Innovation Update
Bulls Back on Top in Poll
William Hennelly
07/13/09 - 03:53 PM EDT
The stock market was down last week, but the bulls are back in form in TheStreet.com RealMoney Barometer poll.
The bulls took 508, or 45% of the 1,088 votes cast. The bears got 376, or 33%, while neutral came in with 254 votes, or 22%.
In the sectors, not unusually, commercial banks was picked as the sector most likely to rise and to fall this week.
On Monday, the financials were leading the market higher, thanks to an improved outlook from analyst Meredith Whitney. She raised her outlook on Goldman Sachs(GS Quote) from hold to buy and said on CNBC that Bank of America(BAC Quote) is inexpensive given its assets. Goldman Sachs, which reports earnings Tuesday, was up 5%, while Bank of America rose 7%. JPMorgan Chase(JPM Quote) and Citigroup(C Quote) also report earnings this week.
The KBW Bank Index, which tracks 24 of the nation's largest banks, was up 5%.
In the last half hour of trading Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2.2%, or 177 points to 8324, the S&P 500 was up 21 points, or 2.4%, to just under 900, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 34 points, or 2%, to 1790.
Last week, the Dow finished down 1.6%, the S&P 500 lost 1.9%, and the Nasdaq dropped 2.3%.
Below are the complete poll results.
| Date | Bullish | Bearish | Neutral | Week Ending S&P % Change |
Bullish Sector |
Bearish Sector |
| July 13 | 508 (45%) |
376 (33%) |
254 (22%) |
Commercial Banks | Commercial Banks | |
| July 6 | 1,690 (32%) |
2,715 (51%) |
933 (17%) |
-1.9% | Precious Metals | Commercial Banks |
| June 22 | 2,182 (46%) |
1,612 (34%) |
955 (20%) |
-2.4% | Commercial Banks | Commercial Banks |
| June 15 | 2,723 (40%) |
2,764 (41%) |
1,266 (19%) |
-2.7% | Integrated Oil | Commercial Banks |
| June 8 | 1,376 (45%) |
1,039 (34%) |
640 (21%) |
+0.7 | Precious Metals | Commercial Banks |
| Sector | Total Votes | Percentage |
| Aerospace and Defense | 16 | 1% |
| Airlines | 15 | 1% |
| Automobiles | 19 | 2% |
| Beverages and Food Products | 37 | 3% |
| Biotechnology | 38 | 3% |
| Commercial Banks | 363 | 32% |
| Computers and Peripherals | 29 | 3% |
| Consumer Nondurables | 21 | 2% |
| Energy Equipment & Services | 51 | 5% |
| HMOs and Hospitals | 22 | 2% |
| Homebuilding | 22 | 2% |
| Insurance | 14 | 1% |
| Integrated Oil | 49 | 4% |
| Internet, Software Services | 34 | 3% |
| Investment Bankers and Brokers | 126 | 11% |
| Media | 5 | 0% |
| Multiline Retail | 5 | 0% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 36 | 3% |
| Precious Metals | 75 | 7% |
| Semis, Semi Equipment | 35 | 3% |
| Telecom Equipment | 13 | 1% |
| Tobacco and Alcohol | 32 | 3% |
| Utilities | 47 | 4% |
| Wireless Communications | 24 | 2% |
| Total | 1,128 | 100% |
| Sector | Total Votes | Percentage |
| Aerospace and Defense | 17 | 2% |
| Airlines | 44 | 4% |
| Automobiles | 44 | 4% |
| Beverages and Food Products | 12 | 1% |
| Biotechnology | 12 | 1% |
| Commercial Banks | 204 | 18% |
| Computers and Peripherals | 12 | 1% |
| Consumer Nondurables | 20 | 2% |
| Energy Equipment & Services | 68 | 6% |
| HMOs and Hospitals | 37 | 3% |
| Homebuilding | 78 | 7% |
| Insurance | 19 | 2% |
| Integrated Oil | 161 | 14% |
| Internet, Software Services | 17 | 2% |
| Investment Bankers and Brokers | 86 | 8% |
| Media | 29 | 3% |
| Multiline Retail | 33 | 3% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 37 | 3% |
| Precious Metals | 77 | 7% |
| Semis, Semi Equipment | 18 | 2% |
| Telecom Equipment | 14 | 1% |
| Tobacco and Alcohol | 27 | 2% |
| Utilities | 37 | 3% |
| Wireless Communications | 21 | 2% |
| Total | 1,128 | 100% |