I think the Fed is desperate to raise rates this year and I think it will happen in September. The only fly in the ointment is the inflation rate which is below what the Fed wants.

Art Hogan

Categorized in : Company News

Lower gas prices continue to add to the wallet and the consumer's level of confidence, the over-arching trend here is you have to be in the right place.

The over-arching trend here is you have to be in the right place, teen retailers are having a harder time, they seem to be losing out to the fast casual names like Forever 21 or H&M.

The uncertainty has certainly increased. by Art Hogan

The uncertainty has certainly increased.

The market is in a relief rally after five days of selloff and as investors rebalance their portfolios.

Investors are in wait-and-see mode. by Art Hogan

Investors are in wait-and-see mode.

You're clearly in a wait-and-see mode. The market picked a direction and it's hard for anyone to get in the way, that's where the low volume matters.

( It's) just investor confusion, they are trying to figure out what the slowdown in China means to the global economy.

The largest issue is certainly the fact that we don't know how much the Chinese economy is slowing, that's manifesting itself in lower oil prices.

The M&A environment is ripe for more deals and at the end of the year you will see a lot more deals than what we saw last year.

I don't expect anything different out of the FOMC meeting today. Investors tend to take a cautious stand ahead of such meetings and that's why we aren't seeing too much a rally today.

Earnings have been fairly good but the problem is that we haven't seen organic revenue growth and are also seeing tepid guidance from companies in face of the strong dollar.

The market seems to be pricing in a possibility, overpricing, a G... by Art Hogan

The market seems to be pricing in a possibility, overpricing, a Greece exit.

Financials have been leading and dividend payers have sold off. That trade probably unwinds if there is a surprise.

The retail sales (data) is just another piece of the economic puzzle and one that investors have been waiting for, the Fed will definitely get one rate hike under its belt this year, and another one next year.

There is a consensus that the Fed probably doesn't move until September and I don't think that will change today.

If interest rates were to go up sharply, then yes, the markets are overvalued, but that's not going to happen.

That drastic, draconian move in bonds and violent updraft in oil are settling a little bit and that's helping us focus on stocks.

Tomorrow's report would have to be a monster month for us to beli... by Art Hogan

Tomorrow's report would have to be a monster month for us to believe June is back on the table.

We're very much in a wait-and-see mode until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow. by Art Hogan

We're very much in a wait-and-see mode until 2.30 p.m. tomorrow.

That adds to the concern the euro zone is facing an economic slowdown and some of the weaker members have more debt than they can handle.