By Matthew Kerkhoff

Part of the essence of Dow Theory has to do with confirmations, which at their root level look for congruencies in the marketplace. With many indicators frequently moving in different directions, alignments across key market barometers can substantiate the existence of an underlying trend.

Price action over the past few weeks has led to an abundance of confirmations, in addition to Dow Theory recently turning bullish. Let’s examine a few of these moves to understand what lies ahead.

By Matthew Kerkhoff

Today we’re going to take a little departure from our typical conversation and talk a bit more about portfolio strategy. In particular, we’re going discuss the role of options in an investment portfolio.

If you just cringed, don’t worry. Many people have that same reaction when they hear the term “options,” because it often conjures up images of excess risk and leverage. For the average investor, options seem like a complicated way to potentially lose large sums of money.

In reality, that view couldn’t be further from the truth.

By Matthew Kerkhoff

It’s only been four trading days since the election and yet we’ve seen a massive repricing across nearly all financial markets. In part this is because Wall Street, which is typically pro-GOP, was preparing for and expecting a different outcome.

The fireworks in the aftermath of the election (dollar plummeting, Dow Futures down over 800 points), abruptly came to an end in overnight trading. This was quite amazing to watch as the visceral reaction faded and many investors began contemplating how to navigate the new environment.

By Matthew Kerkhoff

Do you have sweaty palms? Heart palpitations? Recent trouble sleeping at night? If so, you’re not alone. This has been one of the most divisive campaigns in recent years, and many people are reporting elevated levels of stress.

The angst is even higher for those with large portfolio balances, because election day almost always precedes major moves in the financial markets.