Income Inequality, At Historic Highs, Soars Under President Obama

Vantage Point UPDATE: Intermediate-Term and Long-Term Trend Analysis

On Friday, January 24, the S&P 500 closed @ 1790, and that was...
  
   +6.3% ABOVE its 12-Month moving average which stood @ 1684.
   +4.6% ABOVE its 40-Week moving average which stood @ 1711.
   -1.4% BELOW its 10-Week moving average which stood @ 1815.


Therefore, the INTERMEDIATE-Term trend IS NEUTRAL
and the LONG-Term trend is UP.

Adjusted for Inflation, The Share of U.S. Households Earning $100,000 or Above Has More Than Tripled from 6.1% in 1969 to 20.1% in 2009...

Chart of The Day: World Market Performance, Post-Financial Crisis

Chart Courtesy of Chart of The Day

For some perspective on the post-financial crisis rally, today's chart illustrates how much of the downturn that occurred as a result of the financial crisis has been retraced by several major international stock market indices.

For example, the S&P 500 peaked at 1,565 back in October 9, 2007 and troughed at 677 back on March 9, 2009. A recent close for the S&P 500 was in the 1,848 neighborhood -- a retracement of +132% of its financial crisis bear market decline.

As today's chart illustrates, China (Shanghai Composite), Japan (Nikkei 225), India (S&P BSE Sensex), Germany (DAX), France (CAC 40) and the U.K. (FTSE 100) are all above their financial crisis lows (i.e. above 0% on today's chart) and three of the aforementioned countries (Germany, India and the U.K.) are currently trading above their respective pre-financial crisis peak (i.e. are above +100% on today's chart).

It is interesting to note that the U.S. (epicenter of the financial crisis) has outperformed the other major stock market indices (* keep in mind that the German DAX is unique in that it includes for the reinvestment of dividends) while China has lagged to the point where it only trades +9.3% above its financial crisis lows -- not that impressive of a performance considering that the financial crisis occurred well over four years ago.


Chart Courtesy of Chart of The Day

Vantage Point UPDATE: Intermediate-Term and Long-Term Trend Analysis

On Friday, January 17, the S&P 500 closed @ 1839, and that was...
  
   +8.7% ABOVE its 12-Month moving average which stood @ 1691.
   +7.8% ABOVE its 40-Week moving average which stood @ 1705.
   +1.3% ABOVE its 10-Week moving average which stood @ 1816.


Therefore, the INTERMEDIATE-Term trend IS NEUTRAL
and the LONG-Term trend is UP.

Good News: Economy and Employment Steadily Improving

The Jobless Rate is Much Worse Than It Appears...

Vantage Point UPDATE: Intermediate-Term and Long-Term Trend Analysis

On Friday, January 10, the S&P 500 closed @ 1842, and that was...
  
   +8.9% ABOVE its 12-Month moving average which stood @ 1692.
   +8.5% ABOVE its 40-Week moving average which stood @ 1698.
   +1.8% ABOVE its 10-Week moving average which stood @ 1809.


Therefore, the INTERMEDIATE-Term trend IS FAVORABLE
and the LONG-Term trend is UP.

Chart of The Day: The Dow's Average Year vs Its Average Mid-Term Election Year

Chart & Analysis Courtesy of Chart of The Day

Today's chart illustrates how the stock market has performed during the Average Mid-Term Election Year versus the average year.

Since 1950, the First 9 Months of the Average Mid-Term Election Year have tended to be Subpar (see thick blue line).

That subpar performance was then followed by a significant year-end rally.
 
One theory to support this behavior is that investors abhor uncertainty. To that end, investors tend to pull back prior to an election when the outcome is unknown.

Beginning in early October, however, the outcome of the election becomes increasingly apparent and investors respond by positioning their portfolios accordingly.


Chart & Analysis Courtesy of Chart of The Day

It's Been A Very Long Time Since We've Had A -10% Correction...

As of January 8, 2014, the S&P 500 has gone 828 calendar days (i.e., shown in weekly chart above, from 10/03/11 through and including 1/08/14) without a -10% or greater drop in the index, the 5th longest stretch without a double-digit pullback in the last 50 years.

source: BTN Research

Vantage Point UPDATE: Intermediate-Term and Long-Term Trend Analysis

On Friday, January 3, the S&P 500 closed @ 1831, and that was...
  
   +8.3% ABOVE its 12-Month moving average which stood @ 1690.
   +8.3% ABOVE its 40-Week moving average which stood @ 1691.
   +1.7% ABOVE its 10-Week moving average which stood @ 1801.


Therefore, the INTERMEDIATE-Term trend IS FAVORABLE
and the LONG-Term trend is UP.

Where The Concentration of Political Power is Highest, The Big Money Always Follows...