Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Stocks Slightly Higher Mid-day, Led by Energy and Homebuilders

Indices
S&P 500 1,220.00 +.20%
DJIA 10,521.97 +.02%
NASDAQ 2,150.78 +.63%
Russell 2000 661.10 +.86%
DJ Wilshire 5000 12,178.31 +.33%
S&P Barra Growth 584.56 +.28%
S&P Barra Value 631.45 +.16%
Morgan Stanley Consumer 582.77 -.11%
Morgan Stanley Cyclical 735.65 -.08%
Morgan Stanley Technology 498.55 +.37%
Transports 3,700.93 +1.08%
Utilities 400.34 +.35%
Put/Call .85 -16.67%
NYSE Arms 1.00 -18.49%
Volatility(VIX) 13.16 -1.35%
ISE Sentiment 121.00 -37.63%
US Dollar 87.91 -.19%
CRB 318.32 +.24%

Futures Spot Prices
Crude Oil 66.60 +1.35%
Unleaded Gasoline 189.30 +1.88%
Natural Gas 9.84 +1.62%
Heating Oil 184.00 +1.13%
Gold 441.90 -.52%
Base Metals 129.98 -.75%
Copper 162.50 -1.10%
10-year US Treasury Yield 4.17% -.09%

Leading Sectors
Oil Tankers +5.54%
Oil Service +1.96%
Homebuilders +1.84%

Lagging Sectors
Airlines -.91%
Gold & Silver -1.15%
Steel -1.32%
BOTTOM LINE: The Portfolio is slightly higher mid-day on gains in my Medical Information Systems, Internet and Semiconductor longs. I exited by IWM and QQQQ shorts this morning, thus leaving the Portfolio 75% net long. The tone of the market is positive as the advance/decline line is higher, most sectors are gaining and volume is about average. Measures of investor anxiety are mostly lower. Today’s overall market action is positive given the rise in oil. I expect US stocks to trade mixed-to-higher from current levels into the close on short-covering.

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