Disaster Struck & I Got Stuck In Muck...

For the time being that is...  

Overnight, China announced is Trade Balance data, which the FT interpreted as better than expected, but ForexFactory.com listed as worse than expected as actual numbers of 17.8 billion were largely below analysts' expectations of 26.2 billion and the previously reported 27.1 billion.  Unemployment Claims came out better than expected too, so the Conviction Bulls managed to close the day in the green in most markets - except for the Nikkei and Shanghai.

Luckily, I took profit on some positions yesterday and today, but the puts I snapped up yesterday may very well expire worthless.  Since I had been a call buyer at the most inopportune time during the May 2013 run-up and most of the issues I bought then are still underwater, I jumped at the opportunity to get out alive on the SDR calls I've come to love.  

It was down to the question of love vs. logic and logic seemed to prevail.  Oil has been dropping and gold has been going up for nearly a week now, so I figured if more upwards momentum in oil is in the cards, I'll still have some PER calls and the remaining SD calls to ride. 

You know how I feel about the VIX being at all-time lows!  But obviously, the Buy the Dippers don't care, slicing through my portfolio like a hot knife through butter...

-5.39% SBA
-0.42% Roth IRA

+0.18% DJIA
+0.41% Nasdaq
+0.39% S&P 

+0.28% FTSE
+0.38% Eurofirst
-1.59% Nikkei
-0.09% Shanghai
+0.67% SENSEX
+0.31% Hang Seng

-0.51% WTI
-0.60% Brent
+2.08% Gold
+2.93% Copper
+1.01% Corn

+0.70% EUR/JPY

+0.81% DJT
-2.08% VIX

-0.50% 10-Year US Treasury Notes


65% Advancing Issues on NYSE          |   73% Up Volume
31% Declining Issues on NYSE           |   26% Down Volume
4% Unchanged                                |   1% Unchanged


57% Advancing Issues on Nasdaq       |   60% Up Volume
40% Declining Issues on Nasdaq        |   38% Down Volume
3% Unchanged                                |   2% Unchanged