Sectorz
With all of this talk of “the market,” I thought that
we could take a minute to separate the diferent parts of the market. Just
because an index of 30 stocks moves one way or another, that does not mean that
all 11,000 stocks are doing the same thing.
It’s time for a sector checkup.
Today’s Sector Checkup:
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Starting with the two
strongest sectors in the market, we have insurance and banking. Sure, they do
not move 10 to 20 points a day, but if you do not have a short button on your
keyboard, you should take a look.
The S&P Insurance Sector
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upward channel. With some resistance just under 800, the index remains poised to
move higher. As history has shown, investors tend to flock to defensive names in
this sector, among others, when growth stocks get “iffy.”
The S&P Banking Index
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saucer pattern just under its all-time high. While it retraced during the last
tech rally, it quickly ran back up when techs started to shake people out.
Again, banks are often considered defensive, yet they do see some volatility
when the issue of interest rates comes up. Look for a new high breakout as
traders look for safe names to move their money into. Safe, of course, being a
relative term.
On the weaker side, we have two of the tech indices.
The semis
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Intel just added insult to injury. The SOX broke below the two most obvious
support levels on the daily charts in the last few weeks. After setting two
lower double tops, the index tried to rally back once again, only to ultimately
cave in. Do not give up all hope if you hold positions in your account which
fall in the category. As you know, markets often tend to break major support
levels just before putting in a bottom. I am by no means calling for a bottom,
it’s simply something to remember when rearranging your portfolio. Short-term
traders should watch members of the sector for more near-term weakness.
The other part of the tech sector which is particularly weak is
the Internet group. The group took out its five-month-old support level on
Tuesday when it closed at 639. The members of the group continue to be bashed by
both the media and investors. With dot.com money rumored to be drying up, and
advertisers disappearing, there is a question of how much cash these companies
have left to burn. The near-term picture looks bleak, but the Internet is still
the center of the modern information age, so there are still prospects out
there.
Until later,Â