12/30 Watchlist

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
                -- T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men) (1925)

Much the same can be said for the year in the markets.

At the end of the penultimate trading day of the year, little movement in the indicators, the currencies and most of my holdings.

The exception is SBUX, which is showing a new bear signal on a small decline. My position in this stock is a bull put spread (p22.5/-p24). The pps bear signal is echoed by the Stochastic, and about to be echoed by the MACD and the Money Flow Index. My stop/loss on SBUX is 22.5, and the trade already has a small loss. So I may have a decision to make about SBUX beyond the usual venti or grande.

In an earlier age I would exclaim, "This is a pretty turn of events." In our time, so parsimonous with words, I shall simply say, "Bummer!" But I don't intend to act  on the position at this time.

The potential bull signal that showed on the VIX this morning has melted back into the pasture, no doubt intending to graze a bit longer. The chart, at present, remains bearish on fear.