“You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think.” -- Milton Berle

If you are either an investor or trader looking for a good place to put a bet down for 2013, you may not need to look much further than the eurozone.

The first question you may ask is: But in which direction? Read more about ETF Periscope: Last Word on the New Year: Eurozone Remains a Downward Opportunity

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

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

“Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.” -- George Santayana Read more about ETF Periscope: Certainty Is Certainly Lacking In the Market

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” -- Buddha

You may forgive Wall Street if it is acting a bit giddy as of late. It has just come off one of its best first quarters in over ten years, and after the wild ride of 2011, who can blame it for a round or two of light-headed celebration? Read more about ETF Periscope: The Pain in Spain is Unlikely to Stay on the Plain

Likely Greek Default Worries Market

By David Brown, Chief Market Strategist, Sabrient Systems

After last week’s stellar performance, the markets dropped into negative territory today, as investors realized that Greece might actually be allowed to default. Read more about What The Market Wants: Likely Greek Default Worries Market