Financial Tides -- A Stock Market Investing Newsletter by Jim Van Meerten

Monday, March 3, 2014

BARCHART MORNING CALL 3/3

Monday, March 3rd, 2014View Older Reports

Everything you need to know about the markets in one free daily newsletter.

You will also receive a free subscription to the Barchart family of newsletters.

OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS

March E-mini S&Ps (ESH14 -1.05%) this morning are down -1.10% and European stocks are down sharply by -2.69% after Russian troops seized control of Ukraine's Crimea region. The situation threatens to escalate after Russian servicemen attacked Ukrainian army units in the last 24 hours, according to Ukraine's border guard service. U.S. Secretary of State Kerry is traveling to Kiev after discussing sanctions against Russia, and European Union foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting. The Russian ruble tumbled to a record low, which prompted Bank Rossii, Russia's central bank, to unexpectedly hike the 1-week auction rate, the benchmark rate introduced in Sep, by 150 bp to 7.00%. Asian stocks closed mostly lower: Japan -1.27%, Hong Kong -1.47%, China +0.52%, Taiwan -0.44%, Australia -0.38%, Singapore -0.75%, South Korea -0.82%, India -0.82%. Commodity prices are sharply higher as escalating tension in Ukraine fuel concern that energy and agricultural supplies will be disrupted. Apr crude oil (CLJ14 +2.00%) is up +1.94% at a 5-1/4 month high. Apr gasoline (RBJ14 +1.95%) is up +1.97%. Apr gold (GCJ14 +1.82%) is up +1.73% at a 4-month high on increased safe-haven demand from the Ukraine crisis. May copper (HGK14 -0.71%) is down -0.86% at a 3-1/2 month low after manufacturing activity in China weakened to its slowest pace in 8-months. Agriculture prices are sharply higher with May corn up +3.24% at a 5-3/4 month high and May wheat up +5.35% at a 2-1/2 month high. The dollar index (DXY00 +0.27%) is up +0.24%. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.29%. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.53%. June T-note prices (ZNM14 +0.36%) are up +16 ticks on surge in safe-haven demand as global stocks slump on the Ukraine crisis.
The China Feb manufacturing PMI fell -0.3 to 50.2, a smaller decline than expectations of -0.4 to 50.1, but still the slowest pace of expansion in 8-months. The Feb non-manufacturing PMI rose +1.6 to 55.0.
The German Feb PMI manufacturing index was revised up to 54.8 from the originally reported 54.7.
The Eurozone Feb manufacturing PMI index was revised higher to 53.2 from the originally reported 53.0.
The UK Feb PMI manufacturing index rose +0.3 to 56.9 from an upward revised 56.6 in Jan, a faster pace of expansion than expectations of +0.1 to 56.8.
UK Jan mortgage approvals rose 76,900, more than expectations of 74,500 and the most in 6-years.
UK Jan net consumer credit rose +0.7 billion pounds, right on expectations.

U.S. STOCK PREVIEW

Today’s Feb ISM manufacturing index is expected to show a recovery of +0.7 points to 52.0 after the sharp -5.2 point drop to 51.3 seen in January. Today’s Feb total vehicle sales report is expected to improve to 15.40 million from 15.16 million in January. Today’s Jan personal income and consumption report is expected to be modest and show increases of +0.2% and +0.1%, respectively. Today’s Jan PCE deflator is expected to be unchanged from December at +1.1% y/y. Meanwhile, the Jan core PCE deflator is expected to ease to +1.1% y/y from +1.2% in December. There are 8 of the Russell 1000 companies that report earnins today: Nu Skin Enterprises (consensus $2.01), WP Carey (0.79), Ascena Retail Group (0.21), MBIA (0.17), McDermott International (0.16), URS Corp (0.18), Rockwood Holdings (0.32), Stratasys (0.49).
Equity conferences this week include: Morgan Stanley Utilities Conference on Mon, Citi Korea Investor Conference on Mon, JMP Securities Technology Research Conference on Mon-Tue,
Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on Mon-Thu, Citi Global Property CEO Conference on Mon-Wed, Cowen & Co. Healthcare Conference on Mon-Wed, Raymond James Institutional Investor Conference on Mon-Wed, Credit Suisse Healthcare Conference on Tue, IHS Energy CERAWeek Conference on Tue, UBS Natural Gas Electric Power and MLP Conference, Morgan Stanley European Medtech & Services Conference on Tue-Wed, Canadian Energy Research Institure (CERI) National Gas Conference on Tue, Pacific Crest Emerging Tech Summit conference on Wed, ISI Enterprise Infrastructure Conference on Wed, Mitsubishi Seattle Consumer Conference on Wed, Seattle Consumer Conference on Wed, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Refining Conference on Thu, and Jefferies Industrial Leaders Day on Thu.

OVERNIGHT U.S. STOCK MOVERS

Autodesk (ADSK -3.32%) was downgraded to 'Sell' from 'Neutral' at Citigroup.
Superior Energy (SPN +2.00%) was downgraded to 'Neutral' from 'Buy' at Guggenheim.
Darden (DRI +2.53%) lowered guidance on Q3 EPS to 82 cents, below consensus of 93 cents, citing severe winter weather that undercut restaurant sales.
Tyco (TYC -0.66%) said it will sell its security business in South Korea to Carlyle Group (CG +0.58%) for $1.93 billion.
Intuit INTU=}) was upgraded to 'Buy' from 'Neutral' at Citigroup.
U.S. Cellular (USM -3.81%) and Telephone and Data (TDS -2.36%) were both upgraded to 'Overweight' from 'Neutral' at JPMorgan.
Magna (MGA +2.21%) reported Q4 EPS of $2.03, well above consensus of $1.54.
Bloomberg reported that Las Vegas Sands (LVS +0.14%) said customer data was stolen recently in a cyber-attack on systems at its Pennsylvania property.
Raytheon (RTN +0.33%) was awarded $655.41 million government contract for two PATRIOT fire units and associated initial spares for the military of Kuwait.
In a regulatory filing, billionare investor Carl Icahn disclosed the purchase of an additional 33,515 shares of Herbalife (HLF -1.01%) .
VA Partners reported a 6.6% stake in Dresser-Rand (DRC +0.06%) .
Cooper Tire (CTB +0.08%) reported Q3 EPS of 0 cents, well below consensus of 38 cents, as the company said there was unusual items related to the terminated merger agreement with Apollo Tyres.
Moody's Investors Service raised its outlook on Germany's Aaa government bond rating to stable from negative.
Michael Weiss reported a 15.0% stake in Coronado (CNDO -3.73%) .
River Road Asset reported a 9.2% stake in Miller Energy (MILL +0.73%) .

MARKET COMMENTS

Mar E-mini S&Ps (ESH14 -1.05%) this morning are down sharply by -20.50 points (-1.10%) as escalating tensions in Ukraine prompts a sell-off in global stocks. The S&P 500 on Friday opened lower after U.S. Q4 GDP was revised lower to +2.4% from +3.2%, which was a slightly larger decline than expectations of +2.5%. Stocks recovered and rallied to a fresh record high and closed higher, however, on bullish factors that included (1) the unexpected +0.2 point rise in the Chicago Feb PMI that to 59.8, better than expectations of -3.2 to 56.4, and (2) the +0.4 point increase in the final-Feb University of Michigan U.S. consumer confidence index to 81.6, stronger than expectations of unch at 81.2. Closes: S&P 500 +0.49%, Dow Jones +0.46%, Nasdaq 100 +0.63%.
Jun 10-year T-notes (ZNM14 +0.36%) this morning are up +16 ticks at a 1-month high. Jun 10-year T-note futures prices Friday fell back from a 1-month high and closed lower. Bearish factors included (1) signs of economic growth after the unexpected increases in the Feb Chicago PMI and the U.S. Feb University of Michigan consumer confidence, and (2) the rally in the S&P 500 to a record high, which reduced safe-haven demand for T-notes. Closes: TYM4 -7.00, FVM4 -3.75.
The dollar index (DXY00 +0.27%) this morning is up +0.192 (+0.24%). EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.004 (-0.29%). USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.54 (-0.53%). The dollar index on Friday fell to a 2-month low and closed lower. Negative factors included (1) the rally in the S&P 500 to a record high, which reduced safe-haven demand for the dollar, and (2) strength in EUR/USD, which rallied to a 2-month high after the Feb Eurozone CPI estimate of +0.8% y/y was higher than expectations of +0.7% y/y and dampened speculation the ECB will expand its stimulus measures when it meets on Thursday. Closes: Dollar index -0.594 (-0.74%), EUR/USD +0.00912 (+0.67%), USD/JPY -0.384 (-0.38%).
Apr WTI crude oil (CLJ14 +2.00%) this morning is up +$1.99 a barrel (+1.94%) at a 5-1/4 month high and Apr gasoline (RBJ14 +1.95%) is up +0.0588 (+1.97%). Apr crude and gasoline prices Friday closed higher. Bullish factors included (1) the slide in the dollar index to a 2-month low, (2) the unexpected increase in the Feb Chicago PMI, and (3) the unexpected increase in the U.S. Feb University of Michigan consumer confidence. Gains were limited after U.S. Q4 GDP was revised lower than expected, a sign of weaker energy demand. Closes: CLJ4 +0.19 (+0.19%), RBJ4 +0.0169 (+0.57%).

GLOBAL EVENT CALENDAR03/03/2014

US	0830 ET	Jan personal spending expected +0.1%, Dec +0.4%. Jan personal income expected +0.2%, Dec unch. Jan PCE deflator expected +0.1% m/m and +1.1% y/y, Dec +0.2% m/m and +1/1% y/y. Jan PCE core deflator expected +0.1% m/m and +1.1% y/y, Dec +0.1% m/m and +1.2% y/y.
	1000 ET	Feb ISM manufacturing index expected +0.7 to 52.0, Jan -5.2 to 51.3. Feb ISM prices paid expected -3.1 to 57.4, Jan +7.0 to 60.5. Feb ISM new orders sub-index, Jan -13.2 to 51.2.
	1000 ET	Jan construction spending expected -0.5% m/m, Dec +0.1% m/m.
	1100 ET	USDA weekly grain export inspections.
	n/a	Feb total vehicle sales expected 15.40 million, Jan 15.16 million. Feb domestic vehicle sales expected 11.90 million, Jan 11.94 million.
JPN	0000 ET	Japan Feb vehicle sales, Jan +27.5% y/y.
	2030 ET	Japan Jan labor cash earnings expected +0.3% y/y, Dec +0.5% y/y.
GER	0355 ET	Revised German Feb PMI manufacturing, previous 54.7.
EUR	0400 ET	Revised Eurozone Feb PMI manufacturing, previous 53.0.
	0900 ET	ECB President Mario Draghi speaks at the Quarterly Hearing before the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament.
UK	0430 ET	UK Feb PMI manufacturing expected +0.3 to 57.0, Jan 56.7.
	0430 ET	UK Jan net consumer credit expected +0.7 billion pounds, Dec +0.6 billion pounds.
	0430 ET	UK Jan mortgage approvals expected 74,500, Dec 71,600.
	0430 ET	UK Jan M4 money supply, Dec -1.4% m/m and +0.2% y/y.

U.S. STOCK CALENDAR03/03/2014

Company Name	Ticker	Time	Event Description	Period	Estimate
Nu Skin Enterprises Inc	NUS US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	2.012
WP Carey Inc	WPC US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.79
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc	BMRN US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Stratasys Ltd	SSYS US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Ford Motor Co	F US	3/3/2014	February 2014 Sales and Revenue Release	2014
Ford Motor Co	F US	3/3/2014	February 2014 Sales and Revenue Call	2014
Rockwood Holdings Inc	ROC US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Nu Skin Enterprises Inc	NUS US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
WP Carey Inc	WPC US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Ascena Retail Group Inc	ASNA US	3/3/2014	Q2 2014 Earnings Release	Q2 2014	0.213
Ascena Retail Group Inc	ASNA US	3/3/2014	Q2 2014 Earnings Call	Q2 2014
McDermott International Inc	MDR US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
URS Corp	URS US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
MBIA Inc	MBI US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.17
McDermott International Inc	MDR US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.163
URS Corp	URS US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.175
Rockwood Holdings Inc	ROC US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.321
Stratasys Ltd	SSYS US	3/3/2014	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.494

Friday, February 28, 2014

Abbot Laboratories - Barchart's Chart of the Day

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) is the Barchart Chart of the Day. The pharmaceutical stock has a Trend Spotter buy signal, a Weighted Average of 19.16+ and gained 17.73% in the last year.

The Chart of the Day is Abbot Laboratories (ABT). I found the stock by sorting the All Time High list for new high frequency in the last month, skipped the stocks that didn't have positive gains in the last week and month then used the Flipchart feature to review the charts. Since the Trend Spotter signaled a buy on 2/13 the stock is up 2.74%.

Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. They have a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals.

Barchart's Opinion trading systems are listed below. Please note that the Barchart Opinion indicators are updated live during the session every 10 minutes and can therefore change during the day as the market fluctuates. The indicator numbers shown below therefore may not match what you see live on the Barchart.com web site when you read this report.

Barchart technical indicators:

72% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
17 new highs and up 9.40% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 69.24%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 39.15
Recently traded at 39.78 with a 50 day moving average of 38.19

Fundamental factors:

Market Cap $61.51 billion
P/E 19.60
Dividend yield 2.23%
Revenue expected to grow 3.40% this year and another 5.60% next year
Earnings estimated to increase 9.50% this year, an additional 12.30% next year and continue to increase at an annual rate of 11.70% for the next 5 years
Wall Street analysts issued 5 strong buy, 8 buy, 11 hold and a sell recommendation on the stock
Financial Strength is A++

Long term growth and income pick. Watch the 50 day moving average for weakness and use the 100 day moving average as an exit point.

Anooraq Resources and AK Steel sell signals

This week I deleted Anooraq Resources (ATL) and AK Steel (AKS) from the Barchart Van Meerten Speculative portfolio for negative price momentum.

Anooraq Resources (ATL)

Barchart technical indicators:

60% Barchart short term technical sell signal
Trend Spotter sell signal
Below its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
26.87% off its recent high
Relative Strength Index 43.38%

AK Steel (AKS)

Barchart technical indicators:

80% Barchart short term technical sell signal
Trend Spotter sell signal
Below its 20 and 50 day moving averages
26.80% off its recent high
Relative Strength Index 41.41%

BARCHART MORNING CALL 2/28

BARCHART MORNING CALL

Friday, February 28th, 2014View Older Reports

Everything you need to know about the markets in one free daily newsletter.

You will also receive a free subscription to the Barchart family of newsletters.

OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS

March E-mini S&Ps (ESH14 -0.11%) this morning are down -0.15% and European stocks are down -0.56% ahead of an expected downward revision to U.S. Q4 GDP. German bunds declined and EUR/USD rose after the Eurozone Feb CPI estimate rose a more-than-expected +0.8% y/y, which reduces pressure on the ECB to add to its stimulus measures. Asian stocks closed mixed: Japan -0.55%, Hong Kong +0.04%, China +1.15%, Taiwan closed for holiday, Australia -0.12%, Singapore +0.45%, South Korea +0.05%, India +0.63%. Commodity prices are mixed. Apr crude oil (CLJ14 -0.17%) is down -0.08%. Apr gasoline (RBJ14 -0.36%) is down -0.31%. Apr gold (GCJ14 -0.26%) is down -0.19%. March copper (HGH14 +0.05%) is up +0.11%. Agriculture and livestock prices are mostly higher. The dollar index (DXY00 -0.51%) is down -0.46% at a 2-month low. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is up +0.61% at a 1-3/4 month high as stronger-than-expected Eurozone inflation data dampens speculation the ECB will add to stimulus when it convenes next week. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.22%. March T-note prices (ZNH14 -0.12%) are down -6 ticks.
The Feb Eurozone CPI estimate rose +0.8% y/y, higher than expectations of +0.7% y/y. The Feb core CPI climbed +1.0% y/y, higher than expectations of +0.8% y/y.
The Eurozone Jan unemployment rate was unch at 12.0%, right on expectations.
German Jan retail sales rose +2.5% m/m, better than expectations of +1.0% m/m and the largest monthly gain in 6-3/4 years. On an annual basis, Jan retail sales unexpectedly rose +0.9% y/y, better than expectations of a -1.7% y/y decline.
UK Feb nationwide house prices rose +0.6% m/m and +9.4% y/y, better than expectations of +0.5% m/m and +9.0% y/y with the +9.4% y/y gain the largest annual increase in 3-1/2 years.
Japan Jan industrial production rose +4.0% m/m, the most in 2-1/2 years and stronger than expectations of +2.8% m/m. On an annual basis, Jan industrial production rose +10.6% y/y, stronger than expectations of +9.4% y/y and the most in 1-3/4 years.
Japan Jan retail sale rose +1.4% m/m and +4.4% y/y, better than expectations of +1.3% m/m and +3.8% y/y
Japan Jan national CPI climbed +1.4% y/y, higher than expectations of +1.3% y/y. Jan national CPI ex food & energy rose +0.7% y/y, right on expectations.
The Japan Jan jobless rate was unch at a 6-1/2 year low of 3.7%, right on expectations. The Jan job-to-applicant ratio rose +0.1 to 1.04, right on expectations and the highest in 6-1/2 years.
Japan Jan overall household spending rose +1.1% y/y, stronger than expectations of +0.5% y/y.

U.S. STOCK PREVIEW

Today’s Q4 GDP report is expected to be revised lower to +2.5% (q/q annualized) from the preliminary report of +3.2%. The downward revision is expected to stem mainly from an expected downward revision in Q4 personal consumption to +2.9% from +3.3%. Today’s Feb Chicago PMI is expected to show a -3.2 point decline to 56.4, adding to the -1.2 point decline to 59.6 seen in January. Today’s final-Feb U.S. consumer confidence index from the University of Michigan is expected to be unchanged from early-Feb at 81.2. Today’s Jan pending home sales report is expected to show a +1.8% m/m increase, recovering a bit after the sharp -8.7% drop seen in December. There are 3 of the S&P 500 companies that report earnings today: Iron Mountain (consensus $0.22), NRG Energy (0.23), Pepco Holdings (0.21). There are no equity conferences today.

OVERNIGHT U.S. STOCK MOVERS

Iron Mountain (IRM -0.42%) reported Q4 EPS of 15 cents, well below consensus of 22 cents.
Pepco Holdings (POM -0.92%) reported Q4 EPS of 24 cents, higher than consensus of 21 cents.
Dominion (D -0.26%) was downgraded to 'Hold' from 'Buy' at Argus due to valuation.
Crane (CR -0.15%) was upgraded to 'Buy' from 'Neutral' at Citigroup.
Southwestern Energy (SWN +1.43%) reported Q4 adjusted EPS of 54 cents, better than consensus of 53 cents.
Universal Health (UHS -0.28%) reported Q4 EPS of $1.24, well ahead of consensus of $1.08.
MasTec (MTZ -0.39%) reported Q4 adjusted EPS of 53 cents, consensus 52 cents.
Gabelli reported an 8.08% stake in Zale (ZLC +0.37%) .
Esterline (ESL +0.87%) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $1.08, stronger than consensus of $1.05.
Deckers Outdoor (DECK +2.83%) slumped 14% in after-hours trading after it reported Q4 EPS of $4.04, higher than consensus of $3.80, but then lowered guidance on Q1 EPS to a loss of -16 cents, well below consensus of a 10 cent profit.
Monster Beverage (MNST +0.23%) reported Q4 EPS of 44 cents, weaker than consensus of 46 cents.
Salesforce.com (CRM +3.89%) reported Q4 adjusted EPS of 7 cents, better than consensus of 6 cents.
Ross Stores (ROST +0.86%) reported Q4 EPS $1.02, right on consensus, but reported Q4 revenue of $2.74 billion, slightly below consensus of $2.75 billion.
Gap (GPS -0.52%) reported Q4 EPS of 68 cents, higher than consensus of 66 cents.

MARKET COMMENTS

Mar E-mini S&Ps (ESH14 -0.11%) this morning are down -2.75 points (-0.15%). The S&P 500 on Thursday opened lower on geopolitical concerns from the civil unrest in Ukraine, but shook off early losses and moved higher after U.S. Jan durable goods ex-transportation unexpectedly rose +1.1%, better than expectations of a -0.3% decline. Stock prices moved even higher after Fed Chair Yellen said the Fed may slow its tapering regime should the economy weaken. Closes: S&P 500 +0.49%, Dow Jones +0.46%, Nasdaq 100 +0.63%.
Mar 10-year T-notes (ZNH14 -0.12%) this morning are down -6 ticks. Mar 10-year T-note futures prices Thursday posted a 3-week high and closed higher. Bullish factors included (1) increased safe-haven demand from the civil unrest in Ukraine after Russia held troop exercises on its western border and put jet fighters on alert, and (2) the unexpected increase in weekly U.S. jobless claims. Prices came off of their best levels after U.S. Jan durable goods orders ex-transportation unexpectedly increased. Closes: TYH4 +7.50, FVH4 +3.75.
The dollar index (DXY00 -0.51%) this morning is down -0.371 (-0.46%) at a 2-month low. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is up +0.0084 (+0.61%) at a 1-3/4 month high. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.22 (-0.22%). The dollar index on Thursday fell back from a 2-week high and closed lower after a rally in stocks reduced safe-haven demand for the dollar. EUR/USD fell to a 2-week low after German Feb CPI eased to a 3-1/2 year low of +1.0% y/y, which boosted speculation the ECB may expand its easing measures at its meeting next week. EUR/USD recovered its losses, though, and closed higher after the IMF said it is “ready to respond” to aid requests from the Ukraine, which boosted the hryvnia and was positive for EUR/USD. Closes: Dollar index -0.144 (-0.18%), EUR/USD +0.00237 (+0.17%), USD/JPY -0.230 (-0.22%).
Apr WTI crude oil (CLJ14 -0.17%) this morning is down -8 cents (-0.08%) and Apr gasoline (RBJ14 -0.36%) is down -0.0093 (-0.31%). Apr crude and gasoline prices Thursday closed lower. Negative factors included (1) the unexpected rise in U.S weekly jobless claims, and (2) comments from Fed Chair Yellen who reiterated that the Fed will maintain its pace of tapering QE3. Bullish factors included strength in stocks and the weaker dollar. Closes: CLJ4 -0.19 (-0.19%), RBJ4 -0.0252 (-0.84%).

GLOBAL EVENT CALENDAR02/28/2014

US	0500 ET	Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher speaks on monetary policy at the Swiss National Bank in Zurich.
	0830 ET	Revised Q4 GDP expected +2.5% q/q annualized, previous +3.2%. Q4 personal consumption expected +2.9%, previous +3.3%. Q4 GDP price index expected unrevised at +1.3%. Q4 core PCE deflator expected unrevised at +1.1% q/q.
	0945 ET	Feb Chicago PMI expected -3.2 to 56.4, Jan -1.2 to 59.6.
	0955 ET	Final-Feb U.S. consumer confidence index (University of Michigan) expected unch at 81.2, early-Feb -1.3 to 81.2.
	1000 ET	Jan pending home sales expected +1.8% m/m and -10.8% y/y, Dec -8.7% m/m and -6.1% y/y.
	1015 ET	Fed Governor Jeremy Stein along with Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans and Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser will speak on a panel discussion on interactions between monetary policy and financial stability.
JPN	0000 ET	Japan Jan construction orders, Dec +4.9% y/y.
	0000 ET	Japan Jan housing starts expected +15.0% y/y to 1.012 million, Dec +18.0% to 1.055 million.
GER	0200 ET	German Jan retail sales expected +1.0% m/m and -1.7% y/y, Dec -1.7% m/m and -1.5% y/y.
UK	0200 ET	UK Feb nationwide house prices expected +0.5% m/m and +9.0% y/y, Jan +0.7% m/m and +8.8% y/y.
EUR	0500 ET	Eurozone Feb unemployment rate expected unch at 12.0%, Jan 12.0%.
	0500 ET	Eurozone Feb CPI estimate expected +0.7% y/y and core CPI expected +0.8% y/y.
CHI	2000 ET	China Feb manufacturing PMI expected -0.5 to 50.0, Jan -0.5 to 50.5.

U.S. STOCK CALENDAR02/28/2014

Company Name	Ticker	Time	Event Description	Period	Estimate
Iron Mountain Inc	IRM US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.219
NRG Energy Inc	NRG US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.23
Pepco Holdings Inc	POM US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.21
Perrigo Co Plc	PRGO US	8:00	Investor Day	Y 2014
Iron Mountain Inc	IRM US	8:30	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Eaton Corp PLC	ETN US	8:30	Analyst Meeting	Y 2014
Progressive Corp/The	PGR US	9:00	Investor Relations Conference Call
NRG Energy Inc	NRG US	9:00	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Southwestern Energy Co	SWN US	10:00	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Pepco Holdings Inc	POM US	10:00	Q4 2013 Earnings Call	Q4 2013
Twenty-First Century Fox Inc	FOXA US		U.S. Box Office Release of Movie Son of God""
Walt Disney Co/The	DIS US		U.S. Box Office Release of Movie The Wind Rises""

Today's Best Small Caps

Today I used Barchart to sort the S&P 600 Small Cap Index to find the stocks hitting the most frequent highs in the last month. I skipped the stock that didn't have positive gains for the last week and month, then used to Flipchart feature to find the charts I liked.

Today's list includes Cynosure (CYNO), HFF Inc (HF), Neenah Paper (NP, Orbitial Sciences Corp (ORB) and Manhattan Associates (MANH):

Cynosure (CYNO)

Barchart technical indicators:

96% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
15 new highs and up 18.18% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 76.75%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 30.53
Recently traded at 31.74 with a 50 day moving average of 27.19

HFF Inc (HF)

Barchart technical indicators:

100% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
14 new highs and up 21.46% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 69.74%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 30.99
Recently traded at 32.04 with a 50 day moving average of 28.50

Neenah Paper (NP)

Barchart technical indicators:

96% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
14 new highs and up 18.95% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 78.74%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 49.23
Recently traded at 50.10 with a 50 day moving average of 43.96

Orbital Sciences Corp (ORB)

Barchart technical indicators:

88% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
14 new highs and up 20.86% in the last month
Relative strength Index 71.58%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 27.80
Recently traded at 28.33 with a 50 day moving average of 24.91

Manhattan Associates (MANH)

Barchart technical indicators:

100% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
14 new highs and up 20.02% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 80.97
Barchart computes a technical support level at 36.11
Recently traded at 38.42 with a 50 day moving average of 32.37

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Splunk Inc - Barchart;s Chart of the Day

Splunk Inc (SPLK) is Barchart's Chart of the Day. The software platform stock has a Trend Spotter buy signal, a Weighted Alpha of 163.40+ and gained 164.22% in the last year.

The Chart of the Day is Splunk Inc (SPLK). I found the stock by sorting the All Time High list for frequency in the last month and skipped the stocks that didn't have gains in the last week and month. Then I used the Flipchart feature to review the stocks. since the Trend Spotter signaled a buy on 2/7 the stock is up 20.82%.

SPLK provides a software platform, which collects and indexes data and enables users to search, correlate, analyze, monitor and report on this data, all in real time. Its software is designed to help users in various roles, including IT and business professionals.

96% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
19 new highs and up 29.88% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 79.94%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 89.39
Recently traded at 95.90 with a 50 day moving average of 77.72

Fundamental factors:

Market Cap $10.15 billion
Revenue predicted to grow by 47.30% this year and another 35.20% next year
Earnings estimated to increase 50.00% this year, an additional 1400.00% next year and continue to increase at an annual rate of 25.00% for the next 5 years
Wall Street analysts issued 5 strong buy, 13 buy, 10 hold and 1 under perform recommendation

Watch this up and comer. Use the 50 day moving average to gauge weakness and the 100 moving average to preserve profits.

Today's 5 Best Mid Caps

Today I used Barchart to sort the S&P 400 Mid Cap Index for the stocks having the most frequent new highs in the last month. I then skipped over the stocks that didn't have positive gains in the last week and month and used the Flipchart feature to review the charts.

Today's list includes Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), IDXX Laboratories (IDXX), Vectren (VVC), SkyWorks Solutions (SWKS) and Realty Income Corp (O):

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)

Barchart technical indicators:

72% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
16 new highs and up 17.74% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 74.06%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 119.78
Recently traded at 122.88 with a 50 day moving average of 109.55

IDXX Laboratories (IDXX)

Barchart technical indicators:

96% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
16 new highs and up 11.91% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 73.57%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 125.08
Recently traded at 126.46 with a 50 day moving average of 113.69

Vectren (VVC)

96% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
16 new highs and up 6.82% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 68.74%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 37.97
Recently traded at 38.24 with a 50 day moving average of 36.11

SkyWorks Solutions (SWKS)

Barchart technical indicators:

96% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
15 new highs and up 14.98% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 70.94%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 33.24
Recently traded at 34.96 with a 50 day moving average of 29.98

Realty Income Corp (O)

Barchart technical indicators:

80% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
15 new highs and up 11.65% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 81.77%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 43.88
Recently traded at 44.31 with a 50 day moving average of 39.86

BARCHART MORING CALL 2/27

BARCHART MORING CALL

Thursday, February 27th, 2014View Older Reports

Everything you need to know about the markets in one free daily newsletter.

You will also receive a free subscription to the Barchart family of newsletters.

OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS

March E-mini S&Ps (ESH14 -0.29%) this morning are down -0.31% and European stocks are down -1.13% as tensions escalated in Ukraine. Gunmen occupied parliament and the government building in Ukraine's Crimea region as lawmakers in Ukraine's capital met to approve a new cabinet and Russia put jet fighters on alert. This undercut Ukraine's currency, which fell to 11.2 per dollar, the lowest since it was introduced in 1996. Asian stocks closed mixed: Japan -0.32%, Hong Kong +1.74%, China -0.43%, Taiwan +0.45%, Australia -0.47%, Singapore +0.27%, South Korea +0.38%, India closed for holiday. European stocks shrugged off the unexpected increase in Eurozone Feb economic confidence to a 2-1/2 year high. The yield on the German 10-year bund tumbled to a 7-month low of 1.546% after inflation data from six German regions slowed this month, which fueled speculation the ECB will expand its stimulus measures when it meets next week. Commodity prices are mixed. Apr crude oil (CLJ14 -0.19%) is down -0.15%. Apr gasoline (RBJ14 -0.66%) is down -0.50%. Apr gold (GCJ14 +0.32%) is up +0.42%. March copper (HGH14 -0.09%) is down -0.09%. Agriculture and livestock prices are mixed, although nearest-futures Feb cattle soared to a record high of $1.5095 a pound. The dollar index (DXY00 +0.06%) is up +0.03% at a 2-week high as tension in Ukraine boosts the safe-haven demand for the dollar. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.19% at a 2-week low as weak German inflation data bolsters speculation the ECB may expand its euro-negative stimulus measures. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.47%. March T-note prices (ZNH14 +0.22%) are up +6.5 ticks at a 3-week high.
Eurozone Feb economic confidence unexpectedly rose +0.2 to 101.2 from an upward revised 101.0 in Jan. That was better than expectations of -0.2 to 100.7 and the highest in 2-1/2 years. The Feb business climate indicator rose +0.12 to 0.37 from an upward revised 0.25 in Jan. That was better than expectations of +0.01 to 0.20 and the highest level in 2-1/2 years.
The German Feb unemployment change fell -14,000, a bigger drop than expectations of -10,000. The Feb unemployment rate was unch at 6.8%, right on expectations and the lowest since data for a reunified Germany began in 1990.
The German Jan import price index fell -0.1% m/m and -2.3% y/y, a slower pace of decline than expectations of -0.2% m/m and -2.4% y/y.

U.S. STOCK PREVIEW

Fed Chair Janet Yellen today will present the second day of her semi-annual testimony to the Senate Banking Committee that was postponed from Feb 13 due to a snowstorm. Today’s weekly initial unemployment claims report is expected to show a decline of -1,000 to 335,000, adding to last week’s decline of -3,000 to 336,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims are expected to show a small increase of +4,000 to 2.985 million after last week’s increase of +37,000 to 2.981 million. Today’s Jan durable goods orders report is expected to show a decline of -1.6% and -0.3% ex-transportation, adding to the declines of -4.2% and -1.3% ex transportation seen in December.
There are 12 of the S&P 500 companies that report earnings today: Mylan (consensus $0.75), WPX Energy (-0.35), Rowan (0.41), Windstream Holdings (0.09), Kohl's (1.54), Best Buy (1.01), Pall Corp (0.80), Sempra Energy (0.97), Ross Stores (1.01), Gap (0.65), Salesforce.com (0.06), Monster Beverage (0.46). Equity conferences during the remainder of this week include: Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Agriculture Conference on Wed-Thu, Simmons Energy Conference on Thu, and Stifel Industrials Conference on Thu.

OVERNIGHT U.S. STOCK MOVERS

Chico's FAS (CHS +2.27%) reported Q4 EPS of 4 cents, well below consensus of 15 cents.
Wendy's (WEN +0.39%) reported Q4 adjusted EPS of 11 cents, stronger than consensus of 9 cents.
Kohl's (KSS +2.31%) reported Q4 EPS of $1.56, higher than consensus of $1.54.
Baidu (BIDU +1.62%) was upgraded to 'Buy' from 'Hold' at Stifel.
Windstream Holdings (WIN -0.75%) reported Q4 EPS of 20 cents, double consensus of 9 cents.
Best Buy (BBY +2.02%) reported Q4 EPS of $1.24, better than consensus of $1.01.
Transocean (RIG -0.94%) reported Q4 adjusted EPS of 73 cents, right on consensus, but reported Q4 revenue of $2.332 billion, below consensus of $2.36 billion.
American Water (AWK -0.18%) reported Q4 EPS of 33 cents, well below consensus of 45 cents.
Senator Investment reported a 5.0% passive stake in Brookdale Senior Living (BKD +5.62%) .
L Brands (LB +4.01%) reported Q4 EPS of $1.65, higher than consensus of $1.61.
PetroChina (PTR +1.24%) was upgraded to 'Buy' from 'Neutral' at Goldman.
Greif (GEF +1.97%) reported Q1 EPS with items of 51 cents, below consensus of 55 cents.
Cree (CREE +2.95%) was downgraded to 'Neutral' from 'Overweight' at Piper Jaffray.
Autodesk (ADSK +0.11%) reported Q4 adjusted EPS of 40 cents, better than consensus of 34 cents.
Roundy's (RNDY -0.15%) reported Q4 adjsuted EPS of 25 cents, above consensus of 17 cents.
Whiting Petroleum (WLL -1.69%) reported Q4 EPS of 88 cents, right on expectations, but reported Q4 revenue of $720.5 million, better than consensus of $683.45 million.

MARKET COMMENTS

Mar E-mini S&Ps (ESH14 -0.29%) this morning are down -5.75 points (-0.31%). The S&P 500 on Wednesday erased early gains and finished little changed. Stocks found support on the U.S. Jan new home sales that unexpectedly rose +9.6% to a 5-1/2 year high of 468,000, better than expectations of a -3.4% decline to 400,000, which bolsters optimism in the economy. Closes: S&P 500 unch, Dow Jones +0.12%, Nasdaq 100 -0.07%.
Mar 10-year T-notes (ZNH14 +0.22%) this morning are up +6.5 ticks at a 3-week high. Mar 10-year T-note futures prices on Wednesday closed higher. Bullish factors included (1) increased safe-haven demand on concern Ukraine may default on its debt and after Russian President Putin put Russian troops on alert in Western Russia due to the civil unrest in Ukraine and Crimea, and (2) strong demand for the Treasury’s $35 billion auction of 5-year T-notes that had a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.98, above the 12-auction average of 2.62 and the highest in 1-1/2 years. Gains were limited after U.S. Jan new home sales unexpectedly rose to a 5-1/2 year high. Closes: TYH4 +8.00, FVH4 +5.00.
The dollar index (DXY00 +0.06%) this morning is up +0.026 (+0,03%) at a 2-week high. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.0026 (-0.19%) at a 2-week low. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.48 (-0.48%). The dollar index on Wednesday rallied to a 2-week high and closed higher after the unexpected increase in U.S. Jan new home sales to a 5-1/2 year high bolstered the outlook for the Fed to continue to taper QE3. EUR/USD fell to a 2-week low as Ukraine’s interim administration struggles to secure as much as $35 billion in financial aid to stave off a possible default, which would be euro-negative. Closes: Dollar index +0.292 (+0.36%), EUR/USD -0.00588 (-0.43%), USD/JPY +0.119 (+0.12%).
Apr WTI crude oil (CLJ14 -0.19%) this morning is down -15 cents (-0.15%) and Apr gasoline (RBJ14 -0.66%) is down -0.0148 (-0.50%). Apr crude and gasoline prices Wednesday closed higher. Bullish factors included (1) -1.08 million bbl drop in crude supplies at Cushing, OK, the delivery point for WTI futures, to a 4-month low of 34.79 million bbl, (2) the -2.807 million bbl drop in weekly EIA gasoline supplies, more than expectations of -760,000 bbl, and (3) the +68,000 bbl increase in weekly EIA crude inventories, less than expectations of +1.150 mln bbl. Gains in crude were limited after the dollar index rose to a 2-week high and as weekly EIA distillate stockpiles unexpectedly rose +338,000 bbl, higher than expectations for a -1.16 million bbl draw. Closes: CLJ4 +0.76 (+0.75%), RBJ4 +0.0141 (+0.47%).

GLOBAL EVENT CALENDAR02/27/2014

US	0830 ET	Weekly initial unemployment claims expected -1,000 to 335,000, previous -3,000 to 336,000. Weekly continuing claims expected +4,000 to 2.985 million, previous +37,000 to 2.981 million.
	0830 ET	Jan durable goods orders expected -1.6% and -0.3% ex transportation, Dec -4.2% and -1.3% ex transportation.
	0830 ET	USDA weekly Export Sales.
	1000 ET	Fed Chair Janet Yellen testifies on monetary policy before the Senate Banking Committee (rescheduled from Feb 13 due to a snowstorm).
	1030 ET	Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher speaks on a panel in Frankfurt on A Broader Role for Central Banks Following the Crisis: Imperial Overstretch or a Better Paradigm.
	1300 ET	Treasury auctions $29 billion 7-year T-notes.
	1515 ET	Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart and Kansas City Fed President Esther George speak at the 2014 Atlanta Fed Banking Outlook Conference on Bankings Next Chapter: Challenge, Opportunity & Risk.
GER	0200 ET	German Jan import price index expected -0.2% m/m and -2.4% y/y, Dec unch m/m and -2.3% y/y.
	0355 ET	German Feb unemployment change expected -10,000, Jan -28,000. Feb unemployment rate expected unch at 6.8%, Jan 6.8%.
	0800 ET	German Feb CPI (EU harmonized) expected +0.7% m/m and +1.1% y/y, Jan -0.7% m/m and +1.2% y/y.
EUR	0400 ET	Eurozone Jan M3 money supply expected +1.1% y/y and +1.2% 3-month avg, Dec +1.0% y/y and +1.3% 3-month avg.
	0500 ET	Eurozone Feb economic confidence expected -0.2 to 100.7, Jan 100.9. Feb business climate indicator expected +0.01 to 0.20, Jan 0.19.
	0500 ET	Revised Eurozone Feb consumer confidence, previous -12.7.
	1330 ET	ECB President Mario Draghi speaks at the Bundesbanks Symposium on Financial Stability and the Role of Central Banks.
UK	0430 ET	UK Feb Lloyds business barometer, Jan 63.
	1905 ET	UK Feb GfK consumer confidence expected unch at -7, Jan -7.
JPN	1815 ET	Japan Feb Markit/JMMA manufacturing PMI, Jan 56.6.
	1830 ET	Japan Jan overall household spending expected +0.5% y/y, Dec +0.7% y/y.
	1830 ET	Japan Jan jobless rate expected unch at 3.7%, Dec 3.7%. Jan job-to-applicant ratio expected +0.01 to 1.04, Dec 1.03.
	1830 ET	Japan Jan national CPI expected +1.3% y/y, Dec +1.6% y/y. Jan national CPI ex fresh food expected +1.3% y/y, Dec +1.3% y/y. Jan national CPI ex food & energy expected +0.7% y/y, Dec +0.7% y/y.
	1830 ET	Japan Feb Tokyo CPI expected +1.0% y/y, Jan +0.7% y/y. Feb Tokyo CPI ex-fresh food expected +0.8% y/y, Jan +0.7% y/y. Feb Tokyo CPI ex food & energy expected +0.4% y/y, Jan +0.3% y/y.
	1850 ET	Japan Jan industrial production expected +2.8% m/m and +9.4% y/y, Dec +1.1% m/m and +7.3% y/y.
	1850 ET	Japan Jan retail sales expected +1.3% m/m and +3.8% y/y, Dec -1.2% m/m and +2.5% y/y.
	2300 ET	Japan Jan vehicle production, Dec +12.2% y/y.

U.S. STOCK CALENDAR02/27/2014

Company Name	Ticker	Time	Event Description	Period	Estimate
Mylan Inc/PA	MYL US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.752
WPX Energy Inc	WPX US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	-0.349
Rowan Cos Plc	RDC US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.411
Windstream Holdings Inc	WIN US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.091
Kohl's Corp	KSS US	Bef-mkt	Q4 2014 Earnings Release	Q4 2014	1.537
Best Buy Co Inc	BBY US	7:00	Q4 2014 Earnings Release	Q4 2014	1.008
Pall Corp	PLL US	7:00	Q2 2014 Earnings Release	Q2 2014	0.801
Best Buy Co Inc	BBY US	8:00	Q4 2014 Earnings Call	Q4 2014
Salesforce.com Inc	CRM US	Aft-mkt	Q4 2014 Earnings Release	Q4 2014	0.06
Monster Beverage Corp	MNST US	Aft-mkt	Q4 2013 Earnings Release	Q4 2013	0.462

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

LyindellBasell Industries - Barchart's Chart of the day

LyondellBasell Industries (LYB) is the Barchart Chart of the Day. The Dutch diversified chemical stock has a Trend Spotter buy signal, a Weighted Alpha of 48.50+ and gained 53.85% in the past year.

The Chart of the Day is LynodellBasell Industries (LYB). I found the stock by sorting the All Time High list for new high frequency in the last month. I skipped over the stock that didn't have positive gains in the last week and month then used the Flipchart feature to review the charts. Since the Trend Spotter signaled a buy on 2/7 the stock gained 8.15%.

LYB is a manufactures chemicals and derivatives. It also operates as a refiner of heavy high-sulfur crude oil produce and is engaged in the marketing and selling of polyolefins, polypropylene and polyethylene resins. Their products and technologies are used to make items that improve the quality of life for people around the world including packaging, electronics, automotive components, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels. The Company's product range includes ethylene, propylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefins, resins, PP compounds, Polybutene, propylene Oxide and etc. It also produces refined petroleum products and gasoline blending components, including biofuels.

96% Barchart technical buy signals
Trend Spotter buy signal
Above its 20, 50 and 100 day moving averages
17 new highs and up 15.19% in the last month
Relative Strength Index 73.41%
Barchart computes a technical support level at 84.82
Recently traded at 87.42 with a 50 day moving average of 80.24

Fundamental factors:

Market Cap $48.34 billion
P/E 12.68
Dividend yield 2.79%
Revenue predicted to grow 4.00% this year and 3.70% next year
Earning estimated to increase 8.40% this year, increase an additional 11.50% next year and continue to increase at an annual rate of 9.73% for the next 5 years
Wall Street analysts issued 4 strong buy, 11 buy and 4 hold recommendations
Financial Strength is A

The stock has great momentum and volume as should continue to rise. Watch the 50 day moving average for weakness and exit at the 100 day moving average.

Today's 5 Best Large Caps

Today I used Barchart to sort the S&P 500 Large Cap Index for frequency of new highs in the last month. I then skipped the stocks that did not have positive gains in the last week and month and used the Flipchart feature to review the stocks.

Today's list includes Xylem Inc (XYL), LyondellBasell Industries (LYB), Forest Laboratories (FRX), PPL Corp (PPL), and Hershey Foods (HSY):

Xylem Inc (XYL)