What We're Reading

The stock market continues to weaken, as evidenced by these ETF charts.    If you zero in on a sector you wish to short, I would bear in mind that ETFs are comprised of market leaders.  I would look for names "outside" of the ETF components; consider them leaders and you want the weaklings to short.

The reasons for weakness are numerous. 

Consider the election weight (a Trump win would weigh on equities but Clinton weighs on pharma pricing).  Then there are flat-to-dropping sales.  Of course the USD movement (up will weigh on commodities and large caps with overseas exposure).  Then there's those who feel we are already at or above maximum value and they're not buying here.  They're hedged, short some and long financials ahead of the Fed rate hike.  Then there's that Fed hike itself.  High dividend is flushing down the toilet (SDY) in September.  Overseas weakness with China not helping boost confidence for demand.  And we also have more failure at the OPEC talks with no offer from o

Life has intervened of late however I felt I would post my random thoughts viewing my port yesterday:

• Russia is still working. RSX at it’s 100d today. I will add more if it comes back to the 50d http://screencast.com/t/Eh88iqLP   Long hold, definitely.  Throw it in a drawer and forget about it.

• Buffet lowered his XOM stake and bought DE.  DE Monthly sure looks like its coiled up for something. Buffet obviously thinks new all time highs http://screencast.com/t/rlyFa0yzLeb  DE earnings this Friday bmo. I'd be long common and get put protection.  Buy or add on any selloff.  Daily view, bouncing off that 50% fib (to me) equals good chance it wants to challenge/break the high http://screencast.com/t/oEgnCfo0SJg 

• I still like the consumer stapes sector here. XLP or one of its components. They come into seasonal demand next month thru Summer.   I'm already long PEP and KMB as mentioned here previously in Chat.  For a list of XLP components, visit http://etfinvestmentoutlook.com/etf_hold

A few areas of concern are beginning to display in the consumer discretionary, consumer staples and industrial sectors.  We can point a finger at Russian sanctions, an overextended market, the Fed removing the punch bowl or maybe the consumer is simply tapped out but I think we all would agree, a decent correction certainly would be welcomed as an overdue buying opportunity.

Seasonal demand is just what it sounds like.  What seasons certain things see higher demand such as natural gas for A/C and heating or gold for jewelry manufacturing and sales.  With that in mind I thought I'd flip through our Seasonal Charts for hints of possible trades here and in the months approaching.  My unscientific belief has been that larger players begin to buy long futures contracts before the season hits so I begin to watch for divergences and support in charts.  Click on the charts below for a better view.  Let's take a look:

Consumer Staples Which can be traded via $XLP or one of it's components are items which consumers feel they cannot do without.  They're considered non-cyclical, meaning that they are always in demand, no matter how well the economy is performing (or not performing).  Think diapers $KMB, personal hygiene $PG, discounters like $WMT, beverages such as $KO, cigarettes $MO and $PM, pharmacies such as $WAG and $CVS.  There are many other names, b