The last couple of weeks has seen Wall Street moving in something of a sideways trend, though that hardly indicates the increased level of intraday volatility that the equity market has been experiencing since the last week of May. Will it be more of the same for the coming week? Bet on it . . . Read more about ETF Periscope: Fed Playing a Volatile Game

The VIX is looking a little bit jumpy as of late, perhaps reflecting something of a rising wariness among investors in terms of risk.

Can the Bulls be standing on something of a slippery slope, about to slide towards a trend reversal? Or is it just a seasonal thing, with investors tightening up their portfolios prior to summer?

  Read more about ETF Periscope: Late Spring Volatility Likely to Segue into Summer

“

Nothing like a 300-point swing to light up the volatility index. That’s pretty much what happened last Friday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) started the day with a nice little 70-point gain in the morning.

From that point on, however, investors seemed to lose their appetite for equities, as the Dow trended steadily downward for the remainder of the day. Steadily, that is, until the last 15 minutes of the trading session, when a sharp drop ensued as sellers proceeded without any noticeable resistance into the close.
  Read more about ETF Periscope: Bears Eye Recent VIX Pop With Considerable Interest

“Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, or despise, serves to defeat us in the end.” -- Henry Miller 

Last week’s market action might be seen as an indication that the Bulls may be wavering in their conviction to some degree, as volatility in the market gained traction over the last three days of the week. Read more about ETF Periscope: Jumpy VIX Could Signal It’s Time For Investors to Take Summer Break

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.” -- Herman Hesse

This is one obsessed Bull that is raging through Wall Street at the moment. Read more about ETF Periscope: Wall Street Shrugs Off Fed’s Musings Regarding Turning Off QE Tap

"If you simply try to tell the truth you will, nine times out of ten, be original without ever having noticed it." -- C.S. Lewis

Another week, another victory lap for the Bulls.

Anyone notice a pattern here? Technically speaking, at least, that pattern is a solid uptrend, with nary an imminent level of resistance close to the horizon. Read more about ETF Periscope: Bulls Roar Could Turn Hoarse in the Coming Weeks

“So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact. And remember that Life’s a great balancing act.” -- Dr. Seuss

The market has gone back to its Bullish ways, resuming the upward trajectory that has been effectively going on for most of the year, as represented by the 13% gain to date of the S&P 500 Index (SPX). Read more about ETF Periscope: VIX May Be Low, But High Volatility Continues to Lurk

“Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.” -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Eurozone has been sinking into a steady and extended recession, and if there is some reason for that trend to reverse itself in the near future, it isn’t an obvious one at the moment. Read more about ETF Periscope: Is the Eurozone About to Shake Up Wall Street Again?

“All generalizations are false, including this one.” -- Mark Twain

For those investors who may have been feeling a tad complacent due to the recent record highs of several of the major indices, last week probably served as a reminder that high volatility is always just a shout away from knocking the market down a notch or three. Read more about ETF Periscope: Is “Sell In May” Already Circled On Wall Street’s Calendar?

“Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.”  -- Lao Tzu

However the banking debacle in Cyprus plays out over the next few days and weeks, it should serve as a reminder that, economically speaking, much of Europe remains on shaky ground. Read more about Go Long Apple, Short the Eurozone