Weekly Update: Shorting the Worst Market We’ve Seen In a Long Time

The S&P 500, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 indexes all made new lows this week.

And Friday was the 22nd consecutive day with more new lows made on the Nasdaq Composite than new highs.

Daily Chart of Nasdaq Composite Index with Net New Highs & Lows — Source: TradingView

It is clear that sellers remain in control, and we may very well see stocks continue to sell off.

Many of the growth stocks that fueled the bull market over the last two years have given up all of their post-COVID gains.

PayPal (PYPL), Netflix (NFLX), Shopify (SHOP) and dozens of other household names are down more than 70% from last year’s highs.

This week, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 0.50%, which was the largest hike in 22 years.

The Fed is expected to continue raising rates throughout the year to fight inflation…

Yes, the same inflation it caused by printing trillions of dollars over the past few years.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

To say that market conditions are poor is a gross understatement.

Billionaire trading legend Paul Tudor Jones told CNBC recently, “You can’t think of a worse macro environment than where we are right now for financial assets…”

He continued, saying, “If there was a strategy that I would want to employ right now, if someone put a gun to my head, I’d say simple trend-following strategies.”

And folks… The trend is unquestionably pointing down.

Therefore, I am only interested in short trades at this time.

I will need to see this market rally, put in a follow-through day, and then hold without further distribution before I start buying stocks again.

With all that said, here are the setups I am watching this week…

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (Short Idea)

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) is a $18 billion logistics services company focused on trucks and transporting stuff via those trucks.

Here’s how the chart is setting up…

Daily Chart of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) — Source: TradingView

And here’s how the stock is setting up with my Stealth System…

  • Surge score: 64/100
  • % Above 52-wk low: 11%
  • Sales growth: +33%
  • Return on Equity: 27%
  • Triple momentum: no

JBHT is a stock we played on the upside last summer.

But price broke down in a big way last month, falling from $220 to $170 on accelerating volume.

Shares have now put in a shelf around the $165 mark where buyers appear to be supporting the stock.

If it breaks that low, consider selling short with a stop at $179.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (Short Idea)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) is an $8 billion cruise line company operating under several different brand names with approximately 28 ships.

Here’s how the chart is setting up…

Daily Chart of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) — Source: TradingView

And here’s how the stock is setting up with my Stealth System…

  • Surge score: 31/100
  • % Above 52-wk low: 23%
  • Sales growth: +1,000%
  • Return on Equity: N/A
  • Triple momentum: yes

Norwegian Cruise Line has been trending lower since mid-2021.

After breaking below its 200-day moving average, the stock has been unable to rally above it.

When selling short, I prefer to do so against a resistance level like a major moving average when possible.

For NCLH, I am looking for a pop higher that we can sell into just beneath the 200-day (white line on the chart above).

The company is scheduled to report earnings on Tuesday. If the numbers are good, it might propel NCLH near the $21 level, which is where I would like to sell.

The buy stop would be on the other side of the 200-day moving average.

Summit Materials, Inc. (Short Idea)

Summit Materials, Inc. (SUM) is a $3 billion provider of construction and building materials for both residential and non-residential customers.

Here’s how the chart is setting up…

Daily Chart of Summit Materials, Inc. (SUM) — Source: TradingView

And here’s how the stock is setting up with my Stealth System…

  • Surge score: 40/100
  • % Above 52-wk low: 1%
  • Sales growth: -2%
  • Return on Equity: 8%
  • Triple momentum: yes (short)

Summit is a classic “broken leader” that could easily get cut in half over the next few months.

The stock advanced more than five-fold from the 2020 lows to late 2021 but has now turned south.

The 200-day line has been broken, and last month’s rally attempt failed and has now returned the stock to its lows.

The company announced larger losses than expected in its quarterly earnings report this week, which is only adding fuel to the bearish fire.

Consider selling SUM short on a move below $26.40.

Join the Insiders

Now, if you’ve ever wondered how I developed a proven track record of trading along the insiders like corporate CEOs, CFOs, executives and board members…

Do yourself a favor and check out my latest Insider Effect presentation!

Corporate insiders are always buying or selling shares in the companies they operate. These folks have a footing of knowledge that Main Street investors simply do not.

I talked more about this in my latest presentation, which you can watch at your convenience right here.

I covered my strategy for trading alongside corporate insiders and generating potentially massive gains as a result.

Just click here to learn more about my Insider Effect strategy and see what you could be missing out on.

Live Coaching Session

Monday, at 3:00 p.m. EDT, we’ll be hosting our regular weekly coaching session for Stealth Trades. 

We’ll send you a login reminder that morning, just so you don’t forget.

We’ll cover all of our new stocks on the Watchlist as well as the rest of the stocks inside Stealth Trades.

You need to attend this session to get the most from your subscription!

In the meantime, you can watch the replay of our latest Stealth Trades session right here.

Best wishes for your trading,

Ross Givens

Editor, Stealth Trades
P.S. Click here to learn more about my Insider Effect strategy and see what you could be missing out on.

Weekly Update: Setting the Stage for the Next Wave Higher

Editor’s Note: All major U.S. stock markets are closed on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, in observance of President’s Day.

The market continues to show weakness, with all major indexes down on the week. 

Looking at our recent picks from the weekly Stealth Trades Watchlist, the best performers so far have been shorts. 

That tells me everything I need to know about the current environment. 

With the markets closed on Monday and a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, I am 100% cash going into the long weekend. 

I continue to urge caution and trading small, or not at all, until conditions improve. 

Facebook (FB), Netflix (NFLX), Paypal (PYPL), Square (SQ), the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) and dozens of other mega-cap names are down 50%-60% or more. 

This is not the time to be getting aggressive. 

Your time is better spent looking for stocks that are holding up well right now and making or nearing new highs. 

These will likely be the new leaders of the next bull market, which could emerge at any time. 

As long-time readers know, bear markets always set the stage for the next wave of super-high-performance stocks.

Antero Resources Corporation

Antero Resources Corporation (AR) is a $7 billion oil and gas exploration and production company operating out of the Appalachian Basin and Upper Devonian Shale.

Here’s how the chart is setting up…

Daily Chart of Antero Resources Corporation (AR) — Source: TC2000

And here’s how the stock is setting up with my Stealth System:

  • Surge score: 98/100
  • % Above 52-wk low: 189%
  • Sales growth: +83%
  • Triple momentum: yes

Fundamentally, Antero is showing accelerating quarterly growth in both sales and earnings.

Shares are also making new highs while the markets are selling off, which is a clear sign of relative strength.

Oil and gas names remain strong, and AR is one of a small handful breaking out from a buyable position.

Zeta Global Holdings Corp.

Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (ZETA) is a $2 billion cloud software company that aims to provide corporate clients with consumer intelligence and marketing automation solutions.

Here’s how the chart is setting up…

Daily Chart of Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (ZETA) — Source: TC2000

And here’s how the stock is setting up with my Stealth System:

  • Surge score: 98/100
  • % Above 52-wk low: 119%
  • Sales growth: +21%
  • Triple momentum: yes

Zeta is a recent initial public offering (IPO) showing a lot of strength on good volume over the last several weeks.

After a 58% surge in just 13 days, price is consolidating in a tight range.

If ZETA can break out into new high ground, this one is worth the 9% downside risk.

Note that earnings are due on Feb. 23, after the close. I suggest waiting until Thursday morning before considering a buy.

As long as ZETA does not gap up big, this could be a buy in the mid-$12 range.

SMART Global Holdings, Inc.

SMART Global Holdings, Inc. (SGH) is a $1.4 billion semiconductor company that designs and manufactures memory and computing modules for a range of technology applications.

Here’s how the chart is setting up…

Daily Chart of SMART Global Holdings, Inc. (SGH) — Source: TC2000

And here’s how the stock is setting up with my Stealth System:

  • Surge score: 90/100
  • % Above 52-wk low: 39%
  • Sales growth: +61%
  • Triple momentum: no

SGH is a less traditional setup designed to get in early on the turn higher.

The stock recently broke its downtrend and is now forming a small base in the $26-$29 range.

It also held its crucial 200-day moving average, which is still sloping upward.

Volume has also dried up in a big way, which could be a sign that selling has subsided.

I’m looking for a break above $29.45, preferably on volume of one million shares or more.

Live Coaching Session

Monday, at 3:00 p.m. EDT, we’ll be hosting our regular weekly coaching session for Stealth Trades. 

We’ll send you a login reminder that morning, just so you don’t forget.

We’ll cover all of our new stocks on the Watchlist as well as the rest of the stocks inside Stealth Trades.

You need to attend this session to get the most from your subscription!

In the meantime, you can watch the replay of our latest Stealth Trades session right here.

Best wishes for your trading,

Ross Givens

Editor, Stealth Trades