More on BMY

A quick review of the news about BMY (always a good practice) counsels caution.

It was the leader in option volume yesterday, with several imbalance on the sell side notices from the NYSE in yesterday's trading, and also several the day before.

A Reuter's article showed increasing short interest in BMY.

I normally am not big on news as a decider. However, BMY, as a pharmaceutical company, is more news sensitive than most.

Now, no news today, and it could be that the shorts are covering. But all in all, I think there are too many negatives on this puppy. I'm not touching it.

12/11 Watchlist

BMY rose again today after a bull signal at yesterday's close. It has been in an aggressive uptrend since late October and has about $2 to go until it hits upside resistance set in January 2008. (Yes, I pegged it as a sideways trend in yesterday's Watchlist. I broadened by view.) It's looking interesting as a possible play.
BAX, a bull signal yesterday that looked interesting but which I didn't trade, has shown a strong rise for the second day and has pierced resistance set in September.

New signals among other high-volume stocks and etfs, with the direction of the signal and the trend in which it has occurred:

• ORCL, bull, uptrend since March, sideways since October.
• SMH, bear, uptrend since March
• HD, bull, uptrend since March (trading at resistance)
• CTL, bull, uptrend since March (whipsaw from bear signal given three days earlier)
• BRCM, bear, uptrend since March (strong reversal at resistance)
• DIA, bull, uptrend since March, sideways since November (trading at resistance, whipsaw from a bear signal given four days earlier)
• XRT, bull, downtrend since October
• POT, bear, uptrend since October
• AXP, bull, uptrend since March (about $4 away from upside resistance, but this is the fifth signal given in 11 days, so clearly the stock in neither a bull nor a bear but a confused puppy)
  

Of those, AXP is interesting because of the distance from resistance, but the false signals worry me.

Holdings:

UNG, a covered call (-c9) that expires in eight days, has fallen to 9.53 and remains profitable.

Of the January expiry holdings, there are no new signals.

X, a bear spread (-c40/c41), which has moved contrary to my bearish position, is pulling back a bit but remains worrisome.

AET, a bull spread (p31/-p32) that showed a nice rise this morning, has pulled back to within yesteday's trading range.

HPQ, a bull spread (p49/-p50), is stalled at the cusp of profitability.

KO, an iron condor (p50/-p52.5/-c57.5/c60) remains above the range of max profit at expiration.

No new signals among the indicators.

12/10 Watchlist

AET has penetrated resistance decisively on the third day after a bull signal and is a buy at 31.70 or below with upside resistance around 33.70. See the discussion in yesterday's Watchlist.

I've opened a bull put spread (p31/-p32) in AET at 31.70 for 0.47 credit. The position is profitable on expiration in January from about 31.55 upward.

New signals among the high-volume stocks and etfs, with the signal, mfi confirmation status, and the trend:

• QQQQ, bull, confirmed, sideways
• ORCL, bull, confirmed, sideways
• BMY, bull, confirmed, sideways
• SBUX, bull, confirmed, sideways
• UNH, bull, confirmed, sideways
• QCOM, bull, confirmed, sideways
• XLK, bull, confirmed, sideways
• CVS, bull, unconfirmed, sideways
• BAX, bull confirmed, sideways (at resistance following strong gain)
• MT, bull, confirmed, sideways

BAX has some interest. I'm not opening a position because of the sideways trend, but it could be a play.

The rest are mainly whipsawing in confused puppy mode -- a series of bull and bear signals every few days.

Indicators: The VIX bear signal (bullish for stocks) noted in this morning's Morningline has disappeared. Other indicators remain as described.

Holdings:

UNG had a sharp rise today and the December covered call (-c9) will be exercised at this level. The trade remains profitable.

HPQ, a January bull put spread (p40/-p50) remains in bull mode iwth a price rise today.

KO is trading above the upper end of profitability at expiry of the January iron condor (p50/-p52.5/-c57.5/c60).

X, showing a bull signal from yesterday, contrary to my Janurary bear call spread (-c40/c41), is pulling back a bit at the upper end of yesterday's trading range.

Currencies (paper trade):

USD/JPY remains in bear mode and is trading within yesterday's trading range. I continue to hold my short position.