One thing about Doug Kass, is that he is willing to stick his neck out. But it sure seems he will get it cut off this time. I don't know why he says that the advance is narrowing; instead, I see that it is rotating and broadening which is very bullish as sectors left behind are now beginning to catch up. If the break above 1000 on the SPY holds, as it did today, for another couple days (William O'Neil of IBD says 4 days are needed to confirm a breakout), it will probably head up to 1100 on its way to 1300. I don't know if it can get there by year end, but there are some that do.
Leadership is narrowing, speculative stocks are erupting, and shorts are pulling their hair out.~I still say the advance has a relatively small and finite life now....
A burgeoning fiscal deficit and the financial instability of our state and local municipalities are among two of the most significant of a number of nontraditional headwinds that consumers, corporations and investors face in the future. Though the bulls generally agree with these intermediate-term challenges (especially the spiraling deficit and a nervous U.S. dollar stalemate), they generally dismiss them both over the short term, favoring the belief that the current upside surprises in earnings will dominate the market landscape in influence.
I would argue that the aforementioned challenges are ever more predictable in consequence and will serve as a governor to further gains in market valuations. Not only are they inhibiting but they are also potentially oppressive influences that have been too readily put on the back burner in the face of a relentless market advance over the last five months.
An avalanche of spending by the public sector is now following an avalanche of spending by the private sector. In essence, we are (perhaps necessarily) fighting the slowdown with the same sort of incendiary kerosene that put us into the mess.
Profligate spending comes at a cost, a cost that we will experience sooner than later. - Doug Kass, August 3, 2009
There was a big move in financials and RE the past two days. Industrials are also perking up (I made a quick profit on Fluor, but would now like to get a little more before earnings on Monday). GE is both an industrial and a financial, so it has done very nicely the past 10 days, going from $12 to $14, which is almost a 20% move. I am adding to GE. Its 200 day EMA is 14.93 and if it breaks that barrier, I see it going to $20. I am using call options to add to my position (GEWLA). I also sold the Sept $17 puts today for $3.10.
Another stock to look at is the ETF for industrials: XLI. I sold puts on that today, but would also look at buying the stock or buying calls. Industrials are early cyclicals and are just now starting to move. Rather than buy BAC, I am adding to UYG by purchasing March 2010 calls at the $6 strike. UYG has a lot of BAC in it, plus the other big financial names like JPM, WFC and USB. They are at $0.70 a contract right now. If UYG goes to $10 by Jan. 1 (it was $20 last Sept), the return will be $3 on a $0.70 investment per share, which is a 400% return. But if it goes to $10, I will probably hold it till expiration because I think it might go back up to $20 while BAC is moving from $15 to $30.
Kass is stuck on his huge multi-year trading range theme (800 - 1000 on the SP500), just like Bill Gross. But if the Feds continue to support the economy and the Asian market continues its great growth and puts demand on our exports, there is no reason that the RE sector can't repair itself and unemployment can't move back down to around 6-7% over the next 12-18 months. That will ruin the bear arguments and will support a 1300 market as earnings continue to come back.
Keep an eye on the Feds. They are most important in the next 12 months in the market.
Tags:
BAC,
Doug Kass,
Financials,
FLR,
Fluor,
GE,
Industrials,
JPM,
Real Estate,
USB,
UYG,
WFC,
XLI
