Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC)

It's no secret that the Fed would like to get out of the short-term repo business.

Does such a large increase in Chinese spending on U.S. 'stuff' give reason to doubt that future action lives up to words on a page (or 86 pages for that matter)?

Apparently, unless the Iranian military simply does not train on their weapons, which I do not believe, the exercise was one of saving face... for now.

You asked for it, so here it is: This is where to put your money if the conflict with Iran gets out of control.

Let's review the latest charts and indicators of this defense contractor.

Don't let Boeing's problems lead you to ignore attractive opportunities in the sector.

There is less risk if one has the conviction of opinion in expressing their own view through several options strategies than there is in staking a claim in the equity space.

If you've ever read me, you know that I have long been involved with almost all of these defense stocks at one time or another.

Defense stocks offer both downside protection and potential upside.

Large-cap equity indices over a month have churned on lackluster interest outside of the high-frequency crowd, and the trucking and rail sectors are outperforming the indices this month.

The Trump and Xi administrations are at least looking at the same page. That's more than nothing.

'Playing defense' makes sense in this market.

Should these impeachment proceedings linger, this will be the first time that a reelection campaign is run under such conditions, meaning that the unpredictable becomes that much more predictable.

Plus, defense contractors remain stocks to own as geopolitical risk isn't going away.

Plus, here's a strategy for investing in oil that even the retail investor can employ.

The U.S. economy may see a real lift-off in consumer prices due to higher energy prices, even if certain sectors stand to benefit greatly -- as might the trade deficit.

The drone attacks on Saudi oil operations even could influence the Fed's thinking on inflation and rates.

Stocks to buy on this volatile global macro environment, and what needs to change to avoid a recession.

Let's look at the charts.

The uptrend that technicians would have confirmed as late as last Wednesday, or even Thursday around mid-day, is now clearly a market in correction.

Watch closely as the government opens a broad antitrust investigation into unidentified leading online technology platforms

Here are defense companies to watch as the U.S. responds to offensive threats posed by China and Russia.

What started as a 'small step' 50 years ago this weekend has launched a journey that's really now taking shape in ways never before believed -- for the military, potential civilian travel and coming investor opportunities.

While perhaps not good long-term holds at these prices, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman may be good trades.

As investors once again anticipate a near-ZIRP environment, keep an eye on defense names and gold.

The endless rally needs fuel, and without it, you end up with what you got Tuesday, a soggy session that was hit from the cloud, Beyond Meat's chill, and big merger uncertainties.