Closing Bell & Software Update

Stocks ended flat Monday after expectations that a tax-cut package will pass the Senate kept them higher for much of the day. The tax-cut compromise brokered by the White House and Republicans was scheduled for its first Senate vote late Monday. If enacted, the package will extend tax cuts passed during the Bush administration for all income levels for another two years. It will also extend unemployment benefits through next year and put in place a one-year reduction in Social Security taxes. Economists expect the nearly $900 billion tax package to boost economic growth and increase the size of the budget deficit. House Democrats have pledged to block the measure unless tax rates rise for the nation's wealthiest estates. Traders were also encouraged by a handful of deals announced Monday. General Electric Co. is paying $1.3 billion to buy British oilfield company Wellstream Holdings PLC and Dell Inc. is spending $960 million for network storage company Compellent Technologies Inc. The S&P 500 index eked out a new 2010 high for the fourth time in four days. The index rose 0.06 point to 1,240. Other indexes took a late afternoon spill. The Dow Jones industrial average closed with a gain of 18, to 11,428, having been up as many as 70 points earlier. The Dow is now just 15 points from its 2010 closing high, reached Nov. 5. The Nasdaq composite index fell 12,to close at 2,624. That snapped a six-day streak in which the index notched new 2010 highs. Falling shares and rising ones were almost evenly matched on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume was 4.4 billion shares.

Boring day? Not quite. We nailed 5 ES points and opened several swing trade positions. We'll let our charts speak for themselves.

FYI - We have received a lot of email requests for our software release January 1, 2011. However, due to increased demand, time constraints and and limited licenses, the price for retail subscribers will be increasing to $500 per month.

Another Great Week!!!

An encouraging trade report and signs that a tax cut package would pass the Senate sent stocks to their highest levels in two years Friday. Bond prices fell for another day as investors expected the tax deal to lead to economic growth and higher budget deficits. The Commerce Department reported that the U.S. trade deficit fell to its lowest level in nine months in October. Growing demand for American goods overseas pushed exports to their highest level in more than two years. Separately, the Treasury Department said the federal government's budget shortfall hit $150.4 billion in November. Treasury prices dropped after the report was released, pushing their yields higher. The yield for the 10-year note rose to 3.33 percent, up from 3.21 percent late Thursday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 7.40, or 0.6 percent, to 1,240. It was the third straight day that the S&P index closed at a new high for the year. The index has gained 11.2 percent this year and is now trading at the same price it did the week before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in September 2008. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 40, to 11,410. General Electric Co. led the 30 stocks that make up the index with a 3.4 percent jump to $17.72. GE said it planned to raise its dividend by 17 percent. The Nasdaq composite index rose 20, to 2,637. The Dow was the weakest of the three main stock average for the week, gaining just 0.3 percent. The S&P 500 added 1.3 percent and the Nasdaq rose 1.8 percent. Investors were encouraged to see that prospects were improving that the Senate would approve legislation aimed at avoiding sweeping tax increases Jan. 1. Negotiators added a few sweeteners to promote ethanol and other forms of alternative energy. A test vote was set for Monday. House Democrats have balked at the proposal to extend tax cuts, voting in a closed-door meeting Thursday not to allow the package to reach the floor for a vote without changes to scale back tax cuts for the rich.

We are extremely happy with the way our company has grown over the course of this year. Many of our clients (both institutional and retail) have had their best trading year to date. We are very humbled by our accomplishments and continue to wish great success to all our subscribers and followers out there. Our software has the advantage of being developed and backed by some of the best players out there, i.e. Institutional Traders, Hedge Fund Managers, Quants and Analysts. We have been spending a lot of time working with our clients and our satisfaction comes not only from their kind words and compliments but also from their amazing yearly performance and phenomenal returns. Many of our clients are closing out their year with record gains. Congratulations.

As mentioned a few days ago, due to increased demand and time constraints on our end, we have now suspended all new retail license requests for our software. We are working on adding a few more at the beginning of January. If you are interested, please email us and we will place you on the waiting list. info@rampagetrading.com

Closing Bell

Stocks edged up on Thursday, with the benchmark S&P 500 closing at a two-year high, a trend investors expect to continue through the rest of the year. Investors loaded up on bank stocks, which have risen 12.4 percent for the month. Late in the year, winning positions often attract buyers seeking to improve fund performance in a practice known as window dressing. The Nasdaq finished higher for the seventh straight day and closed at its highest level since December 2007. Expectations of reduced volatility suggest a steady climb through the rest of the year. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), a barometer of Wall Street anxiety, fell more than 2 percent to 17.25. The VIX usually moves inversely to the benchmark S&P index. The Dow was pressured by major manufacturer DuPont after it gave its outlook for 2011. DuPont slipped 1.1 percent to $48.32. A tentative agreement with congressional Republicans to extend tax breaks announced by President Barack Obama hit opposition from prominent Democrats. Wall Street wants the tax breaks to boost returns and spur growth, but news of the Democratic squabbling failed to rattle investors. The S&P 500 closed above 1,228, a resistance level that represents the 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement of the 2007-2009 bear market slide, which has proven difficult for the index to stay above in recent sessions. A Labor Department report showed first-time claims for jobless benefits fell more than expected last week, which investors saw as positive after last week's disappointing payrolls figures.

A great day for us as we netted + 5 ES Points for the day and took several swing trade positions. We apologize for our technical glitch via our comments section. We will be looking to implement a new service ASAP.

Technical Difficulties

We are experiencing a few technical glitches with our comments system and we hope to have them resolved soon. Stay tuned.

Closing Bell

Stocks closed mixed Tuesday after enthusiasm over a deal to extend tax cuts faded.
Bond prices fell sharply as traders anticipated the tax cuts would boost economic growth but also lead to ballooning budget deficits. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped to 3.13 percent, its highest level since June 22. President Barack Obama and Republican leaders agreed to a broad package of tax cuts and an extension of unemployment benefits. The compromise plan helped send stocks higher in the morning, briefly pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 index to its highest level since the peak of the financial crisis in September 2008. Private economists began raising their expectations for economic growth in response to the tax cut deal. Bond traders focused on another factor: the widening budget deficit. Estimates vary widely, but some put the total cost of the package in the range of $900 billion over the next two years.

As you can see, we have added a comments section to our blog where we will frequently post trade ideas and share market thoughts throughout the day. We highly encourage everyone to comment as well. We look forward to your participation.

Flat Day

Stocks spent most of Monday in a funk brought on by cautious comments about the economy from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Hopes for a compromise on extending Bush-era tax cuts and unemployment benefits erased some of the losses. The Dow Jones industrial average ended down 20 points, breaking a three-day winning streak. Stock indexes traded in a tight range all day and volume was light. Stocks began the day on a sour note after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the economic recovery is still struggling to become "self-sustaining" without government help. Treasury prices rose as investors put money into less risky assets. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite to its price, fell to 2.95 percent from 3.00 percent late Friday. That yield helps set interest rates on many kinds of loans including mortgages. Gold for February delivery added $9.90 to settle at $1,416.10 an ounce. Silver gained 46.40 cents to settle at $29.735 an ounce.The dollar rose 0.4 percent against an index of six other currencies.

Easy Street + 42 ES Points This Week!!!

Stocks staged a late afternoon rally after spending most of the day weighed down by an unexpected rise in the unemployment rate. Indexes wound up closing higher for the third straight day. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 2.6 percent for the week, its best weekly gain since hitting a 2010 high on Nov. 5. The Dow is now just 0.5 percent below that level. Materials and energy companies led the rebound. Newmont Mining Corp. gained 3.1 percent and oil field services company Schlumberger Ltd. added 2.5 percent. The dollar fell 1.4 percent against an index of six other currencies. Oil and gold prices rose.

It just doesn't get any better than this. Whether we are day trading or swing trading or even position trading, our software just keeps nailing it again and again. We'll let our charts below speak for themselves. Congratulations to our subscribers on a fantastic week as well. Our clients are recording record gains and the Rampage Trading team keeps growing and prospering. We will be releasing a few more software licenses in the next few weeks so if you are interested, please email us at info@rampagetrading.com and we will place you on the waiting list. Have a great weekend.

Groundhog Day? + 7.5 ES Points

Wall Street rallied for a second day on Thursday as concerns about Europe's sovereign debt crisis waned, giving investors the chance to add to positions in winners among banks and retailers. More than two stocks rose for every decliner on the New York Stock Exchange, with bank stocks leading the way after Goldman Sachs said improving economic conditions will favor that sector. The European Central Bank allayed some concerns of a growing euro-zone crisis with hefty purchases of Portuguese and Irish debt. The European Central Bank, however, said it did not plan to increase the size of its liquidity program at this time.

Another great day. We'll let our charts do the talking.

Yawn + 7 ES Points

Closing Bell

Stocks started December with a jump. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 249 points Wednesday, its biggest one-day gain since Sept. 1 and the sixth largest this year. An encouraging employment report and hopes that Europe's debt crisis may ease boosted major indexes on Wednesday, erasing nearly two weeks of losses. Bond prices and the dollar fell as investors moved money into riskier assets. Signs that the U.S. job market thawed in November jump-started the gains. ADP Employer Services, a payroll company, said small businesses added the largest amount of workers in three years last month, well ahead of what analysts had forecast.

Another victory today as we gained + 7 ES points and rung the register on several long swing trades. We hope our readers are taking advantage of this volatility as there are plenty of profitable opportunities day after day. We know our subscribers are capitalizing on these moves as many of them will finish the year with record gains.