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Not much changed with the market’s stance last week—the overall uptrend remains in fine shape, though we’re seeing the usual under-the-surface potholes and choppiness (as well as some upside explosions) during earnings season. All told, our advice remains the same: remain bullish and give most of your best performers a chance to run, and when it comes to new buying, it will probably pay to get shares during temporary weakness ... unless you see a super-powerful earnings gap.
We’re seeing plenty of both during the past couple of weeks (normal bouts of weakness, as well as huge earnings gaps), which is encouraging. This week’s list has many names that can help lead the market’s uptrend, and our favorite this week might prove to the be the #1 leader among growth stocks. It’s LinkedIn (LNKD), which soared after earnings last Friday and is looking like the flag-bearer of this bull move.

Stock Name	Price	Buy Range	Loss Limit
Team Health Holdings (TMH)	0.00	33.5-35	-
Seattle Genetics (SGEN)	150.85	28.5-30	-
Shutterfly (SFLY)	94.71	39-41.5	-
Phillips 66 (PSX)	0.00	60-63	-
Oshkosh (OSK)	95.04	37-39	-
Melco Crown (MPEL)	0.00	19.5-20.5	-
LinkedIn Corporation (LNKD)	0.00	145-155	-
Cheniere Energy (LNG)	63.82	20-21.5	-
Cree, Inc. (CREE)	67.96	42.5-44.5	-
Popular, Inc. (BPOP)	0.00	26-28	-

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 Name	Price	Buy Range	Loss Limit
United Rentals, Inc. (URI)	0.00	40-42	-
Rackspace (RAX)	0.00	65-68	-
Rackspace (RAX)	0.00	65-68	-
MasTec, Inc. (MTZ)	66.65	22-24	-
Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC)	0.00	58-60	-
Louisiana-Pacific (LPX)	0.00	16.5-17.5	-
Lowe’s Companies (LOW)	98.15	33.5-34.5	-
First Solar (FSLR)	83.74	27-29	-
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP)	0.00	97-99	-
ASML Holding (ASML)	350.01	60-63	-
Amazon.com (AMZN)	2.00	244-252	-

Housing prices remain elevated, rents are up, and mortgage rates are stubbornly high, but the fact of the matter is, life doesn’t wait on the housing market. This month, we’ll explore the options available to homeowners and prospective homebuyers so that they can worry less about higher housing costs and get on with the important business of living life to the fullest.

Current Market Outlook


Not much has changed with the major indexes during the past week—all remain in intermediate- and longer-term uptrends, with small- and mid-cap indexes leading the way and the Nasdaq pulling up the rear. Below the surface, we have seen some profit taking in among many of the market’s top stocks and sectors (even the super-strong industrials, commodities and transports), and given the huge runs those names have seen during the past month, further retrenchment is certainly possible. But when we consider all of the evidence, the odds strongly favor dips being buyable, as pullbacks or shakeout-type action will probably lead to higher prices down the road. We’ll keep our Market Monitor in bullish territory at level 8.

This week’s list is heavy on turnaround stories, especially those in the industrial and commodity sectors. Our Top Pick is Steel Dynamics (STLD), a leader of the steel sector that’s starting to pull back after a big run. You can buy some here or (preferably) on further weakness.

Stock Name	Price	Buy Range	Loss Limit
Cavium (CAVM)	0.00	61-63.5	55-57
DeVry (DV)	0.00	29.5-32	27-28
Oshkosh (OSK)	95.04	67-69.5	61-62
PDC Energy (PDCE)	0.00	77-81	70-72
Signature Bank (SBNY)	0.00	147-151	136-138
Steel Dynamics (STLD)	0.00	35-37	31-32.5
SunCoke Energy (SXC)	0.00	11-12	10-10.5
Tailored Brands (TLRD)	0.00	24.5-27	22-23.5
Transocean Ltd. (RIG)	0.00	14-15	12-12.5
Western Digital Corporation (WDC)	0.00	63-67	56.5-58

Current Market Outlook


Once again, nothing has changed in the market’s bigger picture health—the intermediate- and longer-term trends of all the major indexes are still up (though small-cap indexes are now testing their 50-day lines) and the broad market is healthy, with few stocks breaking down and even fewer hitting new lows. That said, we’re now entering the sixth week of no progress in most indexes, so it’s clear that the short-term trend is neutral, which has capped most stocks, too. We’re still overall optimistic, but we are going to nudge down our Market Monitor by one notch (to level 7 out of 10), so be sure to honor your stops, and be selective on the buy side or take smaller than normal positions until the bulls return. On the flip side, you should continue to give your strong stocks a chance to resume their rally.

The good news is that there are still many strong charts despite the market’s pause. Our Top Pick this week is Netflix (NFLX), which reacted well to earnings last week and looks like a big-cap leader if the market gets going from here.

Stock Name	Price	Buy Range	Loss Limit
ASML Holding (ASML)	350.01	117-121	109-111
Adient (ADNT)	0.00	60-63	55-56
Alcoa (AA)	0.00	34-36	31-32
Charter Communications (CHTR)	0.00	295-305	278-283
Hancock Holding (HBHC)	0.00	43.5-46	40-41.5
Netflix, Inc. (NFLX)	423.92	133.5-138	122-125
Southern Copper (SCCO)	0.00	34.5-36	32-33
T-Mobile US (TMUS)	0.00	57-59	53-54
TD Ameritrade (AMTD)	0.00	44.5-46	41-42.5
United Rentals, Inc. (URI)	0.00	107-110	100-102

This week, we comment on earnings from ESAB (ESAB), Duluth Holdings (DLTH) and preliminary results from Volkswagen AG (VWAGY). Next week, Volkswagen reports its full results – we’ll include more comments as needed. That should wrap up this earnings season. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is an off-cycle company and reports on March 28.

Current Market Outlook


After trading in a tight range for nearly two months, the major indexes were clobbered last Friday; most fell below their 50-day lines and a couple hit their lowest levels since Brexit. The action should certainly be respected—we’re knocking our Market Monitor down a couple of notches—but it’s important to look at all the evidence. While the intermediate-term trends are mostly sideways at this point, the longer-term trend is still up, the broad market isn’t falling apart as it would at major tops, and many individual stocks are pulling back normally so far. Overall, you should take things on a stock-by-stock basis, selling stocks that crack but giving others a chance to hold support and resume their advance. Overall, we remain optimistic, but picking your spots is important, and the next few days should be telling.



This week’s list includes many resilient stocks from a variety of sectors, which is a positive sign. Our Top Pick is Las Vegas Sands (LVS), a big-cap turnaround stock that has just lifted off following a huge bottoming effort.

Stock Name	Price	Buy Range	Loss Limit
Urban Outfitters (URBN)	0.00	35-36.5	32-33
Twilio (TWLO)	183.39	54-57	47.5-49
Tempur Sealy (TPX)	85.53	78-80	70-71
PDC Energy (PDCE)	0.00	64-66	59-60
MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI)	980.83	174-178	160-161
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS)	0.00	55-57	50-51
GrubHub (GRUB)	140.03	38.5-40.5	35-36
Callon Petroleum (CPE)	0.00	14-15	12.5-13
Burlington Stores (BURL)	193.95	80-82.5	74-75
Alibaba (BABA)	254.81	95-100	89-90

Much of the advice and so-called facts that you hear on TV and read about in financial magazines is basically nonsense. I found that out the hard way. By losing money! So, here are some things to keep in mind as you enter the market’s battles of 2010.

Everyone knows Warren Buffett. As the dean of value investing in the U.S, the Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) draws thousands of people to his annual meetings in Omaha. As the world’s greatest investor, Warren Buffett seemingly has it all. But there’s one major advantage you have over the Oracle of Omaha.

The market is down on the day, though individual stocks aren’t doing too badly. As of 2 pm EST, the Dow is off 280 points while the Nasdaq is off 165 points.

Be cautious. The selling pressure has spread to the rest of the market, with the recent decline cracking a bunch of stocks and causing our Cabot Tides to turn negative.

Despite a strong start to the week that saw the S&P 500 gain a combined more than 2% Monday and Tuesday, the sellers once again took control, as the index then fell 4.5% Wednesday and Thursday.

Despite a strong start to the week that saw the S&P 500 gain a combined more than 2% Monday and Tuesday, the sellers once again took control, as the index then fell 4.5% Wednesday and Thursday.

The general trend in emerging market stocks has gone from bad to worse, and we have responded by moving heavily into cash. And although this isn’t as much fun as picking out the big winners from among a stampeding herd of strong stocks, it’s the price we have to pay to play profitably in a volatile market. Today we’re featuring a relatively conservative stock that sports strong fundamentals and a tidy dividend.

Trade suggestion for Chevron (CVX) shareholders, and additional news and price changes on six other stocks.