Monday, April 29, 2013

Weekly Newsletter April 28th - May 4th


Current Events:  Last week's strong 5-day rebound provided an abrupt end to sell off that occurred at the year-to-date high in early April. The rally has rekindled confidence in even the weariest of investors as the steady upward climb which began in late November continues.

What to Look for This Week

Plenty of earnings are scheduled to be announced this week to keep investors engaged throughout. Popular names such as Facebook, Allstate, and Mastercard lead the way in what should be a busy week.

News Affecting the Markets

Retirees and conservative investors alike are expected to reconsider the once very popular decision to stash money in gold. The commodity has fallen nearly $400 from its 52-week high of $1,803 to $1,420, which has forced many to question if the risk is worth it. While the volatility of gold in past years has worked in favor of bullish investors producing lofty price levels quickly, the sharp decent is likely to force many to exit just as fast.

Smart Investing

Think of Trading as a Business:  In other businesses you find a market, you learn a skill or develop a product, and then expand upon that idea until it is superior to your competitors. Trading is the same – it is a business –a war for survival, and if you want to be financially secure you will have to sacrifice, in the exact same manner as a shrewd business person. As in conventional business practices you have to be patient, focused, disciplined, committed, hard working, and in complete control of your business and oneself. To be successful in your equity trading business you can’t control the market, all you can do is identify the trend and go with it to profit. That’s not to say that you can’t be confident with your trading, but you need to realize early in your career that it is perfectly acceptable to be wrong as long as you stick to your exits and apply discipline.

Earnings for the Week

Monday: CapitalSource Inc (CSE) {After the Close}, CBL & Associates Properties Inc (CBL) {After the Close}, Eaton Corp (ETN), HCA Holdings Inc (HCA), Hertz Global Holdings Inc (HTZ) {After the Close}, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc (JEC) {After the Close}, Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS), Loews Corp (L), Masco Corp (MAS) {After the Close}, Newmont Mining Corp (NEM) {After the Close}, The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc (HIG) {After the Close}

Tuesday:  3D Systems Corp (DDD), Aetna Inc (AET), Avon Products Inc (AVP), Boston Properties Inc (BXP) {After the Close}, Cummins Inc (CMI), DDR Corp (DDR) {After the Close}, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc (DWA) {After the Close}, Ecolab Inc (ECL), Edison International (EIX) {After the Close}, Ensco PLC (ESV), Equity Residential (EQR) {After the Close}, EXCO Resources Inc (XCO) {After the Close}, Fidelity National Information Services Inc (FIS), Genworth Holdings Inc (GNW) {After the Close}, Harris Corp (HRS), HCP Inc (HCP), Huntsman Corp (HUN), Invesco Ltd (IVZ), Legg Mason Inc (LM), Manitowoc Co Inc (MTW) {After the Close}, Mcgraw-Hill Companies Inc (MHP), MGIC Investment Corp (MTG), NYSE Euronext (NYX), Office Depot Inc (ODP), ONEOK Inc (OKE) {After the Close}, Pfizer Inc (PFE), Pitney Bowes Inc (PBI), Questar Corp (STR),  Regal Entertainment Group (RGC) {After the Close}, SM Energy Co (SM) {After the Close}, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc (HOT), TECO Energy Inc (TE) {After the Close}, TRW Automotive Holdings Corp (TRW), UDR Inc (UDR), United States Steel Corp (X), Valero Energy Corp (VLO), Western Union Co (WU) {After the Close}, Wisconsin Energy Corp (WEC)

Wednesday: Allstate Corp (ALL) {After the Close}, Avis Budget Group Inc (CAR) {After the Close}, CBS Corp (CBS) {After the Close}, Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK), Coventry Health Care Inc (CVH), Devon Energy Corp (DVN), Facebook Inc (FB), Fidelity National Financial Inc (FNF) {After the Close}, Humana Inc (HUM), JDS Uniphase Corp (JDSU) {After the Close}, Kimco Realty Corp (KIM) {After the Close}, Lincoln National Corp (LNC) {After the Close}, MasterCard Inc (MA) {After the Close}, Merck & Co Inc (MRK), Metlife Inc (MET) {After the Close}, Murphy Oil Corp (MUR), Pioneer Natural Resources Co (PXD) {After the Close}, Prudential Financial Inc (PRU) {After the Close}, Radian Group Inc (RDN), Seagate Technology PLC (STX) {After the Close}, Sealed Air Corp (SEE), The Clorox Co (CLX), Time Warner Inc (TWX), Unum Group (UNM), Visa Inc (V) {After the Close}, Walter Energy Inc (WLT) {After the Close}

Thursday:  American International Group Inc (AIG) {After the Close}, Becton Dickinson and Co (BDX), Cardinal Health Inc (CAH), Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV (CBI) {After the Close}, Cigna Corp (CI), CME Group Inc (CME), Estee Lauder Companies Inc (EL), General Motors Co (GM), International Paper Co (IP), Kellogg Co (K), LeapFrog Enterprises Inc (LF), LinkedIn Corp (LNKD) {After the Close}, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc (MMC), MGM Resorts International (MGM), Monster Worldwide Inc (MWW), Mylan Inc (MYL) {After the Close}, Plains Exploration & Production Co (PXP), PPL Corp (PPL), Southwestern Energy Co (SWN) {After the Close}, Tempur-Pedic International Inc (TPX) {After the Close}, Weatherford International Ltd (WFT) {After the Close}, Xcel Energy Inc (XEL), XL Group PLC (XL) {After the Close}

Friday:  Consolidated Edison Inc (ED), Duke Energy Corp (DUK), Host Hotels & Resorts Inc (HST), Moodys Corp (MCO), Ultra Petroleum Corp (UPL)

* Earnings dates and times are subject to change

Economic Data this Week

 

Monday

Personal Income @ 8:30 AM for March (Est. = 0.3% to 0.4%, Prior = 1.1%)

Personal Spending @ 8:30 AM for March (Est. = -0.1% to 0.1%, Prior = 0.7%)

Pending Home Sales @ 10:00 AM for March (Est. = 0.0% to 0.1%, Prior = -0.4%)

 

Tuesday

Case-Shiller 20-city Index @ 9:00 AM for February (Est. = 8.7%, Prior = 8.1%)

Chicago PMI @ 9:45 AM for April (Est. = 51.5 to 52.0, Prior = 52.4)

Consumer Confidence @ 10:00 AM for April (Est. = 61.0 to 63.0, Prior = 59.7)

 

Wednesday

MBA Mortgage Index @ 7:00 AM for 04/27 (Est. = n/a, Prior = n/a)

ISM Index @ 10:00 AM for April (Est. = 49.5 to 51.0, Prior = 51.3)

Construction Spending @ 10:00 AM for March (Est. = 0.4%, Prior = 1.2%)

Crude Inventories @ 10:30 AM for 04/27 (Est. = n/a, Prior = 0.947M)

FOMC Rate Decision @ 2:15 PM for May (Est. = 0.25%, Prior = 0.25%)

Auto Sales @ 3:00 PM for April (Est. = n/a, Prior = 5.3M)

Truck Sales @ 3:00 PM for April (Est. = n/a, Prior = 6.7M)

 

Thursday

Initial Claims @ 8:30 AM for 04/27 (Est. = 345K to 346K, Prior = 339K)

Continuing Claims @ 8:30 AM for 04/20 (Est. = 3050K, Prior = 3000K)

Natural Gas Inventories @ 10:30 AM for 04/27 (Est. = n/a, Prior = 30)

 

Friday

Unemployment Rate @ 8:15 AM for April (Est. = 7.6% to 7.7%, Prior = 7.6%)

Factory Orders@ 10:00 AM for March (Est. = -2.5%, Prior = 3.0%)

ISM Services @ 9:55 AM for April (Est. = 53.9 to 54.0, Prior = 54.4)