12/29 Almanac

On Wednesday, Dec. 29: Petroleum inventory.

There are 24 days before the January options expire, 52 the February and 80 the March.

On the jump, market stats, econ reports, and the trading calendar . . .


Stats

Blue chip stocks (SPY) closed the latest regular session up 0.1% from the prior close. During the day SPY traversed 0.4% in a net move down of 0.1%.

The day's extremes: Open $125.90, high $125.95, low $125.50, close $125.83.

SPY traded entirely within the DeMark pivots. The next DeMark pivots are $125.44-$125.89.

In total, 1.7 billion shares were traded on the three major U.S. stock exchange, 8% more than on the prior trading day.

Five-year bond yields imply inflation at 2.06%, up one basis point from the prior trading day.


Econ reports:

The weekly petroleum inventory report will be released at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. It sometimes moves the energy sector. The mortgage bankers will release their purchase applications report, a leading indicator for home sales, at 7 a.m.

Treasury auctions 7-year notes at 1 p.m.

Trading Calendar:

By my rules, at this point in the cycle I can trade January vertical, diagonal, butterfly and calendar spreads, iron condors and covered calls. Also, March straddles, calls and puts. And of course, shares are good at any time.


What I'm looking for, after New Year's Day:

• INTC re-entry as an earnings play. Analysis.
• NKE exit. Analysis.

Click here for stocks on my watchlists.


Good trading!