Hello all! ImPO, just looking at average price oscillation parameters I see downside potential which at the moment is more visually evident than upside, no doubt price may & probably will go higher, but there are 2 significant obstacles looking at ES (sorry), 200 average & price normally oscillates from lower to higher to lower, etc. Right now we have an upward oscillation nearing 200 average. I always look for classic usage of support & resistance i.e. sell R & buy S. Monthly charts, both DAX & SPX, remain bearish ImPO, we have an upward oscillation very close to 200 average. What do we do? Well......................I will have a cup of tea right now.
Company outlook statements show that management teams are reasonably optimistic about the earnings outlook for the rest of this year. They cite emerging-markets growth and pricing power as positive contributors to earnings growth, but acknowledge that there will be pressures from input costs and currency fluctuations. Management teams say... We reviewed the 1Q2008 earnings transcripts of the largest companies in each sector of the DJ Stoxx 600 to assess the anecdotal evidence on the economic picture, pricing trends, cost pressures and major themes. Earnings growth to continue, albeit at a slower rate In general, managements still appeared to be fairly bullish on growth rates this year; however, they did strike a slightly more cautious tone than in the last quarter. Some companies acknowledged that they are seeing a slight slowdown, particularly in the US and Western Europe. While consensus earnings estimates have been revised down 6% year-to-date (2% ex-Financials), growth is still expected to be 4% (9% ex-Financials). Our top-down forecast is for a decline of 12% and, as a result, we continue to believe there may be disappointments later this year. Positive drivers: Emerging markets & pricing power Emerging markets remain one of the key drivers of growth. The breadth of companies citing this strength was surprising, from obvious beneficiaries such as Energy and Industrials to less obvious gainers, such as Telecom and Health Care. Pricing power was cited as a positive driver of growth. But negative headwinds: Input-cost pressures & currency impact It was hard for companies to ignore the rising price of commodities, and many mentioned that they were feeling the pressure. In addition, the appreciation of the euro this quarter led many companies to report lower results than would have been the case on a constant currency basis Comparing Europe to the US: Major differences in outlooks In general, US companies were more cautious. First quarter calls spotlight a weak US economy and struggling consumer, and also that capital-usage policies are increasingly conservative.