Last week's market action saw the major world averages soar on the rumor that the European Central Bank will orchestrate yet another bank bailout. With many major European banks teetering on the brink of insolvency due to exposure to Greek, Portuguese, Irish, and now Italian debt, the market had been pricing in a systematic freezing [...]
The start of the 4th quarter is decidedly bearish, with the first two days seeing significant market losses. Our managed portfolios continue to hold extreme cash and bond positions which is helping to significantly limit the amount of deterioration seen in the first few days of the quarter. Click here to access our current view of [...]
All managed portfolios continue to be significantly overweighted in defensive instruments such as cash and bonds at the present time. Both The Appleton Group Portfolio and our PLUS Strategy have no more than 25% exposure to market risk, which leaves each more than 75% defensive. This is extreme, but might not be conservative enough, to [...]
Goodbye August, and not a moment too soon. The volatility demonstrated for the month was astounding: out of the 23 days the markets were open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average moved by triple digits (either up or down) 16 of those days. The best single day was a gain of +3.98%, and the worst day [...]
Last week's market action was the most unsupportive since the dark days of March 2009. Negative trends now exist for nearly all market segments as the swift declines of the past several weeks have impacted all of the short-term trends we monitor. Click here to access our current view of the markets - our five-year ETF [...]
The extraordinary volatility seen in the markets for the past two weeks has clearly been a concern. Over the past two days alone, the S&P 500 Index has been up by more than 4% and down by more than 4% consecutively. We've used the recent volatility to reduce invested positions further, selling into strength on [...]
S&P's downgrade of the United State's debt rating from AAA to AA+ (the smallest move possible) is not being taken well by the market this morning. Futures at around 6:30 CST showed the markets down by around 2%. Click here to access our current view of the markets - our five-year ETF charts with both their [...]
The rapid and sizable market correction underway has triggered several portfolio adjustments, with the high probability that more may be required if the market cannot find its footing very soon. Yesterday's five-percent declines spared no growth sector of the markets - dividend-paying stocks declined as much as growth stocks; large, mid and small cap stocks [...]
I'd like to talk to you for a moment about my lawn. Back in 2003, my family purchased one of the great "old ladies" of Appleton, an 1893 Queen Anne Victorian complete with a wrap-around porch, a turret, and even the ghost of a former teacher (Mae Webster). Yes, the house was in need of [...]
Over the past month, the global market advance that began back in September of last year has showed increased evidence of fatigue. The upward momentum in equities, real estate, commodities and even in fixed income, while still present, is clearly deteriorating. Click here to access our current view of the markets - our five-year ETF [...]
