Post Labor Day Funk

Four day work weeks are some of the more challenging and this week stayed true to that trend.

For the week, the S&P 500 fell -3.16%, the Dow -2.79, the Nasdaq -4.72, and the Russell 2000 -2.79%. That's no way to start off the fall trading season!

The largest gains this week came from being short the market with double-digit gains in all of the following over the past four days - ProShares UltraShort Semiconductors ETF (SSG), ProShares UltraShort Oil & Gas ETF (DUG), ProShares UltraShort MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEV), ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials ETF (SMN), ProShares UltraShort FTSE/Xinhua China 25 (FXP), ProShares UltraShort Technology ETF (REW), ProShares UltraShort MSCI EAFE ETF (EFU), ProShares UltraShort Utilities ETF (SDP), ProShares UltraShort QQQ ETF (QID), ProShares UltraShort Russell Midcap Growth (SDK), & ProShares UltraShort MSCI Japan (EWV). Being short has paid off tremendously this week as talk of market crashes and forced liquidations begin to swirl.

Yet, the hope remains alive and well as we saw again this afternoon in both the homebuilders (XHB) and financials (XLF) today. For the bears to really kill the ever-hopeful bulls, we need to see these two groups taken out and shot down as fast and furious as we've seen them rally of late. Keep that in mind as we head into next week.

* I hope you have a great weekend. Our plans here are to do a little house hunting, play some golf, take a hike or two, and enjoy another sunny weekend in the mid 80's with no humidity. Life is good!