With stocks waffling back and forth seemingly on a daily basis, the question of the day is who/what is driving this bus? In other words, what are traders watching to determine which way the trades are to be made on any given day? Is it Greece, the economy, the Fed, China, interest rates, the dollar, oil, earnings, or something more fundamental like inflation?

The short answer is, all of the above. Well, okay, to be honest, nobody REALLY cares too terribly much about Greece anymore. Fool me once, shame on you - but fool me twice (or maybe even three or four times), shame on me, right?

Sure, even the IMF is talking publicly about a "Grexit" and the ECB has apparently been working on contingency plans for when/if Greece leaves the Eurozone. But in reality, the U.S. stock market is no longer hanging on every twist and turn of the latest Greek drama.

However, traders DO seem to be fairly sensitive to the combination of the state of the U.S. economy, when the Fed is going to start lifting rates, the state of the dollar rally, and the expectations for inflation.

For example, the S&P 500 began last week's holiday-shortened trade a stone's throw from an all-time high. But then concerns about the potential for the dollar to resume its recent rally and some really crummy economic data (GDP went negative in Q1 and the Chicago PMI miss was nothing short of eye-popping) put the fear of what might come next back on the table.

Is Uncertainty Back?

As such, it would appear that uncertainty is back in the game. Just when everyone was in agreement that the economy was "doing just fine, thank you" and that the Fed would start hiking rates sometime in the second half of 2015, the data starts to stink up the joint. The consumer decides to do less. And inflation starts to perk up - ever so slightly.

All of which means one thing - uncertainty is back. Awesome.

It is for this reason that once again, stocks were sold once the major indices either hit or approached new highs. It is for this reason that once again, the latest breakout has become yet another "breakout fakeout." And it is for this reason, that once again, stocks find themselves stuck in a range of sorts.

The Two Important Trends To Watch

But this just in... Don't look now fans, but it you remove the hysterics evident on the daily high-low or candle charts and focus on the closing prices of the S&P 500, there are not one, but two important trends to pay attention to on a chart basis.

S&P 500 Index - Daily

View Larger Image

The first is the uptrend line that can be drawn from the March low on the daily chart of the S&P 500. While the action has been very messy on an intraday basis during the last two months, this trend is as clear as day when one looks at the chart on a closing basis.

While a break below 2090 might not appear to mean much on an intraday chart basis, such a move would indeed violate this uptrend line. And although this may not be a reason to sell, it would certainly be an indication that the intermediate-term environment could be rated as no better than neutral.

The other important level on the chart right now is the 150-day simple moving average. While using this type of indicator is borderline moronic from a timing standpoint, the 150- and 200-day MA's are very helpful in determining the state of the overall environment.

In short, if price is above the MA and the MA itself is moving higher, all can be considered right with the world. And to be sure, such is the case right now. So, a meaningful break below 2065 on the S&P 500 would also be something that traders will definitely be watching. (In case you are curious, the 200-day currently resides at 2041.)

This Morning's Pre-Game Indicators

Here are the Pre-Market indicators we review each morning before the opening bell...

Major Foreign Markets:
Japan: +0.03%
Hong Kong: +0.63%
Shanghai: +4.71%
London: +0.04%
Germany: +0.17%
France: +0.64%
Italy: +0.27%
Spain: +0.61%

Crude Oil Futures: -$0.31 to $59.99

Gold: -$1.00 at $1188.80

Dollar: higher against the yen, euro and pound

10-Year Bond Yield: Currently trading at 2.127%

Stock Indices in U.S. (relative to fair value):
S&P 500: +6.31
Dow Jones Industrial Average: +80
NASDAQ Composite: +25.40

Thought For The Day:

Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve. - J.K. Rowling

Current Market Drivers

We strive to identify the driving forces behind the market action on a daily basis. The thinking is that if we can both identify and understand why stocks are doing what they are doing on a short-term basis; we are not likely to be surprised/blind-sided by a big move. Listed below are what we believe to be the driving forces of the current market (Listed in order of importance).

1. The State of the U.S. Economy
2. The State of Fed/ECB/PBoC Policy
3. The State of Interest Rates
4. The State of the U.S. Dollar

The State of the Trend

We believe it is important to analyze the market using multiple time-frames. We define short-term as 3 days to 3 weeks, intermediate-term as 3 weeks to 3 months, and long-term as 3 months or more. Below are our current ratings of the three primary trends:

Short-Term Trend: Neutral
(Chart below is S&P 500 daily over past 1 month)

Intermediate-Term Trend: Moderately Positive
(Chart below is S&P 500 daily over past 6 months)

Long-Term Trend: Positive
(Chart below is S&P 500 daily over past 2 years)

Key Technical Areas:

Traders as well as computerized algorithms are generally keenly aware of the important technical levels on the charts from a short-term basis. Below are the levels we deem important to watch today:

• Key Near-Term Support Zone(s) for S&P 500: 2100
• Key Near-Term Resistance Zone(s): 2135

The State of the Tape

Momentum indicators are designed to tell us about the technical health of a trend - I.E. if there is any "oomph" behind the move. Below are a handful of our favorite indicators relating to the market's "mo"...

• Trend and Breadth Confirmation Indicator (Short-Term): Negative
• Price Thrust Indicator: Negative
• Volume Thrust Indicator: Neutral
• Breadth Thrust Indicator: Neutral
• Intermediate-Term Bull/Bear Volume Relationship: Moderately Positive
• Technical Health of 100+ Industry Groups: Moderately Positive

The Early Warning Indicators

Markets travel in cycles. Thus we must constantly be on the lookout for changes in the direction of the trend. Looking at market sentiment and the overbought/sold conditions can provide "early warning signs" that a trend change may be near.

• S&P 500 Overbought/Oversold Conditions:
  - Short-Term: Neutral
  - Intermediate-Term: Neutral
  
• Market Sentiment: Our primary sentiment model is Neutral .

The State of the Market Environment

One of the keys to long-term success in the stock market is stay in tune with the market's "big picture" environment in terms of risk versus reward.

• Weekly Market Environment Model Reading: Moderately Positive

Wishing you green screens and all the best for a great day,

David D. Moenning
Founder and Chief Investment Strategist
Heritage Capital Research

Indicator Explanations

Trend and Breadth Confirmation Indicator (Short-Term) Explained: History shows the most reliable market moves tend to occur when the breadth indices are in gear with the major market averages. When the breadth measures diverge, investors should take note that a trend reversal may be at hand. This indicator incorporates an All-Cap Dollar Weighted Equity Series and A/D Line. From 1998, when the A/D line is above its 5-day smoothing and the All-Cap Equal Weighted Equity Series is above its 25-day smoothing, the equity index has gained at a rate of +32.5% per year. When one of the indicators is above its smoothing, the equity index has gained at a rate of +13.3% per year. And when both are below, the equity index has lost +23.6% per year.

Price Thrust Indicator Explained: This indicator measures the 3-day rate of change of the Value Line Composite relative to the standard deviation of the 30-day average. When the Value Line's 3-day rate of change have moved above 0.5 standard deviation of the 30-day average ROC, a "thrust" occurs and since 2000, the Value Line Composite has gained ground at a rate of +20.6% per year. When the indicator is below 0.5 standard deviation of the 30-day, the Value Line has lost ground at a rate of -10.0% per year. And when neutral, the Value Line has gained at a rate of +5.9% per year.

Volume Thrust Indicator Explained: This indicator uses NASDAQ volume data to indicate bullish and bearish conditions for the NASDAQ Composite Index. The indicator plots the ratio of the 10-day total of NASDAQ daily advancing volume (i.e., the total volume traded in stocks which rose in price each day) to the 10-day total of daily declining volume (volume traded in stocks which fell each day). This ratio indicates when advancing stocks are attracting the majority of the volume (readings above 1.0) and when declining stocks are seeing the heaviest trading (readings below 1.0). This indicator thus supports the case that a rising market supported by heavier volume in the advancing issues tends to be the most bullish condition, while a declining market with downside volume dominating confirms bearish conditions. When in a positive mode, the NASDAQ Composite has gained at a rate of +38.3% per year, When neutral, the NASDAQ has gained at a rate of +13.3% per year. And when negative, the NASDAQ has lost at a rate of -8.5% per year.

Breadth Thrust Indicator Explained: This indicator uses the number of NASDAQ-listed stocks advancing and declining to indicate bullish or bearish breadth conditions for the NASDAQ Composite. The indicator plots the ratio of the 10-day total of the number of stocks rising on the NASDAQ each day to the 10-day total of the number of stocks declining each day. Using 10-day totals smooths the random daily fluctuations and gives indications on an intermediate-term basis. As expected, the NASDAQ Composite performs much better when the 10-day A/D ratio is high (strong breadth) and worse when the indicator is in its lower mode (weak breadth). The most bullish conditions for the NASDAQ when the 10-day A/D indicator is not only high, but has recently posted an extreme high reading and thus indicated a thrust of upside momentum. Bearish conditions are confirmed when the indicator is low and has recently signaled a downside breadth thrust. In positive mode, the NASDAQ has gained at a rate of +22.1% per year since 1981. In a neutral mode, the NASDAQ has gained at a rate of +14.5% per year. And when in a negative mode, the NASDAQ has lost at a rate of -6.4% per year.

Bull/Bear Volume Relationship Explained: This indicator plots both "supply" and "demand" volume lines. When the Demand Volume line is above the Supply Volume line, the indicator is bullish. From 1981, the stock market has gained at an average annual rate of +11.7% per year when in a bullish mode. When the Demand Volume line is below the Supply Volume line, the indicator is bearish. When the indicator has been bearish, the market has lost ground at a rate of -6.1% per year.

Technical Health of 100 Industry Groups Explained: Designed to provide a reading on the technical health of the overall market, this indicator takes the technical temperature of more than 100 industry sectors each week. Looking back to early 1980, when the model is rated as "positive," the S&P has averaged returns in excess of 23% per year. When the model carries a "neutral" reading, the S&P has returned over 11% per year. But when the model is rated "negative," stocks fall by more than -13% a year on average.

Weekly State of the Market Model Reading Explained:Different market environments require different investing strategies. To help us identify the current environment, we look to our longer-term State of the Market Model. This model is designed to tell us when risk factors are high, low, or uncertain. In short, this longer-term oriented, weekly model tells us whether the odds favor the bulls, bears, or neither team.

Disclosures

The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are those of Mr. David Moenning and may not actually come to pass. Mr. Moenning's opinions and viewpoints regarding the future of the markets should not be construed as recommendations. The analysis and information in this report is for informational purposes only. No part of the material presented in this report is intended as an investment recommendation or investment advice. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed nor any Portfolio constitutes a solicitation to purchase or sell securities or any investment program.

Any investment decisions must in all cases be made by the reader or by his or her investment adviser. Do NOT ever purchase any security without doing sufficient research. There is no guarantee that the investment objectives outlined will actually come to pass. All opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Neither the editor, employees, nor any of their affiliates shall have any liability for any loss sustained by anyone who has relied on the information provided.

The analysis provided is based on both technical and fundamental research and is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Although the information contained is derived from sources which are believed to be reliable, they cannot be guaranteed.

David D. Moenning, an advisor representative of CONCERT Wealth Management Inc. (CONCERT), is founder of Heritage Capital Advisors LLC, a legal business entity doing business as Heritage Capital Research (Heritage). Advisory services are offered through CONCERT Wealth Management, Inc., a registered investment advisor. For a complete description of investment risks, fees and services review the CONCERT firm brochure (ADV Part 2) which is available from your Investment Representative or by contacting Heritage or CONCERT.

Mr. Moenning is also the owner of Heritage Capital Management (HCM) a state-registered investment adviser. HCM also serves as a sub-advisor to other investment advisory firms. Neither HCM, Heritage, or CONCERT is registered as a broker-dealer.

Employees and affiliates of Heritage and HCM may at times have positions in the securities referred to and may make purchases or sales of these securities while publications are in circulation. Editors will indicate whether they or Heritage/HCM has a position in stocks or other securities mentioned in any publication. The disclosures will be accurate as of the time of publication and may change thereafter without notice.

Investments in equities carry an inherent element of risk including the potential for significant loss of principal. Past performance is not an indication of future results.