3/10 Almanac

On Thursday, March 10: International trade, jobless claims.

There are 9 days before March options expire, 37 the April and 72 the May.

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



Stats

Blue chip stocks (SPY) closed the latest regular session down 0.1% from the prior close. During the day SPY traversed 0.9% in a net move up of 0.05%.

The day's extremes: Open $132.32, high $132.80, low $131.60, close $132.39.

SPY closed within the DeMark pivots after trading below their range. The next DeMark pivots are $132.00-$133.20.

In total, 2.8 billion shares were traded on the three major U.S. stock exchange, 14% more than on the prior trading day.

Five-year bond yields imply inflation at 2.69%, five basis points lower than on the prior trading day.


Econ reports:

Two potential market-movers out before the open: The balance of trade figures and the weekly jobless claims will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

Also out, the weekly natural gas at 10:30 a.m., the Treasury budget at 2 p.m., and the Federal Reserve's balance sheet and money supply at 4:30 p.m.

The Census Bureau releases a quarterly survey of the services industries at 10 a.m.

Treasury auctions 30-year bonds at 1 p.m.

No Fedsters are speaking, but if they were...

The Federal Reserve often posts transcripts of speeches and testimony within a few days of the event.


Trading Calendar:

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


Good trading!