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Indices Close Mixed After Opening Rally
http://www.tigersharktrading.com/articles/22196/1/Indices-Close-Mixed-After-Opening-Rally/Page1.html
By Harry Boxer
Published on 01/23/2012
 

The stock market indices started out with a mixed session, and closed narrowly mixed, but it wasn’t a narrow session.


Indices Close Mixed After Opening Rally

The stock market indices started out with a mixed session, and closed narrowly mixed, but it wasn’t a narrow session. The day started out with a thrust to the upside with new rally highs on both the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500, reaching 2455 NDX, and 1322-plus on the S&P 500. Then the indices rolled over hard, taking the NDX from 2455 to 2424, and the S&P 500 from 1322 down to 1310. They worked their way higher, recovered about 50% of the losses, and pulled back into the close

Net on the day, the Dow was down 11.66 at 12,708.82, holding 12,700. The S&P 500 was up 0.62 to 1316.00, 6 points off its low, and the Nasdaq 100 up 0.20 at 2437.22, 13 points off its low.

Advance-declines were 17 to 12 positive on the New York Stock Exchange, and 13 to 11 negative on Nasdaq. Up/down volume was 4 to 3 positive on New York, with total volume of just under 700 million shares traded today, which is pretty light volume. Nasdaq traded just under 1.6 billion shares, and had an 8 to 7 negative ratio on declining volume over advancing volume.

TheTechTrader.com board, as a result, was narrowly mixed for the most part, although there were some outstanding stocks today. Day-trade suggestion this morning, BroadVision, Inc. (BVSN), jumped 6.26 to 33.25, or 23%. What a monster move from 9.00 just 3 weeks ago. YRC Worldwide Inc. (YRCW) rose 1.93 to 13.35, and Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. (SBSA) 1.15 to 5.53. Those were two big percentage gainers.

In addition, Apple Inc. (AAPL) was up 7.11 to 427.41, and International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) up 1.46 to 189.98.

Among the low-priced stocks, LiveDeal, Inc. (LIVE) gained 59 cents to 3.50, or 20%; Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTIC) 15 cents to 1.46, or 12%; AMN Healthcare Services Inc AMN (AHS) 41 cents to 4.69, or 9 1/2%; Netlist Inc. (NLST) 32 cents to 3.30, right near key resistance, or 11%, on just over 1 million shares traded; PetMed Express, Inc. (PETS) 1.24 to 12.51, or 11%. and Patriot Coal Corporation (PCX) 55 cents to 8.06, or 71/2%.

Other gainers of note included Grupo Radio Centro, S.A.B de C. (RC), up 1.00 to 10.65. The United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 46 cents to 5.55 on 48.6 million shares, Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. (CRZO) 1.49 to 24.58, Kraton Performance Polymers Inc. (KRA) 1.53 to 26.55, Approach Resources Inc. (AREX) 1.64 to 33.81, Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU) 2.32 to 62.44, and Polypore International Inc. (PPO) 1.94 to 55.98.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (JAZZ) was up 1.02 to 47.00, and low-priced Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (KOG) up 33 cents to 9.62, on 5.5 million shares today.

On the downside, Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) got hammered for 6.28 to 93.96, Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ONXX) fell 1.00 to 40.71, Universal Display Corp. (PANL) dropped 2.16 to 38.62, and VirnetX Holding Corp (VHC) lost 1.66 to 23.89,

Ultra-short VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX ST ETN (TVIX), as incredible as it seems, closed at 19.10, down 1.10. This stock was 109 and change on October 4.

Stepping back and reviewing the hourly chart patterns, the indices ran sharply after the get-go to new highs for the rally, and then came down hard, but bounced back about 50% in the last several hours during the afternoon snapback rally to close near even on all the indices, but mixed.

Harry Boxer is a technical consultant to many Wall Street hedge funds and large institutional traders, and author of TheTechTrader.com.