For The Fifth Week In A Row…


The S&P 500
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dropped to the -2.0 Volatility Band
(938) before trying to build a setup and give quick-and-nimble traders a profit
before going into the weekend, but time ran out before a setup was triggered. Citigroup
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, General Electric
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and Intel
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were three culprits that sparked today’s sell-off.

The good news however is than even with today’s drop, the
S&P 500
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logged its fifth straight weekly
gain. This is the longest winning streak in two years. For the week, the S&P 500
has climbed 2.1%. The Sept S&P 500 futures
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closed
lower today at 941, down 20.10 or 2.09%.

The Nasdaq 100, which is greatly influenced by
the Semiconductor sector
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, never had a chance today. This
after the semis were downgraded at the opening. The Nasdaq 100 futures
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is trapped between its 38.2% retracement level and the 50-day moving average.
NDU2 closed at 1014.50, down 37.50 or
3.56%.

At the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), some of the
grains are rallying from a pullback from the highs. Corn for December
delivery

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rose 1 3/4 cent to $2.73 1/4 a bushel. Dec. wheat
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rallied up 7 3/4 cents or 2.28% to $3.47 3/4 a bushel. And Nov.
soybeans
closed at the 20-day moving average $5.40 a bushel up 2 1/4 cents.

In the energy markets, October crude oil

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dropped lower again today. After approaching the $30
a barrel price earlier this week due to fears of a US invasion of Iraq. Talk of an invasion is cooling and this is bringing the October crude
prices lower. The decline in crude prices is putting pressure on the
Amex Oil Index

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and the Phlx Oil Service Index
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. Crude oil ended the session lower at $28.67 a barrel, down .16.
Oct. heating oil
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dropped .95 or 1.26% to 74.70 a gallon.
Oct unleaded gasoline

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dropped .33 cent to close at 77.40 a
gallon and Oct. natural gas
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dropped .03 to 3.56.

At the COMEX, precious metals were mixed, with
December gold

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unchanged at $308.30 a troy ounce. December
silver

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struggled to stay afloat today and dropped 5.20 cent or
1.16% to $4.448 an ounce. September copper
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rallied to
positive territory to close at 68.54 a pound, up .10 on the session.