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

6/10/2006

Hank Stays

Even though the feature game is moving to Sunday night on NBC and Monday Night Football is moving from ABC to ESPN, Hank Williams Jr. will still be there with the opening theme.

Are you ready for some football? Only 3 more months…

Posted: 5:05 pm

Everything’s a Struggle

Sure, there’s enough coal to keep our utility plants going to meet our power needs. That’s if we could just get it to where it needs to be.

Posted: 11:43 am

Weekend Sector Scan

XLU chart Utilities are hanging on the best of any of the sectors. Is this a defensive play or the beginning of a bigger move? Hard to say - the utes have been helped by the dropping interest rates. If I absolutely HAD to be in stocks, I’d be looking at the Utilities.
XLP chart Consumer Staples still hanging in there too, but this group has really gone nowhere in a few months. If you wanted to dabble in the Staples, you’d probably be better off picking individual names. Of course, I’m not so sure that buying anything is a good idea right now.
XLE chart Energy stocks got smashed again. More recuperation time needed in sick bay.
XLB chart Same story in materials. Yuk.
XLK chart Tech stocks? I think the XLK chart speaks for itself.

 

The numbers after another gut-wrenching week:

 

Sector Symbol 8 Week % Chg. 4 Week % Chg. 1 Week % Chg. YTD % Chg.
Utilities XLU +7.4 +3.9 -0.2 +3.4
Consumer Staples XLP +2.2 +0.5 -0.8 +2.1
Financials XLF +0.7 -1.5 -1.7 +3.2
Consumer Discretionary XLY -1.4 -2.8 -2.4 +1.5
Health Care XLV -1.9 +0.1 -1.5 -4.1
Industrials XLI -3.0 -6.0 -4.4 +4.5
Energy XLE -5.4 -6.9 -6.6 +5.0
Basic Materials XLB -7.2 -9.5 -6.8 +1.0
Technology XLK -9.8 -5.0 -3.7 -4.6

 

Charts courtesy of StockCharts.com

Posted: 11:38 am