MarketWatch Morning Stock Talk

Paul Nolte hopes Wall Street becomes boring again

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:55:14 EST

With the volatility, the stock market generally leads the evening news every day. So laments Paul Nolte, director of investments at Hinsdale Associates, who tells Andrew O'Day it would be nice to put the market back on the business pages and not have a lot of people paying attention to the daily moves. Nolte says Wall Street soon may embark on a slow stealth rally with small advances, but he expects no advance a day ahead of a probably abysmal November employment report.

Boockvar: Get ready for a 'hopes and wishes' rally

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:59:00 EST

In the midst of what will continue to be bad news, the market is setting itself up for a bear market rally. So predicts Peter Boockvar, equity market strategist at Miller Tabak. Boockvar tells Andrew O'Day it will be a vicious advance that will suck a lot of people in before the news gets bad again.

Hodges: Stop trying to pick a market bottom, and just start buying already!

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:56:23 EST

We've been in a recession for a year, but the stocks are fully factoring that in. So says Craig Hodges, co-portfolio manager of the Hodges Fund, who tells Andrew O'Day we likely are well past the halfway point in this bear market. He says usually by the time it's evident the bear market is over, the market is up 30 percent, so you can't pick bottoms.

Carlson: Still two steps forward, three steps back

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:56:27 EST

Today's market weakness is more of the same with "two steps forward, three steps back." And Chuck Carlson, the CEO at Horizon Investment Services tells Steve Potisk, he's "not surprised," saying he doesn't expect "this kind of volatility to leave us anytime soon." According to Carlson this latest weakness is being sparked by the day's economic news. Also, he says, worries remain about the holiday shopping season. Despite official tallies, his anecdotal experience "looked at that with somewhat of a skeptical eye." From here, Carlson expects an erratic stock market trend higher "over the next month."

Brooks: Don't read too much into today's action

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:00:01 EST

It's pretty quiet, and on quiet days it's easy to push the market around. Andy Brooks, vice president and head of U.S. equity trading at T. Rowe Price tells Andrew O'Day that a gain today is not easy because of the strong week. Brooks says economic reports next week will be abysmal, but Wall Street ought to be accustomed to that by now.

Hughes: Weak news, no surprise

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:58:00 EST

The latest news "continues to show a weak economy or an economy that's slipping even further into recession." So says John Hughes, managing director at Epiphany Equity Research. But he tells Steve Potisk it's "not too much of a surprise," since "the anticipation has been that we're going to get some really bad numbers, some startling numbers, in some respects, in the fourth quarter." One reason we may not be seeing steeper selling today, Hughes says last week's sell off may have flushed "out the remaining selling." That, he suggests, could lead to a "counter trend rally."

Danielson: 'Hunker down' and take a long term view

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:54:24 EST

"Treasury's announcement about their efforts to try to help free up the credit markets is being viewed as very positive." So says Loren Danielson, Senior Vice President at Ferris Baker Watts. He tells Steve Potisk "it's the constriction by the consumer really what's leading to this economic slow down." Danielson suggests that investors "hunker down and take a long term view." He says efforts to fix the economy "will take time."

Sandler: Banking on Obama

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:43:51 EST

"The market needs a reason to rally. It's finding one, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this rally last a little longer." So says Doug Sandler, chief equity officer at Riverfront Investment Group. Sandler tells Andrew O'Day there is growing hope surrounding the coming change in economic leadership, including new people and a new approach to the crisis.

Awad: Lame duck government, lame duck market. Wait for Obama!

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:11:20 EST

I'm hoping that in his inaugural address, he will offer hope that will get investors and consumers and business people to start to look over the valley, and restore some confidence in the economy and the system. That's what Jim Awad, managing director at Zephyr Management, tells John Wordock. Until the new administration, Awad says we have a lame duck government, an economy in freefall, and short-term pessimism.

Paulsen vs. Paulson: Strategist Jim blames Secretary Henry

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:11:15 EST

The TARP Confidence Buster Number Two. That's how Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, describes last week's changes to the $700 billion financial rescue by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Paulsen tells Andrew O'Day Wall Street is still adjusting to this secondary crisis. He adds that today's dismal reports on jobless claims and the Philly Fed index hold no shock value.