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Issues
The market opened the New Year with a bang last week, partially thanks to a peaceful conclusion to the Fiscal Cliff deal. But, really, the market has been acting well enough for many weeks, and with some of the uncertainty finally in the past, the buyers flexed their muscle. At this point, we’re seeing excellent strength in many cyclical- and turnaround-type companies—financials, industrials, transports and the like, so that’s where your focus should be today. Growth stocks are doing well enough but we can’t say they’re leading quite yet ... though earnings season, which gets underway soon, can always change the landscape.

This week’s list is heavy on the cyclical side of the list, with many stocks coming back to life after 18- to 24-month rest periods—big launching pads that have the potential to generate sustained upmoves. Our favorite of the week is (believe it or not) General Motors (GM), whose business is at its best levels in five years and whose stock is acting like it has much more upside ahead. Buy on any weakness.
Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
TripAdvisor (TRIP) 55.1442-44-
SodaStream (SODA) 142.9145-48-
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) 117.4562-64-
Robert Half (RHI) 78.5831-32.5-
Cheniere Energy (LNG) 63.8218.5-19.5-
General Motors Company (GM) 0.0028-29.5-
Ctrip.com International Ltd. (CTRP) 34.9422-24-
Citigroup Inc. (C) 0.0039.5-41.5-
Ashland Inc. (ASH) 0.0080-83-
ARM Holdings (ARMH) 0.0037-39-

The market took a hit last week, as Washington’s ineptitude continued to grab the headlines and cause investors to raise cash and book some profits. The action wasn’t pretty, for sure, but we can’t say it’s changed the big picture—the rally since the mid-November lows is still intact, and many of the stocks and sectors that had been performing well took last week’s dip in stride. Another day or two of big declines would change our outlook, but right here, you should continue to “lean bullish,” holding your better performers and putting some money to work as opportunities arise. You should, however, also hold a decent cash position until we see more power and decisiveness from the market.

This week’s list is almost evenly split between great growth companies and turnarounds, including a couple of well-known names that are looking good. We like many of the charts, but we’ll go with Qihoo 360 (QIHU) as our favorite of the week. The stock is a bucking bronco, but it has great growth and a big story.
Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
Tenet Healthcare (THC) 0.0030-31.5-
Terex (TEX) 0.0025-26.5-
Rackspace (RAX) 0.0069-72-
Rackspace (RAX) 0.0069-72-
Qihoo 360 (QIHU) 0.0026-28-
Mohawk Industries (MHK) 0.0087-89-
General Motors Company (GM) 0.0026-27-
FLSR (FLSR) 0.0028-30-
Equinix, Inc. (EQIX) 547.73198-205-
3D Systems (DDD) 0.0048-50-
Bank of America (BAC) 0.0010.8-11.4-

It’s not uncommon for nascent market rallies to feature a lot of crosscurrents, and we’re seeing just that during the past few weeks—the action has been generally constructive, but the environment remains news-driven with lots of rotation among stocks and sectors on a day-to-day basis. That said, because of the resilience of the major indexes and the strength (or set-ups) seen from leading stocks, we think you should continue to “lean bullish,” which means doing some buying as opportunities arise, but not pushing the accelerator to the floor. If this rally is the real deal, we expect more and more stocks from a variety of sectors to begin lifting off from multi-week launching pads. It’s something to watch for.

This week’s list is another mixed bag, with many turnaround situations and a few true growth plays. Our favorite of the week is Trimble Navigation (TRMB), an under-the-radar story with solid growth and a powerful stock.
Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
Trimble Navigation (TRMB) 0.0055-59-
PVH Corp. (PVH) 0.00105-110-
Melco Crown (MPEL) 0.0014.5-16-
Gulfport Energy (GPOR) 0.0036.5-38-
Eastman Chemical (EMN) 0.0061-64-
Computer Sciences (CSC) 0.0037.5-39-
Salesforce.com (CRM) 0.00162-169-
Cree, Inc. (CREE) 67.9632-33-
Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) 15.3743-45-
Aecom Technology (ACM) 0.0022.5-23.5-

The market’s rally since its mid-November lows has proven durable enough to turn our intermediate-term indicators back into a bullish mode. (Our Market Monitor, shown to the left, has followed suit.) Granted, the buyers aren’t exactly flexing their muscle here, with plenty of choppy action as investors await word on the Fiscal Cliff. But there’s enough evidence that the sellers have left the building, seen in both the major indexes, which have refused to give back any gains of late, and in leading stocks, more and more of which are setting up. You shouldn’t head for the deep end yet, but putting some sidelined cash to work is advised.

This week’s list is a hodgepodge of stocks and sectors, with a handful of turnaround-type stories thrown in. Our favorite of the week is MasTec (MTZ), an off-the-radar name in the construction business. Growth is picking up, and the stock is acting excellently.
Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
United Rentals, Inc. (URI) 0.0040-42-
Rackspace (RAX) 0.0065-68-
Rackspace (RAX) 0.0065-68-
MasTec, Inc. (MTZ) 66.6522-24-
Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) 0.0058-60-
Louisiana-Pacific (LPX) 0.0016.5-17.5-
Lowe’s Companies (LOW) 98.1533.5-34.5-
First Solar (FSLR) 83.7427-29-
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) 0.0097-99-
ASML Holding (ASML) 350.0160-63-
Amazon.com (AMZN) 2.00244-252-

The market’s rally continues to impress, with the major indexes building on their gains and more individual stocks acting well. At this time, our indicators are this close to turning positive; we’ll officially leave our Market Monitor in neutral territory, but if you see a good opportunity, it’s OK to take it. We are growing more encouraged that the market’s two-month correction is over, but we need to see more power among potential leaders; it’s really the one missing ingredient in the market’s nascent rally.

This week’s list is a mixed bag of growth stories and sectors, but there are a few that have us interested. Our favorite of the week is a well-known company that most investors now dislike. It’s Facebook (FB), the social media giant, whose stock is one of the few that has shown great power during the past three weeks. Try to buy on weakness.
Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
Ulta Beauty (ULTA) 331.9596-100-
Stratasys (SSYS) 0.0069-72-
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) 261.5286-89-
Gulfport Energy (GPOR) 0.0035-37-
GameStop (GME) 0.0024-26-
Facebook, Inc. (FB) 0.0025-27-
eBay Inc. (EBAY) 0.0051-53-
Dillard’s (DDS) 0.0087-89-
Colfax (CFX) 0.0037-38.5-
Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) 15.3742-44-

After a straight-down move following the election, the market rallied smartly during Thanksgiving week on light volume. Clearly, the move was good to see, and there are a decent number of good-looking set-ups out there. However, by our measures, the market’s trends remain down, and we think the rubber will meet the road from this point forward—if the correction is over, we expect more and more stocks to shape up, and for the major indexes to build on their gains. If not, we expect the sellers to take advantage of these prices during the next few days. For now, remain cautious, and we’ll let you know if we get any new buy signals.

In the meantime, it’s imperative to be up on the best-acting stocks and sectors in the market. This week’s list has many names that are off most investors’ radar screens, which we like. Our favorite of the week is Salesforce.com (CRM), a big firm that looks ready to get going after a two-year pause.
Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
Tenet Healthcare (THC) 0.0026.5-27.5-
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) 512.96163-170-
Qihoo 360 (QIHU) 0.0021-23-
Packaging Corp (PKG) 0.0035.5-37-
HollyFrontier Corporation (HFC) 0.0042-44-
HDFC Bank Limited (HDB) 0.0038-40-
Gilead Sciences (GILD) 75.1070-73-
Eaton Vance Corp. (EV) 0.0030-31.5-
Salesforce.com (CRM) 0.00155-162-
Alaska Air Group (ALK) 0.0040.5-42-

The market remains under pressure, though the sellers have eased up a bit during the past couple of trading days; it’s possible that, after a sharp plunge at the end of last week we could see a bounce or countertrend rally develop. That said, this remains a news-driven environment, especially as our leaders in Washington begin their posturing to deal with the Fiscal Cliff. Overall, the intermediate-term trend remains down, and while there are some stocks and sectors resisting the decline, it’s best to stick with your generally defensive stance, limiting new buying to small amounts, taking profits (or partial profits) quickly when you get them and holding a good amount of cash on the sideline.

This week’s list is a hodgepodge of names that are doing well, usually because of recent catalysts or great reactions to quarterly results. Our favorite is a lower-priced name that looks like a special situation—Nam Tai Electronics (NTE) is showing exceptional strength, has huge earnings and sales, and even a big dividend, too. It’s a hot potato, but a small position on weakness could work very well.

Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
AMC Networks (AMCX) 0.0049-51-
BE Aerospace (BEAV) 0.0043-45-
BioMarin Pharmaceutical (BMRN) 0.0046-47.5-
Computer Sciences (CSC) 0.0034-35-
Copa Holdings (CPA) 0.0091-94-
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF) 0.0015-16-
Mohawk Industries (MHK) 0.0082-84.5-
Nam Tai Electronics (NTE) 0.0013-14-
Quanta Services (PWR) 91.4525-26-
Thor Industries (THO) 104.7641-43-

The market environment hasn’t changed much during the past couple of weeks; the intermediate-term trend of the market is down, and few stocks are managing to make meaningful progress on the upside. That said, it’s also not a disaster out there; some growth stocks have been hammered, but many groups are holding up well and most indexes are just a few percent off their peaks. Of course, the U.S. elections are tomorrow, and it’s possible the results could change the market’s course. But right now, we’ll keep our Market Monitor in neutral territory as the sellers remain in control.

This week’s list is a bit of a hodgepodge of stocks and sectors, but most of the names have recently reacted well to earnings, which is always a positive clue. Our favorite of the week is Whirlpool (WHR), a turnaround stock that is showing exceptional strength. It’s not changing the world, but the numbers look outstanding. Try to buy on weakness.

Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
WPI (WPI) 0.0084-86-
Whirlpool (WHR) 0.0094-98-
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (AMG) 0.00124-128-
CommVault (CVLT) 0.0062-64-
Eastman Chemical (EMN) 0.0057.5-59.5-
Expedia Group (EXPE) 0.0058-59.5-
GameStop (GME) 0.0023-24.5-
Louisiana-Pacific (LPX) 0.0015.5-17-
NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) 0.0024.5-25.5-
PVH Corp. (PVH) 0.00105-110-

Hurricane Sandy has the market closed today and possibly tomorrow, but we don’t think that’s going to affect the market’s path all that much. It’s not 2008 out there, but there’s no question the intermediate-term trend is still down, and that earnings season has been generally rough thus far. We flipped our Market Monitor into neutral territory a couple of weeks ago and it remains there today; it’s better to focus on capital preservation these days than capital appreciation, though some new buying here or there is fine—just be sure to keep your positions smaller than normal, and to keep your stops in place.

The good news is that we have seen a decent amount of big-volume support appear in many stocks during earnings, including more than a few commodity and turnaround situations. Our favorite of the week is Packaging Corp. (PKG), a firm with a supposedly boring story ... but with exciting numbers and a beautiful chart.

Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
3D Systems (DDD) 0.0040-43-
ARM Holdings (ARMH) 0.0030-31-
Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) 0.0044.5-46.5-
HDFC Bank Limited (HDB) 0.0036-37-
Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) 0.0053-56-
Melco Crown (MPEL) 0.0013.5-14.5-
Michael Kors Holdings Limited (KORS) 73.2253-55-
Packaging Corp (PKG) 0.0034.5-36-
Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) 0.0032.5-34-
United Rentals, Inc. (URI) 0.0037-39.5-

Markets coughed up a hairball at the end of last week and weren’t all that happy today. Defensive stocks had a better time of it, but many growth issues came under heavy pressure. A few high-profile issues (like Google GOOG) got taken to the cleaners after poorly received earnings reports. It’s too early to conclude that markets are in for a big correction, but the action is negative enough to warrant taking a slightly more defensive posture. You should tighten up the leash on your stocks, maybe be a little quicker to take partial profits or cut losers off if their charts deteriorate. Don’t go in for wholesale selling, but work to protect your portfolio.

This week has an interesting list of metals, large-caps and retail, but the Editor’s Choice is Citigroup (C), a global banking giant that’s making a slow comeback from a massive correction when the housing bubble burst. It’s a good value for a high-quality stock that’s appealing to institutional investors.

Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
Silver Wheaton (SLW) 0.0037-39-
Weyerhaeuser (WY) 0.0027-29-
Chico’s FAS (CHS) 0.0016-18-
Citigroup Inc. (C) 0.0035-37-
Coeur Mining (CDE) 0.0027-29-
Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) 339.4740-42-
LyondellBasell Industries NV (LYB) 0.0051-54-
Ocwen Financial (OCN) 0.0034-38-
Oshkosh (OSK) 95.0428-31-
Polaris Industries (PII) 0.0084-88-

The market and many stocks had a bad last week, no doubt about it—instead of slowly fading, the selling pressures have increased of late as earnings season begins in earnest. We can’t say we’re seeing a rash of breakdowns, but enough selling has occurred that we’re moving our Market Monitor into the neutral camp. A shift back in a week or two is possible if earnings season unfolds bullishly, but for now, we recommend limiting your new buying to smaller positions (maybe half or two-thirds of what you’d usually buy) and consider some names that could trend on their own (like precious metals names, for instance). You should, however, still try to hold onto shares of your most resilient performers, giving them a chance to re-emerge.

This week’s list has a few tempting growth stocks, as well as some turnaround plays that are doing well. But we’ll stick with the precious metals group, which has consolidated nicely after bolting higher last month. Allied Nevada Gold (ANV) is one of many that looks like it wants to head higher, bolstered by the price of gold and higher output.

Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
ANV (ANV) 0.0038-40-
AOL, Inc. (AOL) 0.0034-37-
Barclays (BCS) 0.0014-15-
CTRX (CTRX) 0.0048-50-
DVA (DVA) 0.00104-108-
Eagle Materials Inc. (EXP) 0.0045.5-47-
AG (AG) 0.0021.5-22.5-
Google Inc. (GOOG) 0.00720-735-
Rackspace (RAX) 0.0064-66.5-
Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) 0.0029.5-31-

The market bounced back in the first few days of last week, but Friday’s negative reversal, combined with today’s downmove, makes it clear that there are still sellers lurking out there. Our thoughts remain unchanged—on a near-term basis, expect more choppiness and hesitation; taking some profits on strength and holding some cash makes sense as we head into earnings season. That said, we can’t conclude the intermediate-term trend has turned down, either for the market or for most stocks; thus, while you should dump your losers and laggards, we recommend holding on to most of your best performers.

This week’s list reflects the recent environment—most of the names are either a bit thinly traded or have the ability to trade outside the market’s influence (housing, precious metals, etc.). Our favorite of the week is Fusion-io (FIO), a relatively new technology firm that is growing rapidly and has been acting very well over the past few months.

Stock NamePriceBuy RangeLoss Limit
Accenture (ACN) 0.0068-70-
Align Technology (ALGN) 316.2035-38-
CLGX (CLGX) 0.0026-27-
Cosan Limited (CZZ) 0.0015-16-
Fusion-io (FIO) 0.0029-31-
NetSuite, Inc. (N) 0.0060-62-
ONYX Pharmaceuticals (ONXX) 0.0083-87-
Qihoo 360 (QIHU) 0.0021-23-
Whirlpool (WHR) 0.0081-84-
AUY (AUY) 0.0018-19-

Updates
If you have the feeling that this year’s boom in the tech sector—and the corresponding record highs in the major averages—isn’t being felt on a market-wide basis, you’re not imagining it.

As it turns out, the record lift in the Nasdaq and S&P is being driven by a troublingly small number of stocks. The result of this narrowing market is that value-focused investors like us have been forced to exercise patience while waiting for the boom to visit our corner of the market (more on that in a minute).
WHAT TO DO NOW: Big picture, the market and most leaders look great, and our market timing indicators are in fine shape. Near-term, though, there’s little doubt things have gotten a bit giddy, with many names and indexes extended to the upside. Tonight, we’re placing Cava (CAVA) on Hold as that stock has been caught up in some group weakness; we’ll hold our 45% cash position for now, but stay tuned, as we’d like to add some new names (or add to existing names) in the near future.
What a difference a month can make! What an April! The S&P rose 9.6% in April, making it the best single month for the market in six years. It hit an all-time high on Friday.

Sure, the war isn’t over. But the market doesn’t really seem to regard it as a war anymore, more like a blockade situation with the possibility of some skirmishes. While there is still headline risk, investors have moved beyond this war and are focusing on earnings. And for good reasons.
The results are in for the month of April. It was fabulous. The S&P rose 9.6%, making it the best single month for the market in six years. It hit an all-time high on Friday.

Sure, the war isn’t over. But the market doesn’t really seem to regard it as a war anymore, more like a blockade situation with the possibility of minor skirmishes. While there is still headline risk, investors have moved beyond this war and are focusing on earnings.
Now before you call me crazy concerning today’s newsletter headline, hear me out.

Even though large-cap names have garnered more than a fair share of attention among investors this year, I think a case can be made that companies with big capitalizations have a lot more room to run higher before they can be truly regarded as “overbought” or “played out.”
The market is digesting the push and pull of higher oil prices, a deeply divided Federal Reserve, prospects for a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and fading momentum from the AI trade that helped push markets to all‑time highs earlier this month.

Despite the crosscurrents, the overall tone still tilts bullish, supported by investor comfort (for the time being) with the geopolitical tension, resilience in the U.S. economy, and improving visibility into earnings growth over the coming quarters.
Yesterday, four tech giants, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, representing 22% of the S&P 500’s market value, reported strong quarterly earnings that highlighted the importance of AI.

You might think the above companies and their AI brethren are “asset light” companies but you would be very wrong.
It’s been a glorious April following a miserable March for the market. What happens in May may determine which direction stocks are headed for the rest of the year.

That’s probably overstating things a bit, but May should be crucial for the reasons we discussed last week: namely, the fate of the Iran war, but also the bulk of first-quarter earnings season and the introduction of a new Fed chair.
What war? This market is moving on. We may not be out of the woods yet, but investors are looking beyond the Iran war.

Stocks have already made up all losses from a rough March and then some. The S&P 500 had fallen 7.7% in the month of March by the 30th. Since then, the index has rallied over 13%. The S&P is now at a higher level than before the war began and is hitting new all-time highs.
The other day I was paid a visit by a roving ISP salesman who was pitching his company’s fledgling internet service over the local monopoly’s. We struck up a conversation and he asked what I did for a living. When I told him, his eyes lit up and he asked, “Got any good stocks you can recommend?”

Without thinking I blurted out, “Anything AI-related. You can’t go wrong.” The advice was only semi-facetious, for there’s undeniably a degree of truth behind it. My instinctive response to that question also prompted me to consider the question: just how long can the broad market continue its “all things AI” run without broader sector participation
Note: I’m out of town this week, so I’ll be a bit briefer on the update today—but I’m still checking my laptop a couple of times a day if you have any questions or comments. I’ll be back at my desk come Monday. Cheers.

WHAT TO DO NOW: Remain optimistic. The market and some leaders have hesitated, but all of our market timing indicators are bullish, and most stocks we own or are watching are working. Last Friday, we bought a half-sized stake in Nebius (NBIS) and added a 3% additional stake in ProShares S&P 500 Fund (SSO); earlier this week, we sold our small remaining position in GE Aerospace (GE); and tonight, we’ll buy a half-sized position (5% of the portfolio ) in Cava (CAVA). We’ll still have 46% in cash or so after these moves.
Despite all the headline noise lately we’re marching deeper into first‑quarter earnings season with the market’s path of least resistance still pointing higher.

Optimism around the extension of the tentative ceasefire in the Middle East has reduced geopolitical anxiety to a seemingly manageable level. The U.S. economy continues to show resilience, and the corporate earnings outlook points toward meaningful growth in the coming quarters and years.
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A few Cabot Options Trader subscribers have asked me about ways to protect gains in their portfolios, so I thought I would write to everyone with a couple of strategies using options to hedge your portfolio.
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Our Cabot Top Ten Trader’s market timing system consists of two parts—one based on the action of three select, growth-oriented market indexes, and the other based on the action of the fast-moving stocks Cabot Top Ten features.