The 'V Bottom' Of The Last 9 Sessions Calls Attention To More Than Algorithms

The bulls put a bit of an exclamation point on what is turning out to be a real joyride to the upside higher yesterday as the S&P 500 SPY once again rallied hard without the benefit of an obvious catalyst.

The rally pushed the venerable index back above its 50-day moving average and to within spitting distance (1.35 percent to be exact) of an all-time high.

While the rather violent "V Bottom" seen over the last nine sessions has left many investors scratching their heads, it is worth noting that both the Dow Jones Transports and NASDAQ 100 indices closed at a new all-time highs on Tuesday. So, perhaps there is something more than an algo-induced blast happening here.

Recall that two weeks ago, traders were worried about all kinds of things. But, in looking at the charts below, the question that immediately jumps to mind is: What me worry?

Dow Jones Transportation Index - Daily

NASDAQ 100 - Daily

However, given that the entire investing world was terrified of #GrowthSlowing at the beginning of the month, the real question on traders' minds is, what gives?

Nothing To Fear But...

Tuesday's session was accompanied by several modestly positive inputs such as China's Industrial Production numbers, which triggered a 2 percent rally in Shanghai, an ECB official saying that there is no risk of Europe entering a Japan-style deflationary cycle, and some U.S. data that came in better than expected.

On the data front, there was some good news and some bad news. While the report on Durable Goods Orders clearly fell flat, the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index definitely surprised to the upside. And remember, the U.S. consumer accounts for more than two-thirds of this country's GDP. So, as John and Jane Q. Public go, so goes the economy.

Related Link: Should The Bulls Keep Up The Pressure?

The Consumer Confidence Index came in above expectations, hit its best level in seven years, and both the Expectations and Present Situation components were positive. In fact, the Present Situation component index was the highest since February, 2008.

Why do we care, you ask? Two reasons, really. First, the report bodes well for the all-important holiday shopping season, which is set to kick off in a couple weeks. And second, the upbeat reading on consumer confidence has historically lead to an annualized gain of about 3.3 percent for U.S. GDP in the next couple of quarters. And the key here is that this is above current expectations.

To be sure, none of the above would normally trigger a 190-point gain on the Dow - especially after the index had already popped 660 points in just 8 days. But with the recent numbers in China showing that their economy is not exactly falling off of a cliff, the ECB saying all the right stuff, earnings in the U.S. coming in better than expected again, and the U.S. economy looking just fine, thank you, well... the only thing to fear right now appears to be is fear itself.

There Is One Fear Worth Noting

On the subject of fear, there is one type that is getting a lot of press right now: #FOMO. Yep, that's right fans, it's that time of year again where fund managers begin to worry about "missing out" on the traditional year-end rally.

Related Link: Time For Investors To Buy The Dip?

There have been several articles recently that have detailed the trials and tribulations encountered by hedge funds this year. According to the reports, with the exception of hedge funds managing futures (think commodities), the rest of the industry has been sucking wind this year and many big funds are underperforming badly.

So, with nothing to fear and a stock market that is on a run, managers may be inclined to just throw in the towel and jump on board the bull train. And as silly as that may sound, it has happened many, many times in the past.

However, before you run out and start levering up your holdings for the anticipated year-end run, investors should recognize that the current Bullard-induced blast higher has run an awfully long way in a very short period of time. And as such, some backing and filling would seem to be in order in the near-term.

Unless of course, the fear-of-missing-out simply overruns any and all rationality.