Equipment Check:
As the biotech group begins to take some water onboard its ship, with the XBI down more than 3% already this week, some focus has turned to the steady, seemingly reliable medical equipment names. Below is the chart of the IHI, and it has handily outperformed the XLV on both a YTD and one year look back period. The IHI has gained 18% YTD and 27% over the last one year period, while the XLV has risen by 5 and 16% over the same respective time frames (of course the XLV has a bigger dividend yield at 1.9% compared to the IHI at just .3%). Leaders within the equipment arena include a STAA, which has exploded this week breaking above a 61.96 double bottom pivot on Monday. It has screamed higher by more than 18% this week already, as its first 4 week winning streak in 14 months looks assured. Three of the last 6 weeks with NVCR have been double digit gains, as a bull flag takes shape, with a move above the round 140 number buyable. SWAV has recorded nearly a double from just the July lows, and a pullback toward the upward rising 50 day SMA should be taken advantage of on the long side.