On Break

11/16/2008

BMB On Break

It’s time again for a little BMB R&R, especially with the market behaving as bizarrely as it’s been. Maybe if we stop watching it start to behave a little better…

Posting will be very light and variable over the course of this week, but we’ll put up an open thread each market day for our readers to comment on the day’s market activity or to post any interesting links they might run across.

Check the space below for whatever the latest might be during this ‘off’ time, and please visit the various sites in the ‘Links’ and ‘Regular Stops’ for up-to-date market news and analysis.

BMB will be back in full swing by next weekend.

Posted: 1:00 pm

4/1/2006

Weekend Sector Scan

XLI chart The Industrials are still consolidating after their big move up earlier in March, and still looking pretty solid.
XLB chart Materials stocks came back a bit after big moves on Wednesday and Thursday. Still holding up well.
XLE chart Energy stocks are trying to break out above the 54 level, and have now pulled back right to that point. If they can hold here, it looks like they might be primed for a move higher.
XLK chart Even with the Nasdaq’s big day on Wednesday, the XLK was only making up for a big drop on Tuesday. Still grinding higher, but progress is slow.
XLV chart As the market struggles a bit, you might think that a “defensive” area like health care would be doing well. It’s really not.
XLU chart Utilities are still having a rough time of it as interest rates creep higher. I’d stay away for now.

 

The numbers as we wrap up the first quarter of 2006:

 

Sector Symbol 8 Week % Chg. 4 Week % Chg. 1 Week % Chg. YTD % Chg.
Industrials XLI +7.5 +3.2 +0.4 +7.6
Basic Materials XLB +4.1 +1.9 +0.9 +6.8
Technology XLK +4.0 +0.6 +0.2 +5.9
Financials XLF +3.1 +0.1 -1.0 +2.8
Consumer Staples XLP +1.6 +0.2 -1.6 +1.3
Consumer Discretionary XLY +1.6 +0.5 -0.4 +3.1
Health Care XLV -0.1 -1.2 -2.1 +0.8
Energy XLE -1.5 +0.5 +1.0 +8.1
Utilities XLU -2.6 -4.5 -2.1 -1.8

 

Charts courtesy of StockCharts.com

Posted: 12:25 pm