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Dr. Kris
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Dr. Kris hails from the land o' lakes, beer, bratwurst, and Bucky Badger. She traded in her cheese hat for a propeller beanie and has never looked back. She has two degrees from MIT because one just wasn't enough. Her life goal was to figure out the universe and having done that (at least to her... More
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  • Intraday Market Notes: Retail Still Rising -- August 29 2 comments
    Aug 29, 2012 8:11 PM | about stocks: RTH, XRT

    3:00 pm ET: Today the market is showing a little backbone supported by news that Q2 economic growth was better than expected along with a rise in pending home sales. Even that party-pooper the Dow Transports (DTX) has reversed its downward course and is looking to possibly close in the green.

    Speaking of green, the sectors are showing a lot of that. One sector fund that has been a stellar performer in recent months is the Market Vectors Retail etf (RTH). The stock has been a juggernaut having risen nearly 40% in the past year and is showing no signs of slowing. It's interesting to note that although its more heavily traded counterpart, the SPDR Retail etf (XRT), has enjoyed the same return, it's done so with a bit more volatility. Currently, the XRT is trying to retake its $63 May high. (If you're interested in getting in on this bullish action in the retail sector and you'd rather do so with options, please use the XRT as its options field is much more liquid.)

    Not much else is happening. The falling VIX and Trin (from their earlier highs) suggest a rally going into the close. But don't expect a lot of action in this low volume environment until Big Ben's banter on Friday.

    Article Note: I began to write about e-cigarettes in yesterday's column but it seems as if I bit off a little more than I could chew. It has morphed into a full-fledged article which will be appearing under the articles section either later today or tomorrow. Stay tuned!

    Themes: bullish ideas Stocks: RTH, XRT
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  •  
    "I began to write about e-cigarettes in yesterday's column but it seems as if I bit off a little more than I could chew." Kris, you look more like a snuff dipper than a chewer.

    “Smokeless tobacco” tobacco has long thrived in coal mines, the oil field, chemical plants and refineries where any open flame is prohibited.

    “Smokeless tobacco” was the original substitute for cigarettes. “Smokeless tobacco” may be why I’ve only seen women with e-cigarettes. Many of the men here are snuff dippers. Thus, I’d guess that far more women than men are interested in trying e-cigarettes. I can’t imagine many “real men” using e-cigarettes or carrying a purse to have somewhere to store this device.

    If e-cigarettes catch on with women, perhaps e-pipes will be the male equivalent. If one has to carry something, at least a pipe looks masculine.

    I see too many barriers to adopting and maintaining e-cigarettes.
    2 Sep 2012, 12:24 PM Reply Like
  •  
    Bob,

    Honestly, do you think any woman would actually want to kiss a guy who chewed tabacky? Serious, serious turn-off. And I've never, ever seen anyone "do" snuff (at least since Sir Walter Raleigh's time).

    I'm not at all advocating e-cigs--just proposing that they may be a game-changer in terms of where they can be smoked (aka bars & restaurants providing it's ruled that no one is hurt via an e-cig's second-hand smoke). Of course, there's going to have to be some sort of validation that the person with the e-cig is actually smoking it.

    As per your barriers issue, many folks thought that personal computers would never catch on and that the internet was a passing fad.

    Dr. K
    3 Sep 2012, 10:17 PM Reply Like
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  • Intraday support/resistance: $SPX 1664/1673, $DTX 650.25/656.75, $DJIA 15300/15390, Nasdaq 3485/3510, $RUT 994.5/1001.5; $VIX 12.8/13.3
    about 10 hours ago
  • Greece continues to melt up: Country etf $GREK +5%, Nat'l Bank of Greece $NBG +20% on heavy volume. Both mentioned here several days ago.
    3 days ago
  • Intraday support/resistance: $SPX 1652.5/1660.5, $DTX 647.5/654.5, $DJIA 15235/15315, Nasdaq 3473/3489, $RUT 987/996; $VIX 12.05/12.95
    3 days ago
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