Thoughts about the markets, automated trading algorithms, artificial intelligence, and lots of other stuff

  • My Exercise Experience

    I just finished a physical for an insurance policy. My blood pressure was 120/80. My resting pulse was 68 and my weight has been coming down. Combine that with a good week in the market and the new portfolios, and I was feeling pretty good about myself.

    So, I went to the gym to work-out with a personal trainer and my 15-year-old son, Zachary.  At the beginning of the session, I was lifting weights, feeling good, looking in the mirror and thinking "won’t be long until I’m in my skinny pants." Skip forward twenty minutes into the session; my cheeks were bright red, I was huffing and puffing, and I was wondering how my son was doing so much more than I did. Ten more minutes and I was on my butt, gasping. To paraphrase a country song, “I may not be as good as I once was; but I’m as good, once, as I ever was.” Now I know what they are talking about.

    Sometimes it is better not to wait too long before fixing things.

  • My Exercise Experience

    I just finished a physical for an insurance policy. My blood pressure was 120/80. My resting pulse was 68 and my weight has been coming down. Combine that with a good week in the market and the new portfolios, and I was feeling pretty good about myself.

    So, I went to the gym to work-out with a personal trainer and my 15-year-old son, Zachary.  At the beginning of the session, I was lifting weights, feeling good, looking in the mirror and thinking "won’t be long until I’m in my skinny pants." Skip forward twenty minutes into the session; my cheeks were bright red, I was huffing and puffing, and I was wondering how my son was doing so much more than I did. Ten more minutes and I was on my butt, gasping. To paraphrase a country song, “I may not be as good as I once was; but I’m as good, once, as I ever was.” Now I know what they are talking about.

    Sometimes it is better not to wait too long before fixing things.

  • 080215 Market Commentary

    The Markets may still have some room to downside. Basic chart reading says it is bearish when the 200 day moving average is higher than the 50, which in turn is higher than the 20. That is math-speak for "we are in a bearish down-swing." The S&P closed at its 20-day moving average.

    080215_sp_ma_ribbon_and_compariso_2

     

     

    Notice also that the NASDAQ/S&P 500 ratio (the indicator below the main chart, shown above) has been falling since early November. That line would have to start rising for the Nasdaq to begin to show some market leadership. Right now, it’s still leading to the downside.

    However, the NASDAQ is approaching its rising three-year trendline, so we could see a bottom soon.

    0802015_nasdaq_3_year_uptrend

    This chart is from www.theinformedtrader.com.
     

  • 080215 Market Commentary

    The Markets may still have some room to downside. Basic chart reading says it is bearish when the 200 day moving average is higher than the 50, which in turn is higher than the 20. That is math-speak for "we are in a bearish down-swing." The S&P closed at its 20-day moving average.

    080215_sp_ma_ribbon_and_compariso_2

     

     

    Notice also that the NASDAQ/S&P 500 ratio (the indicator below the main chart, shown above) has been falling since early November. That line would have to start rising for the Nasdaq to begin to show some market leadership. Right now, it’s still leading to the downside.

    However, the NASDAQ is approaching its rising three-year trendline, so we could see a bottom soon.

    0802015_nasdaq_3_year_uptrend

    This chart is from www.theinformedtrader.com.
     

  • When Getting In Is the Hardest Part

    The Wharton business school has what may be the most sophisticated, confusing, and effective, course-registration system ever devised (it is an auction). I don’t know how it is relevant; yet,  I thought
    it was interesting and worth sharing.  You can     click the link to read more.  

  • First Post

    This is the first post in this blog.  I’m excited to start using this area to share opinions, ideas and musings about trading and the tools I use.  This means that there will be postings on:

    • The Market, including some commentary and charts;
    • Ideas on Portfolio Construction and Risk Management; as well as
    • Reviews of books, courses, software, web services, other blogs, and gadgets.

    This will be about a lot more than the business of trading.

  • First Post

    This is the first post in this blog.  I’m excited to start using this area to share opinions, ideas and musings about trading and the tools I use.  This means that there will be postings on:

    • The Market, including some commentary and charts;
    • Ideas on Portfolio Construction and Risk Management; as well as
    • Reviews of books, courses, software, web services, other blogs, and gadgets.

    This will be about a lot more than the business of trading.