SYDNEY (Reuters) – Moody’s Investors Service has changed its outlook on the Aaa rating of the European Union to negative, warning it might downgrade the bloc if it decides to cut the ratings on the EU’s four biggest budget backers: Germany, France, UK and Netherlands. The move will add to pressure on the European Central…

The markets finished up for the week. See previous updates for analysis. Next week we need to see a hold of the 20 (orange line). We formed a doji, looks like a green cross, (see candlesticks in trade professor) on the 20 to close the week last Friday. This is a bearish sign of indecision by investors but…

Manufacturing unexpectedly contracted for the first time in nine months in August as orders shrank, a government survey showed Sept. 1. China hasn’t failed to exceed the Communist Party’s annual growth target since the throes of the Asian financial crisis in 1998, and a miss of this year’s 7.5 percent goal may complicate a once-a-decade…

Averages are still teetering back and forth on the 20. We bought spxu (triple short s&p 500) yesterday into the close to hedge out the portfolio since we have mostly high beta, risk on names that could begin to break down if the averages keep performing like this. Of course, the market was up almost 150…

For the last two days we have not sent out any updates because there has been nothing to update. Markets are drifting sideways to down signaling that investors are not overly aggressive in selling but no one wants to buy much either. After the run we had last month, this is a healthy sign. So far the…

Market finished down, but not enough to write home about. We tried to slide further into negative territory today but the 20 day moving average (orange line) keep holding up the indicies. Stocks are mirroring the same patterns as indexes, a good sign of breadth. So, we have our risk and support now defined at…

Market breadth is decent today. We expected a bigger bounce from yesterday’s pullback but what can you do. Stocks are still up across all sectors (breadth) but nothing to write home about. Will continue to stay selective and opportunistic on our 14 current core holdings. Eyeing RL and TNH for the portfolio. See investments ideas: RL. In 75%…

Added more shares of MTRN today on the break above the 50 day (green line). See update below for chart. There has not been enough of a pullback yet to be adding to anything else in the portfolio. Until the S&P 500 can surpass its three year highs, we are still in a holding pattern….

Buying Brush Engineered (mtrn) into the close. It is a 2 beta name so we kept the position size small to start. OUTLOOK FOR 2012 Significant progress has been made in resolving the start-up issues associated with the new beryllium facility, and, as noted previously, it is anticipated that the output of the plant will…