Sectors Boosting The Nasdaq

The Dow Jones Industrial Average
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moved cautiously at the beginning of today’s session. The Dow 30 opened
right around yesterday’s close of 9819. It then channeled sideways until about
10:00 AM EST when some economic reports were released.

The Consumer Confidence
index slipped to 108.8 in April from 110.2 in March; this was actually a bit
better than the 107.5 consensus and consistent with the slight drop in the
Michigan consumer index. The Chicago PMI fell to 54.7% in April, just a bit
below the 55.0% consensus. This did not detour traders because the news was not
that unexpected. If anything, it was good. The market took off and didn’t look
back. By 1:00 PM EST the Dow was up over 170.00 points, trading at 9992.82. The
market internals are positive.

The Nasdaq
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has broken through its resistance at 1672/1674 and the secondary resistance at 1685. The
next resistance level is around 1697/1700. Helping the Nasdaq move higher today
is the AMEX Biotech Index
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, the Morgan Stanley Heath
Care Index

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and the Phlx Semiconductor Index
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.

In the semis,
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,
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and
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, which were all on pullbacks to the
200-day EMA zone, along with
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and the
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s
, which
are at the bottom of their six-month trading range
,
are all in positive
territory. For more on this, read
Kevin Haggerty’s View’s From The Trading Desk.

June gold
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is trading
lower today due to profit-taking. Support is at $305.00 an ounce. June Gold
affects the movement of the PHLX Gold & Silver Index
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and
some of the gold mining stocks, such as Anglogold
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, Barrick Gold
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,
Newmont Mining
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and Placer Dome
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,
all of which are trading
lower today.

Cigna
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hit a 52-week high
and is trying to take out the $110.00 level which it has attempted twice
before. Third time could be a charm. You may want to put this one on your list
for a continuation entry on Wednesday. Also, check out Allstate
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.

ALL
is in a nice uptrend and is currently trying to bounce off the 20-MA.

Willis Group Holding
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is attempting to break out above its resistance level of 28.50. WSH
is trading in a cup-and-handle pattern. WSH has an uptrending
ADX of 27.


Supervalu
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is breaking out of an ascending triangle to a 52-week
high. SVU has a

TradingMarkets.com RS3 rating of 81

and an uptrending
ADX of 40.

Coke
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hit a 52-week high
and looks like it is moving out of a high-level cup. KO looks a little
extended intraday, but could offer some nice continuation for longer-term
players on Wednesday. Keep on your watch list. Also watch Pepsi
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.

Pepsi is approaching 52-week highs and has a nice weekly chart.

Fred’s, Inc
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is
breaking out of an inverted head-and-shoulders pattern. FRED broke above the
neckline with increasing volume. Fred’s has a

TradingMarkets.com RS3 rating of 91
.
FRED is trading at 39.91, up 1.06.

With the extreme oversold conditions
in the markets and positive internals, we could see some positive movement
through today’s close.