Paul Shread

It’s been a while since we ran a chart of Gerald Appel’s 10-week Nasdaq/NYSE relative strength indicator (first chart below), and it’s worth running now only because the Nasdaq’s underperformance has worsened rather than improved. At some point, the tech sector will begin to outperform again, but that has yet to happen, and in the […]

Microsoft and Google reported better than expected quarterly results late Thursday, while AMD issued the latest disappointing results from the chip sector. Microsoft shares surged 5% in late trading after the software giant beat Wall Street estimates on both the top and bottom lines. Microsoft’s earnings of 31 cents a share beat estimates by a […]

Another 90% upside day for the NYSE on a Bernanke speech; will this one stick better than the last one? More upside for this rally is certainly possible, but we wouldn’t rule out one more leg lower at some point into the traditional autumn low. One thing is for sure: 10,700 is shaping up to […]

Investors were treated to another round of mixed earnings reports late Wednesday, with Apple and Motorola delivering blow-out results, eBay and Qualcomm meeting estimates, and Intel disappointing once again. Apple shares jumped 7% in late trading after the company reported earnings of 54 cents a share, a dime better than analysts expected. Sales rose 24% […]

Investors looking for clarity on the state of technology earnings will have to wait at least another day after IBM and Yahoo delivered conflicting earnings reports after the bell on Tuesday. Big Blue beat earnings estimates by a penny with $1.29 a share earnings, and sales of $21.89 billion matched estimates. Earnings per share were […]

Stocks finally stabilized today, but now they need to turn higher. Much will depend on technology earnings reports the next few days; the market could break or bounce here. The Nasdaq (first chart below) continues to hold at the major 2000-2025 support level, its low from last October. Today’s “inside day” could mark a potential […]

Investors will turn their attention to technology earnings reports this week, hoping that early warnings of a spending slowdown turn out to be greatly exaggerated. Yahoo and IBM will report their quarterly results after the close on Tuesday. Investors are looking for earnings of $1.29 on sales of $21.89 billion from Big Blue, with sales […]

With data growing fast and managing it a challenge, VCs continue to find much to like in the storage space. Information asset management firm Njini and storage acceleration startup Gear6 are the two most recent recipients of VCs’ largesse. Njini recently closed on a $13 million third round of financing led by Intel Capital, with […]

The best hope for the market here is the bank index (first chart below), which held its 200-day moving average for the second time today, benefiting from the flight to quality in bonds (second chart). Financial and oil stocks are contributing to the relative outperformance of the S&P (third chart). The S&P faces resistance at […]

Stocks fell sharply for the third straight day Friday, as Mideast violence escalated and traders braced for a multitude of earnings reports. After earnings warnings from the likes of EMC , AMD , Lucent and 3M , investors will turn their attention to earnings next week, as reporting season swings into high gear. Yahoo and […]

The Nasdaq (first chart below) continued its underperformance today with a new low for the year; will the rest of the indexes follow? On the plus side, the Nasdaq should have strong support at 2000-2025, but we remain in the weakest months of the four-year cycle until October. To the upside, the first resistance levels […]

Investors found more reasons to sell stocks Thursday, sending the Nasdaq to a new yearly low on rising Mideast tensions, a Wal-Mart downgrade, a Ford dividend cut and disappointing results from SAP . SAP tumbled 7% after new software license sales came in well below estimates, as the business software giant lost market share to […]