“There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.” -- Napoleon Hill
Wall Street seems to be feeling frisky lately, with major indices testing, poking and prodding record highs. And, in spite of the fact that the CBOE Volatility Index has been jolted back to life, the domestic economy seems to be exhibiting tendencies of slow, steady but solid growth.
The market is most decidedly on a nice little roll so far this year. Out of the twenty-two sessions that have taken place to date, both the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) have been in the black nearly two-thirds of the time.
So is all this a collective post-fiscal cliff sigh of relief from investors? Sure, that plays a part in the recent bull run now underway, as do the domestic economic numbers, particularly gains in employment numbers and positive growth in manufacturing numbers, as indicated in the rise of the ISM Index. But do these factors really justify the SPX coming within 60 points of hitting its all-time high? Read more about ETF Periscope: Wall Street High on Main Street Money Influx
The recent jobs reports was so well-received by the economy and the markets that it overshadowed the good news contained in the ISM reports. My latest article on the ISM reports was lukewarm at best, but this month has more silver linings.
The MacroView has discussed the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reports and explored the relationships between the reports and the general health of the economy over the last two years. After first exploring the December reports, this post will explore a new area of research along with some stock suggestions related with the ISM research. Read more about A Macro View: ISM Good Along with Lovers and Haters Picks
“There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.” -- Napoleon Hill 
Overall, the ISM reports brought in good but not great news; however they were overshadowed by the poor jobs report of last week.