For the first time in ten meetings the Federal Reserve has not decided to cut interest rates. An expected result as rates then remain unchanged at 2%, but the market itself is not so sure how to react.

For those of you who are watching the market live right now you can see just how intense the volatility really is. Here is a screenshot taken just moments ago of the Qs (QQQQ). Notice the quick up and down swings that have taken place since around the 2:15 PM announcement:

This is constantly changing but as of 2:49 PM the NASDAQ is up 1.5%, the Dow is up .46%, and the S&P 500 is up 1% even. Should be an interesting close, good luck out there.

3:03 PM Update: Looks like the bulls have won for now…

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Filed Under Stock Talk | 1 comment
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JP and his partner Oliver have purchased a paid review of their new investment site, thestockcode.com. JP and Oliver are brothers who offer financial products that will take your portfolio to the next level and help you become a successful investor.

The Stock Code methodology is based on applying the very basic concept of supply and demand to determine the flow of the overall financial markets. JP and Oliver believe in keeping things simple and feel that when you know the market is efficient then you can capitalize on its movements. Technical analysis is not necessary to make money.

Currently their site is free and open to everyone, all you need to do to gain access is to simply create a user ID and password. Eventually the brothers are planning on launching paid premium products that will really show what The Stock Code can do. This is smart on their part, hand out the free goodies (more like teasers) to prepare for the main event.

The site itself currently offers the Safe Trader membership for free which gives access to 11 articles, 1 audio clip, and 3 short videos on the site. Furthermore there are 11 reports covering stocks, forex, bonds, and futures giving the site a total of around 400 pages of free material.   This material is not only simple market education but also a breakdown of The Stock Code methodology.

One page I did like in particular was the members welcome page. Once you complete your free registration and gain access to the member’s only area, the breakdown of how to find and use the material is well laid out. JP and Oliver walk you through getting started and making the most of the site. They also refer you to the Safe Trading Blog.

The Safe Trading Blog is where JP and Oliver show charts and updates of markets they are currently tracking. The blog runs the WordPress engine, is well laid out, and is easy to read and navigate. They did a good job of putting an ad for their product right in the main sidebar and featuring their RSS subscription button. The only major problem I saw though was that the blog isn’t being consistently updated. There hasn’t yet been a post in June.

Some ideas for JP and Oliver to help gain more credibility and traction for The Stock Code:

1. Start posting more consistently on their blog, safetradingblog.com. The last post was on May 29th and this gives a dead inactive impression of the material.
2. Update the about us page and add more detailed content. Knowing the background of the founders themselves is just as important as the product. Also, a detailed background of what the Stock Code actually is and how it works is very useful.
3. Add more links to “join for free now” throughout the homepage / landing page. The first time reading I had to find the link to join when it should be extremely simple for me to register.
4. Consider alternative ways to gain leads. Some sites just have a simple one line box that says, “submit your email and get your free report!” This is a lot easier then going to a 2nd page, creating a user ID, password, etc.
5. Add more claims of historic returns. When it comes to the stock market investors simply want to know how much they can make. “We’ve returned 25% the last 3 years!” will play into a reader’s mind.
6. Remove the testimonials page until you have testimonials. Blank pages = no good. FAQ page is another.

Overall I think the concept of The Stock Code is actually pretty cool. Like any investment product if you can prove your results then you will gain credibility and a following. A great example a guy who has done this is Dan Zanger. You don’t have to go as far as setting world records, but for many people like myself if you can show me you’ve made $xxxxxx or xx% return then I will be interested enough to explore further.

I suggest JP and Oliver work on showing their past wins with the overall market and making sure every visitor to their site knows they are great investors. Hitting on visual as well as verbal appeal is very important. I hope they continue to offer free material as it only helps them sell their brand and paid products. If they can make readers believe The Stock Code really exists, then they will find success.

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The consumer confidence report and new home sales came out today with horrific results yet the Dow and S&P 500 are actually even on the day. (Checks streamer again) No, make that green on the day. Is this just another example of crazy market irony?

It just doesn’t make sense how such, “doom and gloom” news can shake the market only slightly and spark a rally. I think there is some deep truth when market veterans tell us to, “expect anything and everything”. I had one fund manager go as far as to use the word, “ruthless” with his description. Sadly, I couldn’t agree more.

Here are six headlines portraying the news of the day via Yahoo Finance, and you assess whether or not these are “doom and gloom” statements:

• - Consumer Confidence Tumbles to 16-Year Low
• - Home Prices Fall Record 15.3 Percent: S&P/Case-Shiller
• - UPS Shares at 4 1/2-year Low After Profit Warning
• - Greenspan: U.S. Economy on Brink of Recession
• - The Blame Game: Who Killed the Economy?
• - Fed in a Bind: Bears on the Rise as Stagflation Spooks Stocks

I have come to accept that this is the world we live; this is the market today. Volatility is the nature of the beast, and you have to expect anything and everything. The game right now isn’t about predicting the future, but reacting to the “now” moment.

Today the news couldn’t be more bearish, but the bulls press forth. As of 11:55AM the NASDAQ, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrials are all “in the black” and up on the day. So forget the doom and gloom; I say rally on my friends, rally on…

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Filed Under Stock Market News | 2 comments!
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This is a stretch but nonetheless I find it interesting to see gold stocks still for the most part “alive” and kicking even after being off the radar for some three months or longer. Perhaps a better, “the glass is half full” title would be more realistic and say, “The gold trend has not yet died.”

The best stock I found (technically) was Goldcorp (GG) which is a Canadian company engaged in mining and exploration of gold in North and South America alongside Australia. The stock is trading above its 50 day moving average and seriously is within striking distance of all time highs. If the market woes continue gold may come back into favor as a good hedge against the unstable dollar.

I also have a chart of the Streettracks Gold Trust (GLD) which is the ETF tracking the price of Gold bullion and Yamana Gold (AUY) which was another strong stock during the peak gold trend. GLD is struggling to find any momentum and AUY is more-or-less waiting for Gold to find its direction before it moves with it.

Although it is too early to jump on board the gold train, it is not too early to re-add some gold stocks and GLD into your watch list and keep an eye on this once powerhouse trend.

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As the bears continue to consume all short term market sentiment the thought a spark of light that could signify hope is quite attractive. With Research in Motion (RIMM) earnings due out this upcoming week and the stock trading at new all time highs, could this be the saving grace for tech or the last candle to be blown out?

The maker of the Blackberry and other wireless handheld devices has had no problem trading against the market grain. Thursday the stock closed at an all time high of $147.55 after breaking out of a base it had been building since last November. Institutions continue to accumulate shares and all is peachy for RIMM.

Earnings are due out June 25th (Wednesday) after the market close, and could easily be a top ten highlight of the week. If RIMM gaps to say $160 a share (10%ish) then perhaps it will stir a wider rally across tech that would allow the NASDAQ to gain some much needed momentum. On the flip side a gap down in price would spell catastrophe for the stock and the rest of tech as really RIMM is the last big tech stock trading aggressively under the bulls control.

Investors should all huddle around Wednesday afternoon and watch this earnings release because it will only take five minutes to know how the market has reacted to the numbers. RIMM stock is known for gapping up in after hours trading after its earnings reports so it should be interesting to see. For the high octane investor this is your chance to load up on options and flip a coin, good luck.

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Using the free time on the weekend here to clean out the house and upgrade WordPress which powers this blog to version 2.5.1.

2.5.1 is the latest stable release and fixes a variety of bugs and provides top notch security. The control panel is completely renovated as well which is pretty interesting. I feel foreign to blogging all over again…

Anyway, please let me know via comment (let’s hope they still work) or email if you see any weird glitches, pages not opening, flashes of light, explosions, etc. on the stocktradingtogo.com site. That would be very much appreciated, thank you.

12:47 PM now, probably time to grab some sleep. Regular posting will resume this afternoon, see you then.

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Filed Under Updates | 3 comments!
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A short rally early in the week was quickly repelled as bears continue to hold the reigns and drive the market lower. All three indices finished the session and week today well in the red, trading on heavy distribution volume. Are multi-year lows around the corner?

The worst performing index continues to be the Dow Jones Industrial, followed by the S&P 500. The NASDAQ Composite is still the strongest index which as you will see below is still holding onto its key 2400 support level. The strong names in tech like Research in Motion (RIMM) are currently the only stocks holding this index together.

Heading into next week stocks like RIMM are exactly where my attention lies. Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Goldman Sachs (GS) are other key names to focus on. If these stocks, which are still technically “alive” collapse, then the last piece arguably holding this market together is gone and we may be in a whole heap of trouble.

The smart investors have been riding the commodity train as coal, oil, steel, and fertilizers all continue to be red hot. They don’t need the market’s bullish blessing to make money, and something tells me I want to be hanging out with them for a while longer. Yay, that sounds nice…

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