This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly From 2015
A brief sampling of the best, worst and toughest financial markets of 2015.
Like any year, 2015 had its share of good markets (mainly stocks in or related to F.A.N.G.), bad markets (essentially all commodities, currencies, most bonds and the majority of stocks) and the ugly (most actively managed funds). Among the market segments and indices that we track, today’s Chart Of The Day presents the winners of each of the three categories this year (through 12/30/2015).
The Good: On the heels of a 40% jump in 2014, Venezuela’s main IBC Stock Index was up a cool 280% this year. Although, due to currency devaluation, you’d be lucky if you kept any of those 28,000 basis points.
The Bad: Coal stocks were an example of another trend that persisted this year. After closing 2014 some 87% off of its 2008 high, the Dow Jones U.S. Coal Index lost another 80% in 2015. That’s why we don’t go bottom-feeding when selecting investments.
The Ugly: There were much worse markets in 2015, but the S&P 500 was just plain ugly for anyone trying to figure it out. For one, as of the 2nd to last day of the year, the index was exactly 0.2% away from its 2014 closing price. Furthermore, along the way, it suffered stints of maddening behavior.
From February 3 to August 19, the S&P 500 never closed more than 2.2% away from the 2085 level, up or down. That’s over half the year, or 138 days! Then it dropped 11% in a week! Then, in one month (October), it gained back the entire decline!
On top of that, imagine you were using the 50-day moving average to stay on the correct side of the trend, as many traders do. Well, the index crossed up or down through the 50-day no less than 40 times – on a closing basis! Good luck with that strategy.
In the end, we should not be surprised by the challenges presented by the S&P 500 in 2015. It is another example – actually, the best example – of a lesson we have written about several times. That is, the more popular an index or security is among traders, the less apt it will be to conform to traditional technical analysis – and the more difficult it will be to trade. Just think of the other market participants in the index as competition. And what index has more competition in the entire world than the S&P 500? Everyone thinks they have to have an opinion on the S&P 500. A bit of advice, if we may: if you are just starting out in this trading thing, try trading something besides the S&P 500…anything else.
Anyway, here’s to another interesting year in 2016. You can bet there will be plenty more good, bad and ugly.
* * *
More from Dana Lyons, JLFMI and My401kPro.
»
- 47 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
Good = Ag phyzz in now cheaper
Bad = Ag phyzz is now cheaper
UGLY? ~ Chewbacca
THE GOOD : FOUNDING ZH BLOG
TH BAD: STILL WAITING ON MY ZH APP FOR MY PHONE TO BROWSE AT WORK SAFELY
HAPPY NEW YEAR ZH Thank you so much FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF WONDERFUL & EXCELLENT WORK , VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE . GOD BLESS YOU ALL TYLERS
MY NUMBER ONE GO TO FOR REAL NEWS PERIOD
1OOO THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Being heavy on the doom porn, ZH should have a predictions article that we all can throw our in the comments... I dreamt last night that the internet and the phone networks were taken down and my phone had a presidential notification on it. I was at a party, and the people there were all jeering at me for trying to use the internet. I thought: "What a bunch of sheeple." and woke up shortly after. Then I thought about it. Holy crap people would go apeshit monkeynuts if the internet was taken down even for a few minutes, and rightfully so. Not a prediction, but a fun bit of new years doom. :-)
Let's see... internet and telephones down... hmmm could that be the solar flare that is going to hit earth tonight?
Solar flare hints at New Year light showTelegraph.co.uk - 18 hours ago
Scientists believe a massive solar eruption will cause power fluctuations, radio interference and may even cause the planetary muttonheads to go apeshit monkeynuts...
If some terroristic solar flare causes me to miss the Peguins vs. the Redwings tonight, I'm going to go apeshit monkeynuts!
(I guess that makes me a planetary muttonhead, but... oh well) :-)
The Good: Cheap phyzz silver (keep stackin' it while you still can, bitchez) ;-)
The Bad: The Treasonous Government
The Ugly: The Disgusting Media
The communications infrastructure would be reduced instantly to Ham Radio operators. And if they so choose, they could start horrendous urban legends. Come to think of it, I doubt there is either a militia without a Ham Radio operator in it, nor a Ham Radio operator who is not in a militia. Perfect storm. I wonder if they would use voice changers... (+1 for 666 comment!)
That's it, screw up one of my favorite movies...... ;-)
You will receive a visit from Angel Eyes soon for that remark. Sorry Shorty.
If you're going to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.
Lotsa people took a bath this year.
You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.
+1 for the bath metaphor.
That's OK. Watch Once Upon A Time In The West. It's far superior...
Dana Lyons should become a Tyler.
The ugly:
Whoop Whoop Whoop on the NYSE floor before every 3 day weekend at exactly 3:33 ????
whats up with all the 3's.......hmmmmmmmm
They are half of 666?
2016, The ugly truth......
http://beforeitsnews.com/conspiracy-theories/2015/12/as-events-spiral-ou...
Spambot take barbiturates, drink entire bottle vodka, on busy highway go play.
P.S.: Your sockpuppet LordBuckFast tell this hate crime report, hahaha...
All the best to all on here at ZH,we are the future,we are the people,we are the truth in a crazy,corrupt world.
oblig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PgAKzmWmuk
Here is a better good, bad and ugly list for 2015:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/truly-big-shorts-john-m-cunningham?trk=pr...
Happy New Year to all....
As I am in the winter of my life and we are in an election year I am hopeful to witness Americans choose America for once.
Careful driving tonight. The LEO's will have all those "constitutional" roadblocks checking for required insurance and other excuses.
Rumor has it that Yatsenyuk has fled Ukraine.
This year unfortunately I had many materials to cover as criminal putin regime still exists and expands it’s crimes. It’s quite depressing for world and those victims that suffers from criminal putin regime so let’s have some laugh at end of this year. And I hope next year will be end of criminal putin regime and what means also end for ZH.
Happy NEW year! 2016 – a year when criminal putin regime collapses!
14:08 06.08.2014 Russia Says West 'Shot Itself in Foot' by Imposing Sanctions on Moscow
“To be honest, the West is behaving inadequately. They are shooting themselves in the foot by imposing sanctions. You may lose a market in an hour but it may take decades to restore,” Rogozin wrote on his Facebook page.
Tuesday 29 December 2015 Deputy Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin 'shoots himself in the foot' after expressing support for NRA
Russia’s deputy Prime Minister has reportedly shot himself in the foot at a firing range just days after tweeting support for America’s National Rifle Association (NRA).
Dmitry Rogozin is said to be recovering while undergoing treatment for the bullet wound at a hospital in Moscow.
A source told Russia’s Interfax news agency he “accidentally shot himself” while training at a shooting range, causing him to miss a cabinet meeting with Vladimir Putin last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh13ch_e3eA
Ah, absurdly more lies from round-headed Latvian rogue hamster with the haircut Hitler.
Earn the potato whatever it takes...
The Good, The Bad & The Janet Yellen. There I fixed it for you Tyler, Happy New Year ZH......
The good? Still kickin'. The bad? So is mother in law. The ugly? State politics, county politics and city politics.
NM, number one in corruption? Any others vie?
The Good: Zerohedge
The Bad: Wall St./Banksters
The Ugly: Can there be anything uglier Hitlerly or close runner up, Old Yellen.
Happy New Year ZH, Tylers, Banzai and Bitchez.
Yes, indeed an interesting year it will be.
The good...Zhers
The bad...American foreign policy
The ugly...Muslim women!