Traders Gain With Stock Selection Process
The market action in the major indices did not
provide much opportunity for daytraders until a small 2:25 p.m. ET advance into
the close, which was not much more than a scalp. The SPX
(
$SPX.X |
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on an inside day at 1204.29, +0.2%, the Dow
(
$INDU |
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while technology was the day’s leader with the
(
QQQQ |
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was led by semiconductors, as the
(
SMH |
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was the RTH, +1.2%.
NYSE volume was 1.4 billion shares and the volume
ratio 57 with breadth +636. Of the nine sector SPDRs, only three closed green,
which were the XLY, +0.5%, XLK, +0.4%, and XLP, +0.3%. The industrials (XLI),
healthcare (XLV), utilities (XLU), energy (XLE), financials (XLF) and basic
materials (XLB) all closed small red. There was a big drop off in
(
SPY |
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volume to 40.5mm shares from 70mm on Wednesday. The same was true for the
(
DIA |
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PowerRating), 3.5mm vs. 6.8mm, and QQQQ 76mm vs. 97mm.
In spite of the light trading volatility in the
major indices yesterday, daytraders can always find some excellent setups from
my Stock Selection Method using the “Above the Line” and “Below the Line” lists.
Yesterday,
(
UNH |
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PowerRating) provided a no-brainer with a good daily chart Slim Jim
setup on Wednesday just below its all-time high of 49.87 on 04/20/05. The Slim
Jim breakout level was 49.55 (Wednesday’s high). Entry above 49.55 was on the
9:40 a.m. bar (five-minute chart), and the stock traded to 50.60 before fading
to close at 50.38.
(
COH |
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PowerRating) followed up Wednesday’s breakout trade above 29.47
to 30.93 (30.67 close) with another excellent continuation day yesterday with
entry above 31.93, trading up to 32.63 before closing at 32.07, +4.6%. Both
stocks had excellent daily chart contracted volatility patterns, and if you use
my “Above the Line” method, you had them on your trading list each day.
Remember, the best daily chart patterns will most often produce the best
daytrades.
Today is a Fib-ratio time-and-price date for the
QQQQ (trading days) measured from the 06/30/04 37.90 top to the 40.68 12/15/04
top. There is also pattern symmetry on both sides of the 40.68 high, starting
with that 37.90 top to today, June 3. Monday, June 6, is the 1.27 Fib ratio for
the DIA and SPY, measured from the 10/25/04 and 04/20/05 bottoms. The risk of a
short-term reversal rather than acceleration through this current zone is more
likely because of the extended three-month standard deviation levels. I expect
the Generals to make a strong attempt, barring any overt news, at marking up
their major holdings into the June six-month report card, so any short-term
reversal here should be short lived.
Have a good trading day,
Kevin Haggerty
P.S. I will be
referring to some charts here:
www.thechartstore.com in the future.