ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2011
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Stock markets across Europe and here reeled today as debt issues continued to plague traders. If our rates go up due to the lower Standard & Poors rating, we will have a much more difficult time paying our debt and getting our economy growing. Stocks were down nearly 250 points this morning bef...
04/18/2011
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Mortgage backed securities (MBS) closed up 25 basis points today having passed through tough resistance offered by the 100 day moving average by just two points. Standard & Poor's rating on U.S. debt went from standard to negative which caused a sell off in stocks and created a new safe haven tr...
04/18/2011
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Mortgage backed securities (MBS) closed up 62 basis points today having broken through resistance at both the 50 and 25 day moving averages. The big news that was so bond friendly was the consumer price index which measures inflation that individuals are encountering. The core inflation rate ac...
04/15/2011
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After closing last night, Alcoa, which was thought to have good news for the market, released earnings that were not up to the street's expectations. Oil and other commodities sold off today causing gains for the dollar because commodities are traded in dollars. Stocks actually perform better wi...
04/12/2011
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Mortgage backed securities (MBS) closed up 56 basis points today having, after days of stalemate, broken higher and closed with in 25 basis points of the 50 day moving average. An "A" rating on a $32 billion Treasury auction punctuated today's gains after bad news about Japan's ailing reactors r...
04/12/2011
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Stocks struggled opened nicely higher before struggling to sustain gains. Early optimism about the earnings reports which will begin with Alcoa this evening gave way to a technical block this afternoon as the S & P 500 hit a tough resistance level at the $1,333. level. Falling oil prices resul...
04/11/2011
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Mortgage backed securities (MBS) closed flat today at 97.58 coming to rest once again just above the support offered by the high of February 18th. After the close, the monthly coupon rollover reduced the price another 31 basis points. The rollover has no effect on the relation to technicals. M...
04/11/2011
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Taking a lead from European markets, stock futures pointed upward this morning. With no economic reporting today, stock traders were generally in a positive mood looking forward to additional good news from companies reporting improved first quarter earnings next month. With commodities like oi...
04/08/2011
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Mortgage backed securities (MBS) closed down 22 basis points today at 97.56 resting exactly on the support level offered by the high of Febraury 18th. MBs bond traders were nervous all day about the chance that the federal government might shut down. Additional uncertainty about whether the de...
04/08/2011
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First quarter earnings have driven stock levels to new highs for the year. Today was no exception with the Dow closing up 32 points. One would have thought stocks would have suffered with continuing uncertainty in Libya and with Portugal finally askig the European Central Bank for help. This l...
04/06/2011