“Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.” --  Ernest Hemingway

One is left to wonder if European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi intended to move the markets when he proclaimed that “he would do whatever it takes to save the euro.”  It is somehow hard to believe that someone who serves as head of arguably the second most important central bank on the planet would not be cognizant of how his words would impact global investors in such volatile times.  Read more about ETF Periscope: Market Shrugs Off ECB Disappointment

Well, perhaps not literally, but it is high time that the Central Banks started following up on their statements with action. How many times have we heard “We will do whatever it takes to…” or “We have a number of choices to make regarding getting the economy going ….”  Can we please do one or two of those things?   Right now, getting Europe back on track is mandatory to avoid a catastrophic dismantlement of the euro.  And with withering domestic economic numbers, it is time for more action and less talk from our Fed Chairman. Read more about QE3, ECB or Bust

"Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure."“  --  Napoleon Hill

Last Friday’s 120-point smack down of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) left the blue-chip index pretty much where it began at the beginning of July. It might be regarded as a microcosm of the entire year, one where the Dow has more or less trended sideways in spite of the occasional attempt to either break out or break down from that trend. Read more about ETF Periscope: Will Apple and Facebook Make More Noise Than Spain and Greece?

"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.” --Stephen Hawking Read more about ETF Periscope: Wall Street Banks on Greek Order, But Volatility Continues to Lurk

Editor’s note: Walt Gault is the guest author this week. David Brown will be back next week. Read more about What the Market Wants: More Sentiment but less Confidence

Despite last week’s little rally, April showers have dampened market. While it didn’t build into a torrential downpour, it steadily showered investors with worse-than-expected economic data, including last week’s dreadful Durable Goods Report (-4.2% compared to last month’s +1.9%), continued but minor increases in initial jobless claims throughout April, and a disappointing initial Q1 estimate of GDP (+2.2% compared the previous quarter’s +3.0%). Read more about What the Market Wants: April Showers Dampen Market Rally

"The Pain in Spain: More Room for a Short ETF Bet?"

Sabrient's Daniel Sckolnik was quoted at length in this article by Ronald Fink in Institutional Investor:

Read more about News & Views: "The Pain in Spain: More Room for a Short ETF Bet?"

Walmart-Gate, Dutch-Gate, Netflix-Gate, Exit-Gate!

This could be the “exit gate” but probably not.  Over the weekend, the New York Times released a blockbuster story about Walmart’s (WMT) alleged massive cover-up of serious violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act involving more than $24 million dollars in bribes to accelerate store openings and bypass permit and zoning practices.  The stock was down 4.55% today, at $59.54. Read more about What the Market Wants: Walmart-Gate

Here we are again wondering what the market wants.  Today, it clearly wasn’t Technology stocks, as various issues dragged both Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) lower. Read more about What the Market Wants: Technology Stocks Under Siege

Last Monday was a banner day for most indices with S&P 500 hitting at new 46-month high of 1422.  Alas, a week later, today, it closed at 1382, down nearly -3%.  The NASDAQ and DJIA exhibited similar behavior. Read more about What the Market Wants: Concerned Outlook