Today in the market, Monday, April 06, 2009: Wall Street pulled back for the first time in five days Monday as investors worried about balance sheets at banks and the quarterly results that businesses will start releasing this week.

Investors were also disappointed that talks for IBM Corp.'s $7 billion deal to buy Sun Microsystems Inc. have stalled -- a sign that the market is still not ready to support big mergers.

Financial shares sold off after a prominent analyst predicted more losses at banks and said the government's efforts to prop up the ailing industry might not be as effective as hoped. (headline & commentary courtesy of AP via Yahoo Finance)

ETF/CEF Low Volatility:

• CSJ - iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund

ETF/CEF Medium Volatility:

• BBH - Biotech Holders

ETF/CEF Discussion: A blah market today and blah picks form RSI. I guess it is marking time until the market breaks in whatever direction it chooses. CSJ is an index ETF that follows the investment grade corporate debt and sovereign credit debt. It pays a current yield of 4.58% which is nice in today’s environment. Both charts look good and might be worth looking at if the market trend moves into positive territory.

I have an adjunct “falling knife” system that I’m starting to trade. Too early to report the results, but if it pans out I will let you know.

Catch you tomorrow.

Today in the market, Wednesday, March 18, 2009: With the country sinking deeper into recession, the Federal Reserve launched a bold $1.2 trillion effort Wednesday to lower rates on mortgages and other consumer debt, spur spending and revive the economy. To do so, the Fed will spend up to $300 billion to buy long-term government bonds and an additional $750 billion in mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Wall Street was buoyed. The Dow Jones industrial average, which had been down earlier in the day, rose 90.88, or 1.2 percent, to 7,486.58. Broader indicators also gained.. (headline & commentary courtesy of Yahoo Finance)

ETF/CEF Low Volatility:

• AGG iShares Lehman Aggregate Bond Fund
• BIV Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond
• BND Vanguard Total Bond Market
• BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond
• CSJ iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund
• GBF iShares Lehman Government/Credit Bond Fund
• IEI iShares Lehman 3-7 Year Treasury Bond
• MBB iShares Lehman MBS Fixed-Rate Bond Fund
• MIN MFS Intermediate Incm
• SHY 1-3 Year Treasury Bond Fund (Leh) iShares
• TIP iShares Lehman TIPS Bond Fund

ETF/CEF Medium Volatility:

• CSP American Strat Inc Pt III
• FXF Currency Shares Swiss Franc Trust
• FXY CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust
• IEF 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Fund (Leh) iShares
• TLT 20+ Year Treasury Bond Fund (Leh) iShares
• GBF iShares Lehman Government/Credit Bond Fund

ETF/CEF High Volatility:

• ASA ASA Ltd.
• CAF Morgan Stanley A Share Fund
• EAD Evergreen Income Advantage Fund, Inc.
• ESD Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund Inc.
• EVV Eaton Vance Limited Duration Income Fund
• GDX Market Vectors Gold Miners
• GTU Central Gold-Trust
• HRP Hrpt Properties Trust
• HYG iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond Fund
• NCV Nicholas Applegate Conv&Income Fund
• SLX Market Vectors Steel
• VTA Van Kampen Dynamic Credit Opportunities Fund
• XME SPDR S&P Metals & Mining Index

ETF/CEF Discussion: A nice up day, coupled with a string of many good days has caused RSI to trip all over itself with a plethora of picks. Mostly form the bond arena, but also favoring the metals. This is a curious blend of sectors for RSI to pick as the winners going forward. Again, if you believe this uptrend is in place and the world economy is back on the mend, then by all means do consider these candidates.

Due to circumstances beyond my control I am not able to present the usual performance charts tonight. But be my guest and look at their charts.

Catch you tomorrow.

Today in the market, Friday, December 12, 2008: Stocks rose on Friday on hopes that a lifeline for struggling U.S. automakers could still materialize, while investors bet the large stockpiles in cash at technology companies will help them weather the economic downturn.

In the latest in the U.S. automakers' attempt to secure a financial rescue, the White House said it could be willing to provide emergency funding to the struggling auto industry, the day after Congress failed to approve a deal.

Gains by the Nasdaq outpaced the other two major indexes as investors scooped up big-cap technology shares. Apple helped lift the Nasdaq, rising more than 3 percent. This year, the Nasdaq is down 42 percent, underperforming the Dow's drop of about 35 percent.

"The expectation is that tech will be one of the first, not the last of the sectors to rebound," said Michael James, senior trader at regional investment bank Wedbush Morgan in Los Angeles. (headline & commentary courtesy of Reuters)

ETF/CEF Low Volatility:

• CSJ - iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund

ETF/CEF High Volatility:

• DUG - UltraShort Oil & Gas ProShares

ETF/CEF Discussion: A good ending to the week as the market rebounds from its recent lows. I know this sounds like a broken record, but RSI is unimpressed with today’s rally. Why, you ask? It is because out of the universe of ETF & CEF funds, there are few that make the grade of trend and strength, the two factors that anticipate future price appreciation. Thus today RSI comes up with a credit bond fund and a short fund, certainly not a strong endorsement for the state of the market.

Have a good weekend.