-Executive Summary-

• The markets moved lower today.  The U.S. dollar moved higher on concerns in Europe about the future of the euro.  See below.
• University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment data came in modestly positive today.  See below.
• We briefly profile 3 story-stocks.  See below and click on each link to bring up Stock Market Companion charts for each.
• Would you please feel free to give us feedback at support@stockmarketcompanion.com for insights of what you like about our work and where you would like to see improvements.  We are here to serve you.  We are planning on introducing 1x / month live webinars SOON for market and idea assessments and to offer a broad and specific Q&A session about stock investing.
• Here is a video interview of a father and son using the Stock Market Companion successfully together – as a teaching and investing tool.
  

– Stock Market Companion – Current Holdings –

Nr.	Co.	Ticker	Action	Entry Date	Current Gain (Loss)
1	Cisco Systems,Inc.	CSCO	Holding (Reduced size)	5-10-2011	-6%
2	Amarin Corp. PLC	ARMN	Holding (small investment)	5-10-2011	+1%

If the above “Current Holdings” table is empty it means that we are not holding ANY stocks at this time and that we are therefore 100% in cash.

– Markets “At a Glance” –

(Please scroll down to the end of the report to see your favorite benchmarks – Dollar, Oil, Gold … closing prices and daily direction.)

Market	Price (Today’s Close)	Unit of Measure	Today’s Direction
SP-500	1,337.77	Index	Down = -10.88 points
DOW-30	12,595.75	Index	Down = -100.17 points
NASDAQ	2,828.47	Index	Down =-34.57 points
NASDAQ 100	2,379.24	Index	Down = -28.65 points

– Market Trends –

Trend	SP-500	DJ-30	NASDAQ	NASDAQ 100
Short Term	Down	Down	Down	Down
Intermediate	UP	UP	UP	UP
Long Term	Lateral	Lateral	Lateral	Lateral

*Summary of terms from Trader Vic II-Principles of Professional Speculation (pg. 140-141)
*_________* Represents a change in trend rating.

– Market Perspectives –

For your added perspective, we’ve included this chart of the broader market (Successful stock investors develop and start with a minds-eye view of the broader market and keep it clear) –

1. SMC SP-500 ETF Daily Chart (Click to open helpful chart in a separate browser window).

– Today’s Highlights –

The market is certainly acting choppy and directionless.  A lot of this has to do with the impending discontinuation of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s “QEII”.  QE II means the second official program of quantitative easing – a program designed to reduce the rates of long term yields in order to stimulate the economy.  In order to reduce yields on long term treasuries, the Federal Reserve has been a strong buyer of long term treasuries.   As yields DECREASE so too do interest rates on long term lending – with the hope of spurring on consumption.

The U.S. Federal Reserve has announced that the end of June will mark the END OF QEII.  That’s getting close.

Today the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment report was released with mildly positive results.  Click here for a summary.

Uncertainty however in Europe in terms of what to do about Greece’s debt trouble (This wasn’t resolved last summer) had the U.S. dollar again advancing and pushing down commodity related stocks and the stock market in general.  Over the last week we have seen a resurgence in the inverse relationship between the relative increasing value of the U.S. dollar and the stock market.  As the U.S. dollar has increased in value, the U.S. stock market has decreased in value.

For us and other professional investors, we have a bit of a problem.  Recent acquisitions and excellent quarterly earnings have shown that the stock market valuation of firms is not too high.  On the other hand, the market has advanced for over 2 years and needs a bit of a break.  With the end of QEII (above) approaching, investors are stepping to the sidelines and sellers have emerged.  This is why we haven’t been very anxious to run after stocks and why we are keeping the overwhelming majority of our powder dry at this time.

Our 3 story stocks below are showing how 2 former market leading stocks AND 1 highly awaited IPO are behaving in this market environment.

– Story-Stock Investing –

Here are Stock Market Companion charts of 3 stocks that each tell an interesting story.  Please enjoy them and have a great weekend.  Click an them and they will open in a separate browser window.

1. Apple Inc. (Ticker: AAPL)

2. Ford Motor Co. (Ticker: F)

3. Ren-Ren Inc. (Ticker: RENN)

At the Stock Market Companion we do not and cannot give individual investment advice. According to the State of Washington RCW 21.20.005 the Stock Market Companion is not a Registered Financial Advisor and we do not render any advice on the basis of the specific investment situation of a particular individual. This information is for a wide readership and is not intended for any particular individual,  and under no circumstances should our Market Update or Watchlist be considered an investment recommendation or plan for any specific individual.  By accessing this material, you agree that the Stock Market Companion will not be held liable for any actions taken by a subscriber or other parties.  Please seek the counsel of a broker or other licensed investment professional for accurate pricing and concerning the suitability of all investments that you may be considering. Disclosure : You understand that the Stock Market Companion holds positions in the above mentioned securities.  Based on market related or personal events these positions may change without notice.

– Stock Market Companion – Performance –

Please click on this chart to see the Stock Market Companion 15MinuteStocks stock performance versus the SP-500.  It will open in a separate browser window.
* Gains (losses) do not include brokerage fees.   Our returns are very strong … BUT …  WE have to remind everyone just like all other financial sites in America – Past Performance is No Guarantee of Future Returns.  Unlike others however, our objective is to teach you to be able to make these types of strong returns On Your Own.

All of the investments – stocks, entries, and exits are listed on our Stock Market Companion Watchlist at the bottom of the spreadsheet, in the section labelled Former Holdings.

– Benchmarks “At a Glance” –

US Dollar	1.4117 USD = 1 Euro	USD / EUR	Dollar = Higher
Gold	$1,493.60	Ounce	Gold = Lower
Oil	$99.34	Barrel (West Texas Crude)	Oil = Higher
30 Yr. Fixed Mortgage	4.69%	Percent	Flat
10 Yr. Bond Yield	3.18	Percent	Down
1 Yr. CD	1.16	Percent	Flat

Data Source : Financial Visualizations Inc.

Please help us by sending your valuable feedback to – Support@stockmarketcompanion.com

Signing-Off for Today,

Your -Stock Market Companion

** Stock Market Companion Disclaimer **

The Stock Market Companion (SMC) Market Update and Watchlist are published documents to subscribers that show how we (SMC) are viewing the markets and what we are watching, investing in or selling today.  This information is for a wide readership and is not intended for any particular individual,  and under no circumstances should this Market Update or Watchlist be considered an investment recommendation or plan for any specific individual.  By accessing this material, you agree that the Stock Market Companion will not be held liable for any actions taken by a subscriber or other parties.  You understand that the Stock Market Companion holds positions in the above mentioned securities.  Based on market related or personal events these positions may change without notice.

Furthermore, the Stock Market Companion, Inc. is a content provider and publisher and not a registered broker-dealer or licensed investment professional.  Our intent is to publish very accurate market information for an audience of subscribers (1000+ subscribers).  By accessing the Stock Market Companion website and/or using the Stock Market Companion products and services such as this Market Update and accompanying Watchlist, you understand and agree that the material provided in the Stock Market Companion products and services is for informational and educational purposes only, and that no mention of a particular security in a Stock Market Companion product or service constitutes a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold that or any other security, or that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.  To the extent any of the information contained in any Stock Market Companion product or service may be deemed to be investment advice, such information is impersonal and not tailored to the investment needs of any specific person.  Before selling or buying any stock or other investment you should consult with a qualified broker or other financial professional to verify pricing information and to solicit advice as to the appropriateness of a given transaction or investment.