Pre-Market Update: The see-saw action on Wall Street continued on Wednesday as the bears rebounded from Tuesday’s drubbing to return the favor. Near-term support held, however, as the bulls played defense throughout the day before being saved by the closing bell.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls showed some moxie on Tuesday and regained some of their lost momentum as they pushed the market’s upper resistance levels. Volatility also slid to its lowest level in two weeks, although the bears held support. Lost in the shuffle was that the market could be on the verge of re-entering the upper trading range from early April that has limited upside.

Pre-Market Update: The market moved within a tight range on Monday, and the major indices traded on both sides of the ledger following the pullback in the price of WTI crude oil. While there were other factors in play, the 2% drop in oil caught traders off guard, and it did not offer any real clues on how the current trading range might unfold.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls rebounded to get a clean sweep on Friday, as the market ended the week on a positive note. The bears still won the week, however, and they did some damage after forcing a lower trading range into play, which could become very volatile at some point this month.

Pre-Market Update: The market traded within a tight range on Thursday ahead of this morning’s jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lower lows came into play, but today’s session should provide additional clues as to how next week is likely to play out.

Pre-Market Update: It was another bearish day on Wall Street yesterday, and the major indices retreated to their backup support levels. There wasn’t much of a rebound off of the lows either, as the bulls wasted their energy at the open.

Pre-Market Update: The bears did their part to keep the current trading range intact yesterday, as they recovered the bullish gains on Monday and then some. The lower highs and lower lows are becoming a fresh worry that is signaling additional weakness ahead.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls rebounded on Monday to get the bears off of their backs, and they were able to regain key resistance levels for the market that had previously served as support. The higher close to start the week was bullish, as was the fact that the VIX fell back below 15. The rest of the week promises to be exciting as earnings season reaches its peak, and Friday’s unemployment numbers could cause some fireworks as well.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls were looking strong throughout April, but the historical end-of-month weakness helped the bears earn a slice of the pie. The bullish momentum has clearly been lost, and many of the suits-and-ties are now saying that they “predicted” the pullback.

Pre-Market Update: Thursday’s action started off bearish before it turned slightly bullish, and then things got a lot worse into the closing bell. The lower lows were a negative development, and volatility broke above key levels of resistance.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls weathered another bearish storm on Wednesday with help from the blue-chips, although the market closed mixed. Financial stocks showed some strength following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged yesterday, but they gave back most of their gains by the close of trading. This also helped the market salvage the pullback in tech, but the action remains choppy.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls tried to regain their footing on Tuesday, but they were once again dragged down by tech. The financial stocks showed strength, although the bears could get aggressive today following the disappointing quarterly numbers from Apple (AAPL, $104.35, down $0.73) and Twitter (TWTR, $17.75, up $0.66).

Pre-Market Update: The bears were aggressive on Monday, but their attempt to crack support failed once again. The bulls did a mighty job of battling back, although they ran out of time before they were able to see green.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls pushed higher highs and showed some signs of continued momentum last week. However, the bears are starting to wake up from a mid-February nap, which should keep things interesting. The major uptrend lines are showing that the action remains bullish, but another mini trading range has developed heading into the last week of April.

Pre-Market Update: The bears had one of their better days of the month during Thursday’s market pullback. On the other hand, the bulls have been trying to build upon last week’s momentum, but they have fallen shy of short-term resistance. The earnings that were released after the close yesterday were disappointing, and backup support could come into play as the news weighs on the major indices.

Pre-Market Update: The first half of Wednesday’s action was slightly choppy despite futures showing a positive open. The bears’ attempt to mount any momentum and make lower lows stalled ahead of Wall Street’s lunch break, as rising support held. The bulls controlled the second half of the action while pushing higher highs, but they continue to struggle with near-term resistance.

Pre-Market Update: Despite the negative tone, the bulls performed well on Tuesday’s open and went on to push higher highs. The bears made a little intraday noise and took a stab at fresh support before rolling over to play dead. Today’s action could provide good clues as to whether higher highs are in store the rest of the week or if the market has reached a short-term peak.

Pre-Market Update: The Dow got all the headlines on Monday, as the index closed above 18,000 for the first time since last July. I’m more focused on other things, however, and I mentioned that International Business Machines (IBM, $152.53, up $0.81) could slow the market’s momentum if the company disappointed Wall Street with its quarterly results. While the company absolutely surprised analysts with a beat on the top and bottom lines, a tempered forecast sent shares tumbling 5% in after-hours trading.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls showed their usual April strength last week as the market broke out to fresh highs for the year. Friday’s slight pullback in the major indices caught all the media attention following another tight session. However, what was missed, or not reported, by the talking heads was the strength in the small-caps and the deflating VIX.

Pre-Market Update: The battle between the bulls and the bears ended in a draw on Thursday, as the market seesawed within a tight trading range before ending pretty much flat. Although it was a boring session overall, the consolidation going into today’s session was a good sign following a strong week. With regular April monthly options expiring after the close today, there could be some movement in what has traditionally been a bullish day for the market.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls registered back-to-back wins for the first time this month following Wednesday’s surge past resistance. The slicking-talking pros were betting against the financial stocks coming into first-quarter earnings season, but I had a more favorable view. The group has let the market down in the past, but the two-day rally has been a relief following a tight trading range.

Pre-Market Update: Like a broken record, the bulls made another run at the market’s major resistance levels on Tuesday, but they fell shy of clearing those hurdles. The repeat process looked a little brighter yesterday, however, as the financial stocks led the rally alongside a continued rebound in metals.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls tried to rebound on Monday following last week’s losses, as they made another push at resistance. However, the bears held court to keep the market’s mini trading range intact, and first-quarter earnings season is now underway.

Pre-Market Update: Last week was a rocky, choppy one for the market, which was to be expected ahead of the start of first-quarter earnings season. I mentioned last week that there could be a tight trading range with some downside weakness, but the good news is that the market’s backup support levels held.

Pre-Market Update: The bears continued their push towards lower lows on Thursday, as they kept the bulls underwater throughout the session. Volatility also exploded to levels not seen since mid-March, but the VIX held resistance. Today’s session could go a long way in determining how next week’s action might play out as earnings season begins.

Pre-Market Update: Following some early-morning weakness on Wednesday, the bulls snapped themselves out of a two-day funk to push the market’s prior resistance levels. However, the bears’ stalled attempt at pushing support has kept a tight trading range in play that could continue into earnings season, which starts next week.

Pre-Market Update: The bears have been challenging the first layers of support this week, and they continued their assault on the market’s key technical levels on Tuesday. Volatility also spiked, which was a warning sign, but the VIX hasn’t given the red light to start loading up on bearish positions.

Pre-Market Update: The bears snapped a four-session Monday slide with yesterday’s win and backtest to support. The bulls made a little noise on the open, but they struggled to get back to even for the remainder of the day.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls ended March with their biggest win since last October, as the market rallied throughout the month following its stay in a tight trading range. Friday’s no-joke unemployment numbers were a relief to Wall Street, and the start of April showed additional follow-through.

Pre-Market Update: The bears made an appearance at the start of Thursday’s session and basically finished it off as well, as the bulls withdrew into the close. The major indices did push higher highs before fading, although volatility rose ahead of the release of this morning’s jobs numbers.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls made a “follow-through” statement on Wednesday as they pushed towards the market’s upper resistance levels. The bears made a dent in the gains, and the major indices finished off of their intraday highs, but they are now dealing with fresh support and higher highs.

Pre-Market Update: Fed Chair Janet Yellen used just the right words to please both Wall Street and Main Street, as the broad market closed at its highest level of the year on Tuesday. The trading range that lasted for about a week felt like an eternity to some traders, especially in today’s fast-paced world. However, this morning’s headline sums up exactly what we have been doing while we build out our next batch of winning trades.

Pre-Market Update: It wasn’t pretty, but the bulls successfully registered their fourth-straight Monday win as the blue-chips closed higher. Tech slacked, but the other major indices tackled positive territory following a scrum that lasted for much of the session. The bears got a small victory of their own, as volatility closed above a key level of resistance.

Pre-Market Update: The bulls rebounded to get the overall win last Thursday following a final-hour push into positive territory. The bears still got the weekly win, which snapped a five-week slide, and they appear to have a little more momentum, as the S&P 500 closed lower. Volatility spiked to its highest level in nearly two weeks, but it still stayed below key resistance levels.

Pre-Market Update: The bears got aggressive into Wednesday’s close, as the major indices tested fresh lows for the week. Near-term support was violated, but backup help is waiting in the wings. The bulls still have a shot at winning the week, however, as the trading day ahead of Good Friday has been extremely bullish in recent years.