The Nasdaq hit another 13 year high on Wednesday before
selling off hard Thursday and Friday. Traders woke up Thursday to news that
China's Purchasing Managers index had fallen to 49.6 from a reading of 50.5 in
December (a number below 50 indicates contraction). This news, combined with concern
over emerging market currencies precipitated the global equity sell off. For
the week the DJIA fell -3.5%, followed by the S&P 500 -2.6%, the Russell
2000 -2.1%, and the Nasdaq -1.7%.
Economic data this past week was light. On Thursday existing
home sales came in just slightly below the consensus average at 4.87M vs. 4.90,
and the PMI manufacturing index flash report missed consensus at 53.7 vs. 55.0
consensus. The Kansas City manufacturing index rebounded moderately from
December, mirroring the improvement seen in the NY Fed's reading last week.
Next week sees a heavier schedule of releases. Key data includes
new home sales 10 AM Monday, durable goods orders 8:30 AM Tuesday, the FOMC
meeting announcement 2 PM Wednesday, and GDP and jobless claims 8:30 AM
Thursday.
Numerous companies responded positively to their earnings
releases last week including weekly gains for Netflix of +17%, Netscout +15.5,
Logitech +13.8%, Open Text +11%, and F 5 Networks +8.2%. Losers on the week
included Advanced Micro Devices -17%, Intl Game Technology -14.8%, Kansas City
Southern -15.2%, and Freeport Mcmrn Cpr&Gld -9.5%.
799 companies release earnings results next week including Illumina,
Arkansas Best, Natus Medical, Constant Contact, Harmon Industries, and Align
Technology. Four recently hot China based companies also report: 500.com, 58.com,
Sungy Mobile and Montage Technology.
Weekly price performance of technology, commodity and
defensively oriented groups was uninformative with technology oriented and
defensively oriented groups providing neutral readings for the week. Commodity
oriented groups leaned on the negative side, with only 4 such groups ranking in
the top 50 groups, and 15 in the bottom 50. Interestingly, technology oriented
groups also held up well when measured over the 2 day sell off at the end of
the week with 5 groups in the top 50 and only 6 in the bottom 50.
The market is becoming more sensitive to sector selection.
As of January 4 the blog calculates that over the trailing 3 months there were 16
sectors with +10% gains and only 1 sector showing a loss. As of Wednesday
January 22 (before last week's
sell off) there were only 6 sectors showing +10% gains and 4 sectors showing
losses.
Summary: Last
week the blog wrote "This is a very strong market with buyers
tripping over themselves to get positions in the technology and healthcare
sectors. Positive economic data combined with weakness in defensive issues points
to a continuation of the trend." Despite last week's sell off the
weekly chart of the Nasdaq posted below shows the trend intact, and on
Wednesday an all-stock advance decline line followed by the blog hit a new
high, behavior that contradicts the idea of a sustained market pullback. Last
week's performance in technology oriented groups suggests there will continue
to be opportunities in that sector of the market, and the blog expects the
market to continue to offer opportunity for those investors positioned in the
right groups and sectors. That said, clearly the market is not as strong as it
was 4 weeks ago and could be entering a period of consolidation. Friday's
action resulted in a market that's oversold so look for bounce early in
the week.
**********************
Industry Group Performance:
Internet: The January 5 blog post pointed out the improving strength of the Internet-Network
Solutions group writing the "group has been a
laggard group with a MarketSmith industry group rank of #141. However, that
could be changing as the group ranks #23 on the trailing 5 week price
performance list with a 5.3% gain." Since writing that 3 weeks ago Internet-Network
Solutions has been the 6th best
performing group with a 7.5% gain, last week it was the 2nd best performing
industry group with 2.5% gain (Leisure-Movies & Related was #1,
+5.1%, powered higher by Netflix' earnings beat). Over the same 3 week period
the group's MarketSmith industry group rank has improved +37 to #104.
This will mark the
4th consecutive week the blog has highlighted Gigamon (GIMO). Last week's blog
pointed out the 3 weeks tight pattern on its weekly chart and for the week GIMO
gained 6.1% in volume 56% above average (70% above average if you adjust for
the 4 day week). Best of all that 6.1% gain occurred Thursday & Friday
while the rest of the market was in freefall. On Thursday GIMO gained 3.4% in
volume 85% above average, and Friday it gained 4.6% in volume 150% above
average.
Software: Software has been a strong sector and despite last week's sell off
continues to boast 6 of 10 groups in the top 40 of the trailing 2 and 3 week
price performance lists. Five software related groups have MarketSmith industry
group ranks in the top 50, and 9 of 10 are in the top 60.
Realpage (RP) was featured last week and pulled back -0.9%
in below average volume. RP enjoys a ROE of 15%, EPS growth rate of 76%, and
EPS estimates were recently revised higher with FY '13 EPS estimates +28%, and FY
'14 +27%. While the 50 day up/down volume ratio is only 1.0, the 25 day ratio
of 1.5 indicates shorter term accumulation. RP looks attractive with a break of
the descending trend line seen in the chart below.
Tableau Software (DATA) is another stock highlighted last
week; despite the sell off DATA still gained 3.3% for the week even after giving
up 4.6% on Friday. DATA is part of the Computer Sftwr-Database group which
ranked #14 for the week with a 0.6% gain.
Marketo (MKTO) is a chart the blog tweeted on Jan 12 @ 41.10.
MKTO has picked up 4% since then, and spent Thursday and Friday of last week
pulling back in mild volume -55% to average over the two days.
MKTO's sales growth for the last 4 quarters has been +60% each quarter.
Rally Software (RALY) builds cloud based software that helps
companies implement Agile/Lean management strategies. RALY IPO'd in April and
had a nice run from 18 to 33 before correcting back to a low of 15.46. Since
hitting that low on December 18 RALY rallied to a high of 21.50 on January 7th
and has traded in a tight channel since. RALY has a "B+" A/D rating,
and the 25 day up/down volume ratio of 2.1 doubles up on the 50 day ratio of
1.0. The Bollinger Bands are tightening up into a volatility squeeze suggesting
price movement in the near future. Set your
alert ~ 21.45.
The Computer Sftwr-Gaming group was the 11th best
performing group last week gaining 0.9%. Most of this gain was result of Shanda
Games (GAME) 18% weekly gain in volume 285% above average. GAME, a China based
company, was completely unaffected by the miss in China's PMI as well as the
mini accounting scandal that seemed to impact some Chinese names. GAME has seen
three positive analyst EPS revisions in the last 60 days.
Energy: The Oil&Gas-U
S Expl&Prod group has been an underperformer ranking #188 on the
trailing 13 week price performance list with a -8.9% loss. That may be
beginning to change as last week the group improved after news of falling
stockpiles. The group finished the week with 0.6% gain, 13th among all groups,
but what really caught attention was the number of 5%+ moves made by individual
stocks early in the week: 13 on Tuesday and 9 more on Wednesday. Given the
weakness in the group this could be an indication of bottoming. Admittedly this is a thin reed upon which to
base a thesis of group rotation, but the group has a large collection of stocks
with robust EPS estimates for both this year and next, so it's a possibility
worth watching for.
One stock out of the group the blog finds interesting is
Linn Co. (LNCO) which trades as the equity arm of LINN Energy LLC (LINE). LNCO's
sole purpose is to own LINN units (LINE) and yields 8.9%; owning LINN units
through LNCO relieves the shareholder of the tax reporting requirements of
owning LINN units directly. LNCO shares are showing significant accumulation
with an A/D rating of "A-" and a 50 day up/down volume ratio of 1.3,
while analysts forecast FY '14 EPS +188%.
Banks: There's a
clear dichotomy in the industry group performance of the banking sector, with
money center (GS, JPM, etc.) and foreign banks getting hit while the super
regional and regional banks putter along mostly unscathed. The table below demonstrates
this showing the trailing week's price performance for industry groups in the
banking sector:
|
Price Performance
|
|
MarketSmith
|
|||
|
Industry Group
|
1 Week Gain
|
1 Week Rank
|
|
Ind. Group Rank
|
1 Wk Rank Δ
|
|
Banks-Super Regional
|
1.0%
|
9
|
|
97
|
21
|
|
Banks-Northeast
|
0.5%
|
17
|
|
98
|
28
|
|
Banks-West/Southwest
|
-0.2%
|
26
|
|
59
|
10
|
|
Banks-Midwest
|
-0.3%
|
31
|
|
108
|
-12
|
|
Banks-Southeast
|
-0.8%
|
38
|
|
121
|
-2
|
|
Banks-Foreign
|
-3.3%
|
148
|
|
143
|
-9
|
|
Banks-Money Center
|
-3.4%
|
154
|
|
168
|
-22
|
Mining: For the
last few weeks the blog has discussed the improving strength in the mining
sector. Last week the Mining-Metal Ores group took a pronounced step
backwards on the news of China's PMI contraction, falling -4.7% for the week.
The Mining-Gold/Silver/Gems group was the 4th best performing group for
the week gaining +1.5%.
**********************
All data and charts displayed here are the property
of MarketSmith,
and are published here with their permission.
The Sector Trends blog does not make forecasts and
does not cheerlead with its commentary. The perspective offered is on current
trends in the market, which sectors and groups are rotating, and which stocks
from these groups are likely to perform best in a neutral/positive environment.
Readers need to provide their own assessment of market health, employ their own
risk management strategies, and trade accordingly. In a declining market nearly
all equities will suffer, including those found listed here.































