Netanyahu Stirs Up Fear – Opens Opportunity for Traders

On a day with a light economic data schedule and only a few key earnings reports, the market, America and the world were focused on the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to the U.S. Congress. The Prime Minister laid out the case to not make a bad deal with Iran. Netanyahu also made an important statement that the days of a passive Israel in the face of aggression are over. The speech was scary as hell, as a potential strike on Iran by Israel would undermine the fragile stability the market needs for stocks to continue to rise. The uncertainty around the issue, one the market would rather look past, had stocks lower after a slow start to the day Tuesday. However, a war is not imminent and investors have recently been offered other good reasons to put money to work in risky stocks. So I expect a turn upward again, and so I would use weakness to buy stocks. Follow our Wall Street blog here.

Our founder earned clients a 23% average annual return over five years as a stock analyst on Wall Street. "The Greek" has written for institutional newsletters, Businessweek, Real Money, Seeking Alpha and others, while also appearing across TV and radio. While writing for Wall Street Greek, Mr. Kaminis presciently warned of the financial crisis.

Sector Security	03-03-15 Midday
SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY)	-0.7%
SPDR Dow Jones (NYSE: DIA)	-0.7%
PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQ)	-0.9%
WisdomTree US $ Bullish (NYSE: USDU)	-0.5%
United States Oil (NYSE: USO)	+0.8%
Sprott Physical Gold Trust (NYSE: PHYS)	+0.1%
PIMCO Total Return (NYSE: BOND)	-0.0%

The WisdomTree US$ Bullish (NYSE: USDU) was already lower on the day, coming off highs, in anticipation of today’s dire message. It’s clear the markets and market securities were anticipating this event from the start of trading today, as stocks opened lower off of yesterday’s break-through highs.

The day had little else to focus on, with few economic reports of significance on the slate. Redbook reported a weekly same-store sales increase of 2.7%, hardly changed from last week’s 2.8%. Motor vehicle sales were mostly up in February, save for Ford’s (NYSE: F). The weather was easy to blame for a relatively soft sales month, but I found the gains by General Motors (NYSE: GM) and most of the other automakers as positive news in the face of bad weather. Still, automakers’ shares were all lower on the day and decidedly so.

On the corporate earnings scene, Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) reported news investors found favorable, as its shares gained over 1% on the morn. It was the only corporate report capable of affecting stocks more broadly. But coming off record levels marked on Monday, stocks had reason to retrace and digest the new class level. Today’s speech by the Israeli Prime Minister gave investors a reason to do so. His presence alone in the American Congressional Halls had nerves on edge. It is clear there is a political divide between parties with regard to how to handle Iran. But what is likely to trouble markets more as time progresses and with a year and a half of a Democratic Party presidency assured, is fear that Israel might go it alone.

Uncertainty is bad for stocks, as is war, but a nuclear Iran is probably a worse option. It does not appear to me to present near-term danger to investors, but volatility is again on the rise today. The iPath S&P 500 VIX (NYSE: VXX) was up 3.8% as I scribbled. The dollar was lower and stocks were lower, as oil and gold gain. This day felt like it had been determined into the midday trade, but stocks should have a short memory. If there is a turn as I expect tomorrow, it only reinforces my view that the absence of recent causes of concern from Greece, Europe, Ukraine and the Fed are more important now to previously pent-up money. I say buy stocks on this fear induced drive downward. I follow the market regularly and so investors may find value in following this column.

DISCLOSURE: Kaminis is long SPY. Please see our disclosures at the Wall Street Greek website and author bio pages found there. This article and website in no way offers or represents financial or investment advice. Information is provided for entertainment purposes only.