Well, Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow on Saturday, so the weather forecast is positive. However, investors having their own version of Groundhog Day at Dow 14,000 and S&P500 1500 are still trying to decide whether to retreat to safety in anticipation of a severe market pullback. Weakness on Tuesday seemed like the start of a correction, but alas the bulls would have none of that. Read more about Sector Detector: Another resistance level turning into a launch pad

January was a good month for the market as the S&P 500 reached a new 5-year high at 1498, up about 5% for the month.  February has started strong, up yet another 1%. Mid-caps dominated the month along with Small-caps, but no style/cap did poorly.  For the month, the leading sectors were Healthcare, up a whopping 9%, as our forward looking SectorCast had predicted, along with Industrials, up about 8.5%, followed by Financials and Energy, up about 8%. Read more about What the Market Wants: Market Valuation just Above Average

The market is most decidedly on a nice little roll so far this year. Out of the twenty-two sessions that have taken place to date, both the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) have been in the black nearly two-thirds of the time.

So is all this a collective post-fiscal cliff sigh of relief from investors? Sure, that plays a part in the recent bull run now underway, as do the domestic economic numbers, particularly gains in employment numbers and positive growth in manufacturing numbers, as indicated in the rise of the ISM Index. But do these factors really justify the SPX coming within 60 points of hitting its all-time high? Read more about ETF Periscope: Wall Street High on Main Street Money Influx

Stocks have been on a one-way train all month long. Now, as we approach Groundhog Day, the market appears to be having its own version of it as the Dow faces 14,000 and the S&P 500 struggles at 1500. As investors peer out above these levels, will they collectively see their shadow and retreat to safety for the next six weeks? Or will they bravely march forward into the clear blue skies to challenge the all-time highs from 2007? Read more about Sector Detector: Stock market having its own Groundhog Day

We come into the week riding a new five-year high for the S&P 500 and eight consecutive positive trading sessions.  But a busy week lies ahead with a bevy of economic reports and a boatload of Q4 earnings.  So far we’ve only had a peek at the first couple economic reports, and they were mixed with Durable Goods riding transportation to beat an expected 1.7% increase (after last month’s 0.7% increase) with a solid 4.6% gain.  However Pending Home Sales Read more about What the Market Wants: How will more earnings affect the market?

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”  -- John F. Kennedy

According to multiple reports in the business media, the scene at Davos, Switzerland, home to the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum, appears to be more upbeat than during the last few years.

It’s probably not about the skiing. Read more about ETF Periscope: Contrarians Should Take Notice of Davos Highs, VIX Lows

David Brown gives insight into the retail investor's increase in trading in this USA Today article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/01/24/new-stock-highs-l... Read more about Are Main Street investors warming up to stocks?

Earnings season is in full swing, and on balance, investors are liking what they hear. Tech leaders Google (GOOG) and IBM (IBM) got bought in truckloads after their fine earnings reports, although Apple (AAPL) disappointed after the close on Wednesday. Read more about Sector Detector: Good news and earnings propel stocks as fear abates

First and foremost, the week will be filled with important earning reports, along with forward guidance from most reporting companies.  Google (GOOG), Texas Instruments (TXN), and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) kick off the week for the Technology sector after today’s market.  Delta Airlines (DAL) met its projected numbers and is being rewarded as we write with a 3.3% gain.  The Materials Sector (XLB) is doing well following strong earnings reports by Freep Read more about What the Market Wants: Keep Your Eye on Earnings This Week

“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. “ -- Mark Twain

So far, the month of January is proving to be a solid win for the Bulls. And, while the major market mover for the remainder of the month probably will be found in the earning season numbers yet to come, a series of macroeconomic trends seem as if support for the upward trend should continue, perhaps deep into the first quarter of the year. Read more about ETF Periscope: Macroeconomic Outlook Could Paint a Pretty Picture for US Market