An interesting day on the street as the Dow sold off hard early on a weak jobs report but steadily made up ground for the rest of the day.  The most watched index fell 170 points on the open but cut the closing loss to just 40 points on the session.  The advance/declines were slightly negative and the volume was average.  I'm not exactly sure what to make of todays trading but the buy the dip mentality was there for all to see.  The short term technicals are now oversold, so some type of bounce is probably coming.  If it is a light volume affair, then buying the OEX April puts will be in order.  But if we get a strong rally from here my prognosis for an extended decline will be wrong.  I think for now we will have to let the market tell us what to do.  The summation index does continue lower.  GE was off 1/8 and the volume was nothing special.  No trades here for now.  Gold found some life as the futures were up $23.  The US dollar was a bit lower.  The XAU was off 1/3 as the gold shares continue to lag.  ABX, GG and NEM had fractional moves one way or the other on good volume.  I left in the open order for the May ABX calls but I'll have to reconsider this trade over the weekend.  The gold shares continue to be one of the only losers in the stock market despite being both short and medium term oversold.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  The S&P 500 has been in a range of between 1570 and 1540 since the beginning of March.  We reached 1540 today and rallied off of it.  The daily Bollinger bands are the narrowest that they have been for quite some time.  So it looks like some type of huge move will be in store here.  A break above or below those 2 levels should tell the story.  That's my best guess at the moment.  I'll have to review everything over the weekend.  Gold had a nice move today and there is a positive RSI divergence on the daily charts.  The last 3 day candlestick pattern there looks bullish as well.  I can't say anything looks bullish on the gold share charts though.  Unless this week was the final high volume washout.  But that's a guess as usual.  I am considering the May ABX calls though if they hit my premium price.  But this could just be another loser as well.  I'm thinking to be long here before the earnings release that comes out later this month.  But that could be a mistake also.  Plenty of scenarios to consider over the weekend.  For now it's Friday afternoon and time for a break.

The back and forth continues as the Dow gained 55 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were positive.  The Dow hasn't yet broken down from the sideways consolidation but I think that is coming.  The ideal scenario from here would be a light volume move higher for a few days as a chance to get some April OEX puts.  The summation index is heading lower.  We've got the employment report tomorrow.  I don't know what to expect there but the markets reaction to it will be the key.  GE was up just a touch on light volume.  Still hanging on here at the 50 day moving average.  Gold was flat on the futures after being lower early on.  The US dollar was a bit lower today.  Gold is trying to hold the all important $1550 level and I think that eventually it will.  The XAU snapped back 3 1/4 today.  ABX, GG and NEM all had fractional gains higher on heavy volume.  These issues are trying to make a stand at these levels as well.  I did place an overnight order for some May ABX calls again.  It wasn't filled but I left it open.  My thinking is that yesterday was the final downside blow-off for this issue.  But I've thought that before and have been wrong every time.  I'll re-evaluate this tonight.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  We got a very oversold reading on the McClellan oscillator last night, below -150.  So some type of snap back move higher in the stock indices should be seen.  Perhaps today was the beginning of that.  But that could all change with some type of surprise from the employment numbers.  I'm still a believer that the top is in for the stock indexes here.  Gold is either going to hold on right here and start to move higher in the coming weeks or it is going to fall dramatically.  That is the point in time where we are at there in my opinion.  I think that gold will hang on but I could be wrong and have been mistaken regarding gold a lot lately.  So we'll see.  All eyes on tomorrows economic data and where the stock market goes from here.

Back to the downside today as the Dow fell 111 points on good volume.  The advance/declines were about 4 to 1 negative.  Rumblings from North Korea and some weak economic data are todays excuse for the decline.  But we stick with the technicals.  Up trend lines from November on the daily charts of some of the stock indices have been violated to the downside.  I'm sticking with the thesis that the rally is over.  The summation index is heading lower.  Perhaps we will get a snap back to the violated lines on some of the indices.  But I'm going with the trend is now lower going forward.  GE was off 1/3 and the volume was good.  A bearish engulfing pattern has appeared on the daily charts.  We're right at the 50 day moving average.  Gold fell again in what looks like a liquidation of assets.  The futures were off $22 and the US dollar was a bit lower as well.  Gold has to hold the $1550 level or we are going to go a lot lower.  The XAU fell 5 1/2 as the gold stocks have been decimated.  ABX lost 1 1/2, GG off 1 1/8 and NEM dropped 1 1/3.  Volume was heavy.  The gold shares have dropped much further than I thought they could go.  There is opportunity here in my mind.  But it could be the attempt to catch a falling knife and that usually ends badly.  I sold the April ABX calls that I've had for a while at a 95% loss.  Plus it was a bigger than usual loss because I had more contracts than usual.  So it was a poor trade with horrible tactics and trade management.  Actually there was no trade management and that was the problem.  I might try the May calls next.  Or not.  Perhaps it's best to try and simply regroup here.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  Trend lines have been violated for some of the stock indices but not the major ones such as the Dow and the S&P 500.  However with the Dow transports, the Russell 2000 and the NYSE indexes all having broken their up trend lines, it's safe to say that the decline is underway in my opinion.  We'll see how it plays out from here.  The next market moving data should come in the form of the employment report on Friday.  I'd expect tomorrow to be a wait and see affair.  Gold looks like it is in a free fall and needs to hold the $1550 level or we will really start to see something.  That's a guess as usual.  My trading account for the year is now solidly in the red but there is plenty of time in 2013 to turn that around.  It's only the beginning of April.  However if my trading tactics don't improve, it will be another losing year.  We'll see how the overseas markets react to the US sell-off and take it from there.     

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of April

  Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

American Tower Corp (AMT) 4/8/13 1.4%

Brady Corp (BRC) 4/8/13 2.2%

Darden Restaurants (DRI) 4/8/13 4.0%

Ethan Allen (ETH) 4/8/13 1.1%

FEI Company (FEIC) 4/8/13 0.5%

General Mills (GIS) 4/8/13 3.2%

The Gap Inc. (GPS) 4/8/13 1.7%

InterDigital, Inc. (IDCC) 4/8/13 0.9%

Intuit Inc. (INTU) 4/8/13 1.0%

Marsh & McLennan Corporation (MMC) 4/8/13 2.5%

OGE Energy (OGE) 4/8/13 2.4%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Back to the upside today as the Dow gained 89 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were negative though.  The Dow transports were down pretty good today.  The NYSE composite and the Russell 2000 small caps were lower as well.  So the Dow is masking what I believe is the beginning of the downside that I'm expecting to see here.  I'm not sure what the catalyst lower will be but it should arrive shortly.  Unless I am completely off in my prognosis.  That is always a distinct possibility.  GE rose 1/4 on light volume.  No trades there for now.  Gold took a hit today as the precious metal futures fell $25.  The US dollar was up today.  The XAU got clobbered, off 5 1/4.  ABX down 3/4, GG lost a buck and NEM led the way down by 1 1/2.  Volume was average.  The gold shares are already very medium term oversold and they are still falling.  Unless there is some kind of turnaround this week, the gold rally could be coming to an end.  My April ABX calls are dead.  I was certainly way off on this trade and should have dumped them much earlier in the trade.  Mentally I'm feeling a bit tired.  Money continues to pour in late in the trading day for the stock indices.  That's usually a positive going forward.  I'm still looking for a decent decline to start here any day now.  Perhaps the employment report will be the catalyst.  But who knows?  If we continue higher everything that I have been thinking is wrong.  Gold took a big drop today and I'd expect some follow through downside tomorrow.  I don't think there is anything that can save my ABX trade.  I'll chalk it up as another loser and regroup from here.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

A weaker start to the month of April as the Dow fell 5 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were 2 to 1 negative as the overall market was much weaker than the Dow.  The stock markets are still in holiday mode for today as some foreign markets remain closed.  Still in a sideways rut for the stock indices.  Todays action should turn the summation index lower.  Perhaps we will be in a holding pattern until Fridays employment report.  Or maybe todays overall stock weakness is the start of the decline that I've been looking for.  I could continue on with other scenarios but the markets will go where they want.  GE was basically flat on the day with light volume.  We're at the 50 day moving average on the daily charts.  No trades in mind here.  Gold was up $3 on the futures and it should have been more considering todays drop in the US dollar.  These two have not had the usual inverse correlation lately.  Also when there has been a flight to safety there is more strength in the US dollar vs. the gold futures.  Gold remains an under performer.  The XAU fell 1 3/4.  ABX, GG and NEM all had fractional losses on light volume.  My April ABX calls are on their way into oblivion.  Unless there is a dramatic turnaround, this trade will be another loser.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  I still say we are on the verge of a drop for the stock indexes.  The negative technical divergences remain in place.  The Dow has been the leader lately and that is not a positive going forward.  I could be wrong but I am sticking with a negative bias towards the stock market for now.  Gold is dead money but at least we are done with the historically worst month of March for the precious metal.  The gold shares remain big laggards.  We'll keep an eye on things overnight and take it from there.   

Stocks that Pay Dividends Monthly: Return Your Capital Faster

It doesn't matter if you are retired and want dividends regularly or if you are currently employed and just want to supplement your monthly income. Monthly dividend stock may be just what you are looking for. Though these investments are often referred to as stocks, they are technically closed end bond funds, real estate investment trusts, oil income trusts, and closed end income stock funds that pay dividends monthly.

The advantage of monthly dividend investments include faster return your capital, and if the dividends are reinvested, can generate greater compounding than quarterly payments. In addition, the monthly payments can help reduce volatility. These monthly dividend investments are available at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which has a list of over 100 different companies that pay dividends monthly, many of which have high yields in excess of 7%.

One example is the New America High Income Fund (HYB), which pays a generous yield of 7.4%, with dividends generated monthly. The stock has been trading at around its net asset value, and charges a management fee of 0.85%. The fund was founded in 1987 and is managed by T. Rowe Price Associates.

Do you think real estate has bottomed out? Check out LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) which is an exchange traded fund that invests in real estate related companies including real estate investment trusts. It carries a yield of 5.5%, and has paid dividends since 2002. It is trading at a discount to net asset value. The management fee is on the high side at 1.2%

Gas Natural Inc. (EGAS) distributes natural gas in Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Maine. It was founded in 1909. The stock pays a yield of 5.8% and sports a forward price to earnings ratio of 13.9.

Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) is a Canadian oil royalty income trust that pays a very high yield of 9.2%. The company, which was founded in 1988, explores, develops, and produces oil and natural gas reserves in western Canada.

When deciding which monthly dividend investments to put money into, investors should avoid investments with high management fees, limited liquidity, ones that trade at a large premium to net asset value, and the ones using excessive leverage. The municipal bond closed end funds may trigger the Alternative Minimum Tax; check with your accountant before investing.

A list of over a hundred monthly dividend stocks, including over 50 with yields of 6% or more, is available at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Keep in mind that very high yields may not be sustainable.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com