The Super Bowl Indicator

The Super Bowl Indicator has an 80% accuracy record. If the NFC wins the market goes up. If the AFC wins the market goes down.

Go Giants!

posted from Bloggeroid

Best January Since 1997

The market had another one of those days, although it started out different. Instead of heading down initially and rallying into the close, stocks opened higher, sold off, then trended up into the close. The January rally was the best since 1997, but the last week has been a little sloppy. The market has been on a nice run, and most folks are looking for a consolidation or pullback. But that can mean this kind of sideways and listless action.

The news flow was somewhat interesting. Getting the blame for the selling was a drop in consumer confidence. Europe also contributed its usual stuff, with optimism over a Greece deal and worry over Portugal. It's always something over there!

I remain about 80% long at this time.

posted from Bloggeroid

Would Jim Rogers Buy Facebook? No!

Would Jim Rogers buy Facebook IPO? No! I can't blame him. The fish are biting, though. The Nasdaq is near 11 year highs as I type. Even today's early morning swoon is met with buyers by the end of the day. Today was similar to Friday, in that any weakness is bought up. That's pretty bullish. Yet, we are extended and at those highs I mentioned early.

Could the Facebook IPO be the end of the rally?

Hmm...

posted from Bloggeroid

#139: News of the day, Romney or Gingrich? Obama vs. Brewer, Retirement in the US

Nintendo Loses $575 Million!

Whoa! Nintendo lost $575 million bucks! Remember when it was hard to find the Nintendo Wii? Or when the handheld Nintendo DS was the handheld game to have. That was years ago, believe it or not. In the meantime, the gaming system has been under pressure by the more powerful Microsoft XBOX 360 and Sony PS3, while the handheld is losing ground to the iPhone and Android phones - tablets, too.

Nintendo is promising Wii U in the Fall, while Microsoft is planning the next generation of the XBOX in 2013.

$575 million dollars . Yikes.

posted from Bloggeroid

The End of DSL?

I read that ATT lost well over 600K DSL subscribers in the 4th quarter of 2011. Now, in 2011 I switched from ATT DSL to ATT U-verse. But it seems that not all of the folks leaving DSL went to U-verse. ATT actually lost customers to cable internet.

People are craving bandwidth for streaming movies, playing games, and surfing the web. All our iPads and Androids consume bandwidth to download music and web content. DSL is just too slow.

I was surprised that more folks weren't signing up for U-verse. But not all homes have fiber to the house, and that sends them to the cable companies to get the bandwidth they need.

posted from Bloggeroid

Quick Market Thoughts

The stock market had been strong this week, but showed a little weakness today. There are lots of news stories floating by. Apple's earnings were amazing. Netflix is the comeback kid. But there have also been a few misses. Europe and Greece and such are still there, but largely ignored this week. The Fed says they're going to keep interest rates low half-way through the 2nd Obama term, or 2014. The President is promising free student loans and cheap refinancing for all.

The stock market looks tired to me. I think we're due for a pullback The Black Box has re-iterated a sell signal. If I was scaling out of stocks, I'd have three sell points at this point

I have reduced my long positions by about 20%, which leaves me - tada! lets do the math together - about 80% long. But I could sell more at any point. Or go back long. Or put the cash on a super bowl bet.

Hmmm.... Does everyone love the New York Giants and the points? Might lean the other way.
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Still struggling through this stupid cold. Cough. Walking the dog but haven't felt up to a podcast or audioboo.