentiment in the U.S. equities does not seem to be spilling over to the consumer. With the consumer accounting for about 70% of the U.S. economy, and most current earnings coming from cost cutting and not top-line growth, it still appears the recovery is continuing to hit speed bumps. 289 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=290 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 290 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=285 U.S. equities were positive in early trading on raised earnings forecasts by Fed-ex, which raised its earnings estimate from a range of $0.85 to $1.05 to a range of $1.05 to $1.25. Improved earnings in shipping stocks like UPS and Fed-ex are a positive sign that there is growth in the economy and are often looked to as a clue that recession pressures are easing. Up about 20 points in early morning trading, the Dow really didn’t start its rally until the housing numbers showed a rise in new home sales for June that was more than forecast. Although we keep bouncing off the bottom, this is the first real positive news we have seen from the housing numbers since the expiration of the housing tax credit. With new home sales rising 24% in June, up from the 37% decline in May, investors are hoping the jump is a sign that the housing slump may be coming to an end. The market liked the news and the Dow was up to 10,493, the S&P up to 1111.75, and the NASDAQ at 2,287 by mid-morning trade. 285 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=286 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 286 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=282 U.S. Stocks fluctuated in early trading as a mixed earnings continued to add to the air of uncertainty in the market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped in early trading to 10,299, but rebounded to 10,357 ahead of the release of the European bank stress test results, which came out at Noon EST. As the stress tests were released, news that BNP Paribas, Socgen, And BPCE all passed the tests boosted the market almost instantly as the Dow began to rally to 10,373, but then pared gains quickly and dropped into the red within ten minutes of the first release of the tests. One of the major concerns still seems to be the lack of transparency in the tests because apparently sovereign debt loads were not accounted for, leaving analysts with fewer variables to work with to digest the data. 282 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=284 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 284 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=283 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 283 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=279 U.S. equities continue the daily tug-of-war as economic news mixes with earnings reports to create a cauldron of uncertainty. Today stocks surged in early morning trading to a 200 point gain in the Dow and a 25 point gain in the S&P as investors gained confidence from strong U.S. corporate earnings and some good news coming from Europe. Caterpillar, 3M, AT&T, and UPS all reported stellar earnings as these individual stocks rose and helped propel the rally. Investors tend to look toward these specific stocks as a barometer of how well the economy is doing. With these gains, even today’s bigger-than-expected rise in weekly U.S. jobless claims and yesterday’s comments by Fed Chairman Bernanke that more support may be needed to help the economy couldn’t discourage investors as they capitalize on positive earnings news. 279 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=280 Since early May we have seen a myriad of U.S. data points reflecting weaker readings, talk of China (engine of global growth) slowing down, confidence in the global economy waning and concern of another recession on the horizon has started to take hold in the equity markets. As we topped out in late... 280 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=277 This morning investors were welcomed with the signing of FinReg by President Obama. What we do know is that Dodd-Frank Bill that was signed into law today is the biggest overhaul of the U.S. financial-regulatory system since the Great Depression. We also know that one of the main tenants of the bill was designed for consumer protection and to limit the banks’ ability to risk consumer deposits in high risk CDOs. What we don’t know is what all the details are that lie within the 2,300 page document. The signing of the new legislation didn’t affect the market early as it bounced on strong earning from the financial sector. Morgan Stanley rose nearly 10% after posting a surge in second-quarter profit that topped analysts' estimates and Wells Fargo added 4.9% as their second-quarter earnings rose 12%, also beating estimates. The impact of future tightened regulation for banks obviously did not curb investor enthusiasm as strong earnings for that sector led to strong early gains. 277 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=307 Last week’s labor department's report on prices, combined with a separate report from the University of Michigan showing that consumer sentiment worsened, sent stocks tumbling. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 261.41 points to 10097.90. Every Dow component was down... 307 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=274 The pendulum keeps swinging and the U.S. equities markets are down today after revenue missed analysts’ estimates at Goldman Sachs, IBM, and Texas Instruments. News from Goldman weighed most heavily because it is the most profitable firm in Wall Street history, and if there is a wrench in the gears at Goldman, the perception changes for the rest of the market. With a gain on Monday after investors seemed to be impressed with the Goldman’s SEC settlement, the mood changed today as Goldman tumbled 2.6% to start the day. Adding to the Goldman slide, there was a triple digit loss in the Dow on the onset of trading, before it pared some losses and stabilized to 10,075 into the first part of trading. As investors seek for value they not only have to digest poor news from some of the key financial companies, but also the disappointing housing starts. 274 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=275 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 275 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=271 After a rocky start to summer earnings season last week, it looks like this week brings no relief to the landscape. U.S. stocks were up early in today’s session when better than expected earnings from Delta and Halliburton were announced, only to be brought back down as weaker housing sentiment overshadowed the favorable earnings news. The Dow Jones fell back into the red fallowing sentiment numbers and it looked as if it was going to be another down day for U.S. equities. Sticking with the recent trend, stocks rose throughout the day and the Dow hung around 10,125 points for most of the later half of the trading day. With no major economic news out, Financials and Utilities gaining strength, and very light volume in the U.S. equities market it really looks like investors are waiting for the next wave of earnings and economic data before any large bets are placed. 271 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=300 Hedge funds scaled back their trading as their second quarter results as a group are the worst in a decade. The current issue of trying to make sense of the recent crosscurrents is providing a confusing picture of what lays ahead, hence the decision to scale back for now... 300 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=269 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 269 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=267 Posting one of the largest one week gains in over a year, the S&P and Dow Jones seem to be taking a bit of a respite from movement today ahead of next week’s earnings reports. Fluctuating on either side of unchanged, investors seem hesitant in their decision making process. It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a sell-off today as investors may wish to lock in some of the profits they achieved during this week’s bull bounce. Rising expectations lifted the market this week and if expectations are not met we may be set for another descent in this roller coaster of trading. However, if expectations are exceeded, hold on to your hats and glasses because we may be set for another sharp leg up. 267 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=268 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 268 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=266 There is continued optimism in the U.S. equities markets as stocks extend their rally on some positive economic and employment news coming from the U.S., Australia, and Canada. In early trading the Dow is up over 40 points and is trading above 10,000 at 10,060 and the S&P is trading above the critical technical level of 1,040 points and is trading at 1,062. If these indexes stay in the black, it will mark the first three-day rally since April, which would be quite a reversal from the market’s reaction to the economic information we received last week. Money seems to be waiting on the side lines for any good economic data and then jumps from safety to risk. Then, just when the rally is underway, it comes back out. This has been the norm since the market came down from its April highs and we will be looking closely to see if this pattern continues. 266 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=281 GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt stated last week that it is getting harder for foreign companies to carry out business in China, and that the Obama administration hasn't helped as much as its predecessors to increase ties to the business community. Immelt seemed irritated with China and he feels they are trying... 281 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=252 In this, the second official second week of the third quarter, stocks appear to be sustaining a bit of a rally based on a strong earnings forecast in the financials and news of profit growth in retail sales. Profits for S&P 500 companies have been projected higher by State Street analysts and stocks like J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank of America moved up about 2% each in early trading. With recent talk of a possible double-dip recession stemming from high unemployment, poor housing numbers, trouble in Europe, and a slowdown in China the market appears to be looking past poor news to positive summer earnings numbers. With light economic news today, and continued lower volume many traders are attributing this two-day run up to a technical rally as traders attempt to capitalize on perceived value. 252 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=253 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 253 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=248 Today’s early morning trading extended a nice welcome back gift to the U.S. equities markets as raised expectations for corporate earnings, signs of strength in Europe’s banking system, and positive expectations of the $22 billion initial stock offering by the Agricultural Bank of China helped to boost the Dow Jones into a triple digit rally. The Dow was up as high as 9,858.13 as post holiday buying helped to ease some of the losses incurred last week. However, by mid-day the Dow pared its gains, but was still up about 77 points and was trading in a range of 9,755 to 9,765 as continued concern with last week’s data supporting a sluggish economic recovery came back into the forefront of trader’s minds. 248 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=250 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 250 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=244 It seems as though everyone took a break from World Cup Soccer (or football, depending on your geographic location) long enough to hold their breaths for this morning’s jobs report. For those watching the floor, you could have heard a pin drop as the numbers were coming across the screen. Much like after a missed penalty kick that would have sent the game into extra time, there seemed to be a bit of an anti-climactic reaction from traders as the tepid jobs report really didn’t tell us more than we already knew. 244 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=245 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 245 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=246 After the Euro dropped below 1.1900 in early June, this market has rallied above the daily charts two month downtrend line today, but is still in a defined downtrend from late last year on the weekly chart. The Euro has now rallied up on dwindling pre-holiday volume due to a short covering rally based on a successful Spanish Bond auction today along with... 246 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=241 As we enter the third quarter, questions abound regarding the health of the global economic recovery and the markets are reacting. We see a massive sell-off across the markets in reaction to some key negative economic data. In the last three months, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen over 10%, which is its worst quarter since the first quarter of 2009. The new theme of the economy seems to be a weakening demand for industrials and the growth sectors, continued high unemployment, poor housing numbers and economic weakness in China and Europe; all leading to put more downward pressure on an already slackening recovery. 241 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=242 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 242 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=239 Today is the last trading day of the quarter and the U.S. Equity market was marginally up following yesterday’s steep decline and the Dow Jones hovered in the 9,875 range for much of the trading day. Yet, there were declines into the red throughout the day, as the market just couldn’t seem to digest the continued mixed news that came across the wire. A better-than-expected 59.2 reading of Chicago Purchasing Index, which barely eclipsed estimates of 59.1, helped boost industrial stocks in early trading. In addition, there was finally some positive news coming out of Europe that helped to strengthen the financials and ease continuing concern regarding their debt woes when the demand for funding for the ECB’s three month lending program fell short of expectations... 239 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=240 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 240 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=265 Investors and traders stated that trading in stocks was fairly light this week as some of the moves could be attributed to fund managers positioning their books ahead of the quarter end (traditional window dressing). The Dow Jones fell 2.6% yesterday to... 265 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=235 Two weeks ago we said that if you want answers, look to the East. Today, we may not be getting the answer we wanted as Global growth fears are fueled by slowing Chinese growth prospects. The Chinese Conference Board revised its April leading indicator down, contributing to a sharp fall in Chinese equities which spilled over into the European and U.S. markets. With the recent announcement of a ‘controlled float’ of the Chinese Yuan, many thought that the Chinese growth prospects combined with the increased value of their currency would help to support Global growth. Unfortunately, for the moment, it looks like those prospects have dampened a bit. 235 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=236 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 236 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=233 G-20, Hurricanes brewing, consumer spending, profit taking in Gold; and that is just news coming out of the first hour of the trading day. It was a busy weekend in Toronto with their hosting of the G-20 meeting. It could be one of the most relevant meetings since the ones held in 2008 following the onset of the global economic crisis that decimated the stock and housing markets, and stoked investor fears. After two years of global economic stimulus, it seems as if the wealthiest 20 countries want to wean themselves off of stimulus by changing course into promoting austerity measures... 233 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=234 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 234 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=230 Consumer confidence is up, and the market is down. That is what can be seen in early trading on this, the last Friday of the second quarter, keeping with the recent theme of conflicting news leading to volatility in the market. The Consumer confidence number coming out of Michigan increased to 76 in June from 73.6 in May, slightly surpassing analysts’ expectations of an increase to 75.5. Although a bit of a bright spot among the poor economic news coming in from the rest of the week, the rise in confidence did not seem to transfer into a boost in the market. 230 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=231 Andre Julian, CFO, gives daily market commentary 231 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=232 After dropping to the .9220 level late last month this market has rallied to a high of .9857 on the 21st of June. Canadian dollar has been in an uptrend since July of last year and we are looking for it to eventually head back to parity, last seen in April of this year. Market has now retraced to key Fibonacci levels (utilizing the before-mentioned high and low) as well as holding a short term uptrend line... 232 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=228 U.S. economic data continues to be mixed and the Dow reacted by dropping over 120 points in early trading to almost 10,175. Weekly jobless claims fell more than expected by 19,000 to 457,000 in the week ending June 19th, which is normally good news. However, much of the jobs data seems to be tainted by the census employment numbers and the expiration of jobless benefits by people who have exceeded their maximum benefits and who are no longer eligible to re-apply. Additionally, the market is still concerned with the state of the economy and the future prospects of job growth. Therefore, the numbers are not necessarily being viewed as completely positive. 228 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=229 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary 229 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=226 We felt the housing numbers would be weak, just not as astronomically weak as they were. New home sales numbers from May show the sales dropped off a cliff to a record low of 300,000 as the government tax credit for home purchases expired. Government stimulus continues to be the engine driving the Global economy over the hill of recession. We saw it with the automobile market once the cash for clunkers program halted, and now we are seeing it with the housing market. Unfortunately, there may be another hill ahead as discussion of a possible ‘double dip’ recession has resurfaced. 226 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=227 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary 227 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=237 Earlier today new home sales for May reported a record low as the tax credit which ended in April weighed heavily on the results. This is a report that needs to be watched carefully for next month’s numbers. If we can’t get a bounce to the upside... 237 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=224 We are at the beginning of a two day Fed meeting and there is an overwhelming sentiment that future inflation is off the radar at the moment and that the Fed will most likely continue their policy of keeping rates near zero. Even though the market seems to believe otherwise, or at the least, be giving a set of divergent opinions. It is important to note that the markets are often the best indicator of true sentiment. The Gold market sustaining a level above $1,200 an ounce and continuing its upward trend is an indicator that we might face headwinds of inflation ahead so a rate hike may be in order. Yet the strong dollar, as compared to other weaker currencies, suggests that inflation is in check and policy should stay as is. At the moment, the Fed seems to be listening to the dollar. 224 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=225 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 225 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=219 As has been the theme for the past week; if you want answers, look to the East. The Chinese Central Bank made an anticipated, yet still surprising, move to allow their currency to start to ‘float’ against the US Dollar. This move sent stocks and commodities up in early trading. Copper was back up over $3.00, Crude Oil hit $79.94 a barrel in the August Futures, and the stock market was up over 1%. 219 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=223 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 223 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=217 Today is quadruple witching day, which occurs the third Friday of the last month of each quarter, and the market can’t seem to commit firmly to a direction. Quadruple witching day is simply the expiration day for the stock index futures, stock index options, stock options, and the single stock futures. Why is this so important? Because, the institutional, proprietary and hedge fund traders usually have heavy positions in the market that are set to expire, and positions that need to be adjusted, so the market tends to increase in volume on this day and market direction really seems to be dictated more by the volume of positions, rather than the sentiment of the overall market. 217 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=218 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 218 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=214 Confusion seems to be the tone of the day as there appears to be a continued divergence between currency influenced movement and underlying concerns of economic weakness. The Labor Department said today that the number of workers filing new unemployment claims as first-time applicants rose by 12,000 last week to 472,000 and the prior week’s numbers were also revised up to 456,000, showing that the economy is continuing to struggle for traction as it becomes increasingly difficult to have a jobless recovery. 214 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=215 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 215 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=220 After bottoming earlier this month we are starting to see this market gather some legs in front of the critical July and August crop maturation. This is the time of year when either the crop yields will get reduced due to potential hot dry weather or it finishes up strong. Market has already factored in a fantastic start to this year’s planting and what looks to be a strong yielding crop... 220 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=222 Earlier today, numbers came out for housing starts and industrial production. Housing start numbers plunged last month, as tax breaks designed to stimulate home buying expired. Probably not going to see a real housing recovery until the foreclosure process gets worked out. Meanwhile, the U.S. industrial sector is providing an unexpected support to growth... 222 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=210 The boost that was given to the housing market with the expired home-buyer tax credit has fallen by the wayside as the US home builders report showed a reduction in construction in May. U.S. housing starts plunged by 10% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 593,000 in May. Single-family housing starts slid 17.2% to an annual rate of 468,000, the lowest level in a year. Paired with a decline in permits for new construction, this news put a damper in the near-term hope that the housing market is rebounding. 210 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=209 Turn around Tuesday was living up to its name today as the Dow was up nearly 150 points by mid-day trading, lead by Energy Stocks, which were fueled by the increase in Crude Oil prices as they broke the $76 level and continue their rebound back into the $80 range. 209 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=204 It seems that the appetite for risk increased during the first half of today’s trading session. Gains in the indexes were seen across the board and were lead by the materials and industrial sectors, which tend to perform well during the recovery cycle of the economy. In addition Crude Oil rose above the $75 level and Gold prices dropped to below $1225 and the US dollar continued to show weakness against the Euro as strong Euro-zone data gave investors reasons to come out of their sanctuaries of recent fear and timidly commit to the global economic recovery. 204 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=216 Andre Julian, CFO gives daily market commentary. 216 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=205 Since October 2008 when front month Euro Dollars fell to the low 95.00’s based on the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which in turn brought both the Commercial Paper market to a near standstill and the Libor (London Interbank Offer Rate) soaring due to banks not trusting each other’s ability to borrow from one another in its overnight setting. Since then the Euro Dollar has steadily climbed, first breaking the 98.50 level before the end of ’08 and then as high as the 99.70’s before settling into the current 99.40’s region. 205 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=207 Monthly unemployment numbers from last Friday’s report came in at an underwhelming 431,000 jobs added. The key private sector rose by only 41,000, the smallest monthly increase since January. The vast majority of the jobs created were for temporary workers hired to conduct the Census. The market didn’t like these numbers... 207 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=206 Weekly uptrend in Yen from August 2008 was broken in March 2010 and with the recent explosive rallies in May, led by the continuing erosion in confidence in the Euro zone and the infamous “Fat Finger Thursday (May 6th)” gave way to an amazing unraveling of the carry trade (short Yen/Long Aussie Dollar). Now that a significant portion of this carry trade has been reduced and a new Prime Minister in place that is pro a weak Yen, look for it drift towards the 105 level. 206 Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=187 With gold hovering in record territory, holdings in SPDR Gold Shares, the world's largest gold exchange-traded fund, rose 3.65 metric tons to a record 1,192.15 tons, according to data on the ETF's website. Investors continue to remain worried over unprecedented measures which may not be enough to contain the euro-zone debt crisis. Gold’s rally has also been fueled by concerns that liquidity being pumped into the global financial system by central bankers, combined with government fiscal spending, eventually will lead to inflation. Current market conditions of an upward trend along with rising volatility, position us to play this market to the upside utilizing a spread to take advantage of this situation. 187 Fri, 07 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=184 Trade Objective: While Moody’s is warning that the U.K. could be downgraded due to its debt load, the conclusion of the U.K. election is just hours away. National exit polls are forecasting the first election since 1974 with no party gaining a majority. Potential for a hung parliament will make it more difficult to deal with the necessary financial reform needed at this critical juncture. Therefore, we recommend taking an aggressive position in our perceived view of a continued erosion of value of the British pound. 184 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=178 With emerging market growth and faster than expected growth in Chinese GDP in the first quarter, Silver has a solid reason for continued strength via production and investment demand. Last week India, one of the largest consumers of Silver will start trading Spot Silver electronically on India’s National Spot Exchange. Their view is investors are looking to park funds in alternative assets and this would offer a perfect place to fill the void. Since Silver’s statistical and implied volatility are near three year lows and nearly one forth from its all-time high in late 2008, this would be good time to go long volatility. Due to an uncertain nature of the current economic recovery and low volatility in Silver, we are recommending to buy a protective put to accompany the long call. 178 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=179 USDA figure for 2010 planted cotton acres increased by 15% versus last year and with its latest price point relatively strong compared to alternative crops-- this should encourage more plantings. Current USDA report earlier this month pegged global consumption to be 15% higher than output and market couldn’t rally on that news. This leaves us to believe current price level has factored in this bullish statement, as well as, steadily rising cotton stocks indicate demand may not be as robust as originally expected. Spike rally over last couple days due to India’s decision to remove itself from the export market temporarily has offered the opportunity to look for a short position. 179 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=177 Spread between front month June Eurodollar and December 2011 Eurodollar is currently at 184.5 basis points reflecting almost a rise of 2% in short term US interest rates between now and December 2011. The current spread between front month (June) and June 2011 is 112 basis points. The difference in time between these two spreads is 6 months. Look for this spread to narrow as we head into fall as long as short term interest rates remain unchanged. 177 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=176 The Stock Indices have been consistently rallying for the last year to where we are over 70% off the lows set last March. Volume has been extremely low and relative strength has been abnormally high creating a situation where the VIX is at the low end of its historical range. This has created a wonderful buying opportunity for puts on the NASDAQ index to take advantage of any downturn. 176 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=175 The live-cattle market has gained nicely since the start of the year due to positive fundamental and technical data. However, we believe the market has over extended its rally and the closer it gets to $1 a pound the more bearish it will become. A 10-year study of price movements suggests that the season high for prices in the physical cattle market occurs in mid-march and should decrease there on after. We could see a 20% pull back from the recent highs over the next 60 days. 175 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=174 Japan has an aging population and the largest debt levels in relation to GDP of all the developed economies. They are an export driven economy and it is vital for the yen to be weak to maintain their exporters competitive advantage against their competitors. The Yen has held strong mainly due to the problems with the other major currencies but as the global economy rebounds we could see a continuation of the carry trade where traders short the yen which yields practically nothing, to go long the Australian dollar which has a much higher yield. 174 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=173 Our overall opinion on Wheat over the next 42 days is neutral to slightly bullish. This is a contrarian outlook compared to the technical indicators. Fundamentally we may see a possible supply issue due to the cold weather seen across the plains which have caused farmer to switch some of their crops from Wheat to Soybeans. This crop reallocation could possibly alter the bearish sentiment. Wheat’s support is at 478.5 and resistance is at 485.25. 173 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=172 Trade Objective: In our opinion unleaded gas has been trading in an upward trend and we believe that over the next 50 days this market could be above $2.25 a gallon. We also think there could be some supply and demand issues going into April as refineries are changing their blends from winter to summer mixes. 172 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=171 Great Britain is burdened with one of the largest levels of debt in relation to GDP of the developed economies in addition to having one of the largest budget deficits. Prior to 2008 banking and real estate were two of the major bulwarks of Great Britain’s economy and after those industries have crashed they don’t have the same level of diversity as the US economy to rebound as quickly. There is gridlock in Parliament as uncertainty about upcoming elections has reduced the likelihood of the government being able to come together to compromise on the necessary government cost cutting measures. 171 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=170 Current key points: IMF currently has 191 tons of gold for sale. Rumor has it that China is very interested. When India purchased 212 tons from IMF last November, gold soared from 1045 to 1227 (17%) in 8 weeks. International hedge fund investor George Soros doubled his gold holdings in the 4th quarter last year. 170 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=169 As many of you have been following in the news there has been a great deal of turmoil in the European Union. These issues pertain to extremely high indebtedness and significant budget deficits. While these issues are not uncommon it is particularly difficult for the EU to adjust because the strong economies like Germany and France are in a much different position than Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland, etc. This means that fiscal policy decisions can have drastically different effects as all of these countries linked by the Euro have different economic needs and interests. 169 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=164 Currently low end of volatility scale over the last couple of years provides a solid entry point. Increased volatility in market will help position considerably. Look for market to head lower towards the 120.00 level (goal) over the next 72 days. 164 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=165 Since volatility levels in this market are at their lowest since 2007 and this market has potential for either a continued move lower or a significant rebound in price; playing both sides of this market would be wise. Looking for a strong continuation of downtrend weighed upon by upcoming record South American harvest. Market support in the upper 230 region could be given and challenge weekly lows around 210 last seen July 2008. However if record size crop can’t weigh on prices during upcoming harvest, potential for a large move higher similar to March ’09 (see chart below) is in play due to world demand, particularly from China. 165 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=166 In the midst of consolidation while trending upward, volatility has been sliding towards 2008 2nd & 3rd quarter lows. This market has the looks of scaling that double top at the .9790’s level while on its way to parity with U.S. dollar. 166 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=167 With both fundamentals and technical analysis pointing towards a further drop in the pound and volatility levels on the higher end of the scale, attacking this market with a bear put spread will reduce risk exposure while still providing a strong risk to reward opportunity. We are looking for this market to challenge 150 the big figure before expiration (last time there was May 2009). 167 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=168 This broad rally we have seen since the beginning of last year is setting up into a bull flag formation while news out of Australia ring true for more interest rate hikes in the coming months. Volatility levels have dropped near one year lows and are now starting to head higher. Believe this market is looking to take out the recent highs (November 2009) on its ascent to the .9500 level. 168 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=163 If you believe that the worst is nearly over, and that a global recovery is on the horizon, you should be prepared for the accompanying inflation. Commodity prices tend to increase during times of global expansion. Traditionally precious metals have been used as a hedge against inflation. 163 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=161 Since May 26, 2009 crude oil has been trading in range between 85 and 65 dollars per barrel. We believe this range should hold over the next 41 days. The last two days of trading have been very volatile which has increased option premiums on both sides of the market and provided this opportunity. 161 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=122 Jeremy Blossom gives a technical overview on the Australian Dollar, Crude Oil, Gold, US 30 year Bonds, Sugar #11, S&P500, and the Dollar Index with buy and sell signals. 122 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=120 Live from the trading floor at OpVest, traders give market updates on pricing and current events effecting commodity prices. 120 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=86 86 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=1 We’re starting this weeks Market Outlook by looking at the “Mother of all markets”. Every market we trade reacts to the changing value in the US Dollar and the reason is simple… 1 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=5 5 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=6 6 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=9 9 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=14 14 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=57 57 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=56 56 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=17 The chart below is a weekly chart of the SP 500 Futures. The yellow lines represent a basic Elliot wave count. As you can see, the price has moved in 5 waves to the down side from the 2007 top. Since the March bottom, the rally has been labeled by Elliot Wave... 17 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=55 55 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=52 52 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=50 50 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=48 48 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=45 45 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=44 44 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=43 43 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=42 42 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=41 41 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=40 40 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=39 39 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=38 38 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=37 37 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=33 33 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=32 32 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=29 29 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=28 28 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=27 27 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=26 26 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=24 24 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=19 There is a major divergence in the Crude Oil Market. Below is a chart that shows crude oil prices rising on a continuation chart, but the volume is dropping off significantly. This is a divergence. A divergence... 19 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=20 July 15 (Bloomberg) — Orange-juice futures rose to a 10- month high on speculation that the next citrus harvest in Florida will be smaller than last season because of acreage loss from disease and real-estate development... 20 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=21 July 16 (Bloomberg) — Natural gas futures surged to their biggest gain in four months after a government report showed a narrowing U.S. stockpile surplus. An inventory increase of 90 billion cubic feet in the week ended July... 21 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=8 The U.S. is presently amidst the most devastating fiscal crisis that we have seen since the great depression. The recent downward spiral in the stock market has shattered investor confidence, and has left portfolios at only fractions of what they were before. The current secular bear market has decimated the past five years of previous... 8 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.opvest.com/research/detail.aspx?itemID=22 Trend Reversal? September Coffee is currently trading at 115.45 Stochastics are indicating that the market may be oversold... 22