We’re officially almost through with the first quarter of 2021. While a broad correction did not happen by now, as I thought, the Nasdaq dipped into correction territory twice.

There might also be as much uncertainty for tech stocks today as there was at March’s start.

However, let’s look at the big picture almost a week after we hit the 1-year anniversary of the market’s bottom. Three pillars remain in motion as a strong backdrop for stocks:

1. Vaccines
2. Dovish monetary policy full of stimulus
3. Financial aid

While the major indices are still positive for 2021, every month this year has been marked by hot starts, marred by mid-month uncertainty and downturns. We’re dealing with rising bond yields, inflation scares, volatile Reddit trades, and an improving yet slowing labor market recovery.

Plus, although earnings came in strong this past quarter, stock valuations are still at an overly inflated point not seen in years. In fact, Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, says there’s a bubble that’s ‘halfway’ to the magnitude of 1929 or 2000.

We could see some more volatility on tap this week as the market continues to figure itself out.

1. Suez Canal- There’s been a gigantic tanker blocking arguably one of the most crucial waterways for global trade for the last 6 days. There are indications that the tanker may be on the way to being freed. But the sooner this happens, the better. The Suez Cana controls about 10% of global trade, so you can only imagine the hundreds of billions of dollars bleeding per day the more this drags on.
2. Economic Data- Consumer Confidence, the March job’s report, the unemployment rate, and the PMI Manufacturing index will be released this week.
3. Earnings- Chewy (CHWY) will report Tuesday (Mar. 30) after market close, and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), Dave & Busters (PLAY), Micron (MU) will all report after market close Wednesday (Mar. 31).

My goal for these updates is to educate you, give you ideas, and help you manage money like I did when I was pressing the buy and sell buttons for $600+ million in assets. I left that career to pursue one to help people who needed help instead of the ultra-high net worth.

With that said, to sum it up:

Over a year after we bottomed, there is optimism but signs of concern.

The market has to figure itself out. More volatility is likely, and we could experience more muted gains than what we’ve known over the last year. Inflation and interest-rate worries should be the primary tailwind. However, a decline above ~20%, leading to a bear market, appears unlikely to happen any time soon.

Hopefully, you find my insights enlightening. I welcome your thoughts and questions and wish you the best of luck.

Russell 2000- Time to Pounce?

Figure 1- iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM)

I kicked myself for not calling BUY on the Russell after seeing a minor downturn during the second half of February. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

After the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) went on its latest rally to start March, I checked out the chart. I noticed that almost every time it touched or minorly declined below its 50-day moving average, it reversed.

Excluding the recovery in April from last year’s crash, 5 out of the previous 6 times the Russell did this with its 50-day, it saw a sharp reversal. The only time it didn’t was in October 2020, when the distance between its 50-day and its 200-day moving average was a lot more narrow.

Fast forward to Tuesday (Mar. 23). The Russell 2000 saw its worst day since February 25, dropped below its 50-day, and I switched the call to a BUY.

Now, as we start the final week in March, we may be looking at the 6th reversal after dipping below its 50-day. The IWM has been up about 4.25% since March 24.

Aggressive stimulus, friendly policies, and a reopening world bode well for small-caps in 2021. I think this is something you have to consider for the Russell 2000 and maybe overpay for.

Based on the RSI and where we are in relation to the 50-day moving average, I still feel that this is a BUY.

For more of my thoughts on the market, such as tech, inflation fears, and why I love emerging market opportunities, sign up for my premium analysis today.

Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. If you would like to receive daily premium follow-ups, I encourage you to sign up for my Stock Trading Alerts to also benefit from the trading action described - the moment it happens. The full analysis includes more details about current positions and levels to watch before deciding to open any new ones or where to close existing ones.

Thank you.

Matthew Levy, CFA
Stock Trading Strategist

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In the premium editions of my newsletters, you know that I have been consistently touting the iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF) as a potential hedge against inflation.

In this REIT Special Edition, I will break down the WHY. But not, we aren’t going to just talk about the ICF ETF. We will dig into what specific real estate sectors you might want to consider when looking at REITs to invest in.

But first and foremost, what is a REIT, and why are they such strong bets right now?

Let’s just say, if you want to invest in real estate but do not necessarily have the capital, you will want to read on. If you don’t have the patience for illiquid assets like buildings, you will want to read on. And suppose you want the easiest, most convenient way to diversify your portfolio and add real estate exposure. You will want to read on.

A REIT, or real estate investment trust, is a company that owns, operates, or finances income-producing real estate assets. Think of REITs as mutual funds for real estate. REITs pool the capital of numerous investors.

For the most part, REITs trade on public exchanges like stocks, which makes them highly liquid, unlike physical real estate assets. But the thing I love most about REITs? They also almost mirror the consistent income streams you can get from real estate assets. REITs pay some of the best and most consistent dividends on the market. All while you as an investor don’t have to get your hands dirty and buy, manage, or finance the property.

REITs invest in almost every real estate sector. However, in this edition, we will focus specifically on multifamily, hospitality, industrial, and healthcare. Why? Multifamily and hospitality could see substantial recoveries after 2020. Industrial and healthcare had strong 2020s and could continue to succeed in 2021 and long after.

Hopefully, you find my insights enlightening. I welcome your thoughts and questions and wish you the best of luck.

Multifamily

Figure 1- iShares Residential Real Estate ETF (REZ)

Multifamily or residential REITs own and operate apartment buildings and/or manufactured housing.

The most important factors to focus on when researching multifamily REITs are affordability, population growth, and job growth. For example, large cities such as New York and LA have higher living costs and more renters. But their job growth and population growth are severely lagging right now. You want large urban centers that show strong in-migration trends and job growth.

Figure 2: Marcus & Millichap Forecast

Consider the multifamily market in the Sunbelt and Mountain region. Even before COVID, there was a migration boom and significant employment growth, especially in the Sunbelt region. Plus, this region didn’t lock down as strictly as big cities like New York and LA and saw fewer job losses during the pandemic.

The Mountain region is also seeing a rapidly growing population, a strong quality-of-life, and affordable living costs. Do you know the ONLY state that saw year-over-year job growth for total nonfarm payrolls in January 2021 while also leading in year-to-date growth? Idaho.

While multifamily growth will be likely be fragmented based on region, there are two ways you can play this:

1. Research individual REITs with the most exposure to growing regions.
2. Add broad-based exposure to multifamily assets through ETFs like the iShares Residential Real Estate ETF (REZ) . While this ETF does not focus EXCLUSIVELY on residential REITs, as it has exposure to healthcare and self-storage, too, this is an easy and convenient way to give yourself multifamily exposure.

For more of my thoughts on REITs focusing on hospitality, office, industrial, and healthcare, sign up for my premium analysis today.

Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. If you would like to receive daily premium follow-ups, I encourage you to sign up for my Stock Trading Alerts to also benefit from the trading action described - the moment it happens. The full analysis includes more details about current positions and levels to watch before deciding to open any new ones or where to close existing ones.

Thank you.

Matthew Levy, CFA
Stock Trading Strategist

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In the next edition of this newsletter, we’re going to do a special on REITs. We will discuss which real estate sectors could see significant recovery after a brutal 2020.

Which real estate sectors could be long-term solid bets? There are a few you might not be thinking of, and we will also discuss why REITs could be a great hedge against rising bond yields and inflation scares.

Do you realize what Tuesday (Mar. 23) marked? One year since the market bottomed. Can you believe that it’s already been a year? Calling it a roller coaster is an understatement.

One of the most crucial market concepts is that the market never looks back. It is a forward-looking instrument. Talking about the past as it relates to the market really doesn’t do anyone any good.

However, after the year we’ve had, it’s essential to take a breath, reflect, and see what lessons we can learn from.

Ethan Wolff-Mann, a Senior Writer for Yahoo! Finance, put out a great article, “What we have learned in the 12 months since ‘the bottom’” and discusses several key points:

• ‘Every crisis is the same’
• Panic can hurt a portfolio
• You genuinely don’t know what’s going to happen
• Rebalancing comes out as a huge winner

As we sit here a year later, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are weeks away from being available to all adults over 16 in the U.S., while COVID numbers continue to drop. But we are still confronting the reality of a pandemic that is still raging in Europe and other parts of the world. Inflation signs are flashing, and unstable bond yields are scaring tech investors every few days. But keep the above lessons in mind.

My personal biggest takeaway from the last year that I have applied since the several market downturns we’ve had thus far in 2021? Nobody can predict the future and never ever try to time the market. Many investors a year ago didn’t stick it out through the volatility and lost out. Some panic sold near the bottom and never bought back in.

My goal for these updates is to educate you, give you ideas, and help you manage money like I did when I was pressing the buy and sell buttons for $600+ million in assets. I left that career to pursue one to help people who needed help instead of the ultra-high net worth.

With that said, to sum it up:

A year after we bottomed, there is optimism but signs of concern. The market has to figure itself out. More volatility is likely, but I don’t think that a decline above ~20%, leading to a bear market, will happen any time soon.

Hopefully, you find my insights enlightening. I welcome your thoughts and questions and wish you the best of luck.

Russell 2000- Time to Pounce?

Figure 1- iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM)

I kicked myself for not calling BUY on the Russell after seeing a minor downturn during the second half of February. I also realized I may have broken my own rule about “not timing the market.” I’ve wanted to buy the Russell 2000 forever but never thought it dipped hard enough (whenever it did). I was waiting for it to at least approach a correction.

But once I looked at the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) chart, I had an epiphany. I noticed that almost every time it touched or minorly declined below its 50-day moving average, it reversed.

The chart does not lie. Look at it above. Excluding the recovery in April from last year’s crash, 5 out of the previous 6 times the Russell did this with its 50-day, it saw a sharp reversal. The only time it didn’t was in October 2020, when the distance between its 50-day and its 200-day moving average was a lot more narrow.

Fast forward to Tuesday (Mar. 23). The Russell 2000 saw its worst day since February 25- and I loved every second of it. I felt almost similar to how I felt over the weekend during March Madness when I correctly called 13 seed Ohio to upset 4 seed defending NCAA champion Virginia. Finally, after weeks of waiting for a time to pounce on the Russell 2000 and missing golden opportunities, I think the time has come. We’re back right below its 50-day.

Aggressive stimulus, friendly policies, and a reopening world bode well for small-caps in 2021. I think this is something you have to consider for the Russell 2000 and maybe overpay for.

I’m finally switching this to a BUY.

For more of my thoughts on the market, such as inflation fears and why I love emerging market opportunities, sign up for my premium analysis today.

Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. If you would like to receive daily premium follow-ups, I encourage you to sign up for my Stock Trading Alerts to also benefit from the trading action described - the moment it happens. The full analysis includes more details about current positions and levels to watch before deciding to open any new ones or where to close existing ones.

Thank you.

Matthew Levy, CFA
Stock Trading Strategist

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Dear Readers,

Please be advised that today’s Stock Trading Alert has been cancelled. I’m nursing myself back to health and will resume regular publication this upcoming Wednesday.

Thank you for your patience,

Matthew Levy, CFA
Stock Trading Strategist

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March Madness started on Thursday (Mar. 18), but stocks got the jump on their own brackets this week. Let’s dive in.

Although Wednesday (Mar. 17) saw the indices have a nice St. Patrick’s day green reversal thanks to Jay Powell babying us on inflation thoughts again, Mr. Market isn't stupid. Manic, but not stupid. We saw a return to the strong rotation trend out of growth stocks the day after Powell's testimony (Mar. 18).

Thursday (Mar. 18) saw bond yields surge to their highest levels in what seems like forever. The 10-year yield popped 11 basis points to 1.75% for the first time since January 2020, while the 30-year rate climbed 6 basis points and breached 2.5% for the first time since August 2019.

Predictably, the Nasdaq tanked by over 3% for its worst session in 3-weeks.

Jay Powell and bond yields are the most significant market movers in the game now. Get ready for the market next week when he testifies to Congress. That'll be a beauty. What's coronavirus anymore?

So after what's been a relatively tame week for the indices, we can officially say bye-bye to that.

Bond yields, though, are still at historically low levels, and the Fed Funds Rate remains at 0%. With the Fed forecasting a successful economic recovery this year, with GDP growth of around 6.5% -- the fastest in nearly four decades -- the wheels could be in motion for another round of the Roaring '20s.

The problem, though, is that the Great Depression came right after the first Roaring '20s.

Many are sounding the alarm. However, like CNBC's Jim Cramer, others think the current headwinds are overblown, and a mirror of the 2015-2016 downturn is based on similar catalysts.

Figure 1: Jim Cramer Twitter

Cramer argued that Powell is a talented central banker willing to "let the economy continue to gain strength so that everyone has a chance to do well."

Nobody can predict the future, and these growth stock jitters from rising bond yields may be overblown. But for now, it's probably best to let the market figure itself out and be mindful of the headwinds.

My goal for these updates is to educate you, give you ideas, and help you manage money like I did when I was pressing the buy and sell buttons for $600+ million in assets. I left that career to pursue one to help people who needed help instead of the ultra-high net worth.

With that said, to sum it up:

There is optimism but signs of concern. The market has to figure itself out. A further downturn is possible, but I don’t think that a decline above ~20%, leading to a bear market, will happen any time soon.

Hopefully, you find my insights enlightening. I welcome your thoughts and questions and wish you the best of luck.

Nasdaq- Another Buyable Dip?

Figure 2- Nasdaq Composite Index $COMP

The last time I switched my Nasdaq call to a BUY on Feb 24, that worked out very well. I will use the same criteria again for the Nasdaq as the market figures out bond yields: The RSI and the 13000 support level. I need the Nasdaq’s RSI to dip below 40 while also falling below 13000 before buying.

We’re not quite there. This is an excellent dip, but it’s really only one down day and its worst down day in weeks. I think we may have some more buying opportunities next week if bond yields pop due to Jay Powell’s testimony. I mean, it seemingly always happens after he speaks.

Pay very close attention to the index and its swings.

If the tech sector takes another big dip, don’t get scared, don’t time the market, monitor the trends I mentioned and look for selective buying opportunities. If we hit my buying criteria, selectively look into high-quality companies and emerging disruptive sub-sectors such as cloud computing, e-commerce, and fintech.

HOLD, and let the RSI and 13000-support level guide your Nasdaq decisions. See what happens over subsequent sessions, research emerging tech sectors and high-quality companies, and consider buying that next big dip.

For an ETF that attempts to correlate with the performance of the NASDAQ directly, the Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) is a good option.

For more of my thoughts on the market, such as a potentially overbought Dow Jones, small-caps, inflation, and emerging market opportunities, sign up for my premium analysis today.

Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. If you would like to receive daily premium follow-ups, I encourage you to sign up for my Stock Trading Alerts to also benefit from the trading action described - the moment it happens. The full analysis includes more details about current positions and levels to watch before deciding to open any new ones or where to close existing ones.

Thank you.

Matthew Levy, CFA
Stock Trading Strategist

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