Technical Picture - Capitulation

The VIX topped out at 42.16, a level not visited since 2002, before reversing and closing at 33.10. That looks like a top with a reversal stick.


The S&P and COMPQ both capitulated on huge volume spikes. This is the highest ever volume for the NASDAQ(3.95 vs. 2.2 avg.), not sure about the S&P. Markets started to reverse from another morning of selling after the FSA (U.K.'s SEC) announced a ban on short selling of U.K. bank stocks. Another spike occurred in the last hour on news that the U.S. treasury was looking into an RTC type solution - this is the week for financial fixes. New lows outpaced new highs 4:1 on the NASDAQ and a whopping 14:1 on the NYSE (those NYSE numbers feel like washout levels). Solid broad based gains with little in the red except gold/silver.

I'm now reading that the SEC is temporarily banning short selling in the U.S. - This news, if it's real, will be devastating for day traders. Hope it's just for financials ( I can live with that) like in the U.K. and hope that temporary is like a few weeks, not months like the U.K.

Update on SEC's propsed ban of short selling - Sources close to the SEC now say they are considering banning short selling of U.S brokers.

S&P E-mini futures are way up after hours. Tomorrow is OPEX - no economic data.