Shares of Ruth`s Hospitality (RUTH) opened the last session at 28.23, touching a high of 28.73 and a low of 28.02 , yielding a change of 0.29.  The latest reading places the stock below the Ichimoku cloud which indicates negative momentum and a potential sell signal for the equity.  

Investors might be looking at their stock holdings and trying to gauge which ones will break out to new highs. Many investors will keep a close eye on stocks that are trading near popular marks such as the 52-week high. Stocks trading near 52-week lows also tend to garner additional attention. When a stock is flirting with a new 52-week high, investors may have to decide whether to cash in to lock in profits or wait to see if a breakthrough is going to happen. Companies that are teetering near the 52-week low may be worth taking a look at. Studying the fundamentals may show that the stock should be performing better than it is. This might be the time to think about purchasing shares that for whatever reason may have fallen out of favor with investors. Crunching the numbers and doing full analysis of stocks that have been trending down may help lead to some discoveries that could turn out to be highly valuable if and when the momentum shifts to the upside. 

The Ichimoku cloud is a favorite technical indicator used primarily in Asian markets. The cloud is one of the only indicators that is both forward and backward looking. The cloud produces better levels of support and resistance and is a breakout trader’s best friend. The cloud is also one of the easiest indicators to use. Any trader, regardless of skill level or expertise, can use the cloud to quickly and efficiently analyze any product on any time frame. The cloud shines in the fact that it can be universally applied to any trading plan by any trader.

It is a type of chart used in technical analysis to display support and resistance, momentum, and trend in one view. TenkanSen and KijunSen are similar to moving averages and analyzed in relationship to one another. When the shorter term indicator, TenkanSen, rises above the longer term indicator, KijunSen, the securities trend is typically positive. When TenkanSen falls below KijunSen, the securities trend is typically negative. TenkanSen and KijunSen as a group are then analyzed in relationship to the Cloud, which is composed of the area between Senkou A and Senkou B. A multi-faceted indicator designed to give support/resistance levels, trend direction, and entry/exit points of varying strengths. General theory behind this indicator states that if price action is above the cloud, the overall trend is bullish, and if below the cloud, the overall trend is bearish. There are also moving averages (the Tenkan and Kijun lines) which act like the MACD crossover signals with the Tenkan crossing from underneath the Kijun as a bullish signal, while crossing overhead giving a bearish signal.

Checking on some popular technical levels, Ruth`s Hospitality (RUTH) has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -122.24. The CCI technical indicator can be employed to help figure out if a stock is entering overbought or oversold territory. CCI may also be used to help discover divergences that may signal reversal moves. A CCI closer to +100 may provide an overbought signal, and a CCI near -100 may provide an oversold signal.

Investors often have to decide whether to follow the crowd or go against the herd. This can be difficult considering all the different market factors in play. Investors who strictly follow the technical charts may be missing the other half of the picture involving company fundamentals. On the other hand, investors who only look at fundamentals may be missing key information presented by studying the numbers. Combining both techniques may prove to be a solid option for researching the equity market. Many investors will opt to pick certain stocks based on fundamental analysis, and then use technical charts to figure out the proper time to make a move.

Tracking other technical indicators, the 14-day RSI is presently standing at 36.35, the 7-day sits at 32.30, and the 3-day is resting at 33.85 for Ruth`s Hospitality (RUTH). The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a highly popular technical indicator. The RSI is computed base on the speed and direction of a stock’s price movement. The RSI is considered to be an internal strength indicator, not to be confused with relative strength which is compared to other stocks and indices. The RSI value will always move between 0 and 100. One of the most popular time frames using RSI is the 14-day.

Moving averages have the ability to be used as a powerful indicator for technical stock analysis. Following multiple time frames using moving averages can help investors figure out where the stock has been and help determine where it may be possibly going. The simple moving average is a mathematical calculation that takes the average price (mean) for a given amount of time. Currently, the 7-day moving average is sitting at 28.97.

Let’s take a further look at the Average Directional Index or ADX. The ADX measures the strength or weakness of a particular trend. Investors and traders may be looking to figure out if a stock is trending before employing a specific trading strategy. The ADX is typically used along with the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) which point to the direction of the trend. The 14-day ADX for Ruth`s Hospitality (RUTH) is currently at 18.22. In general, and ADX value from 0-25 would represent an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would support a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would signify a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would point to an extremely strong trend.

With the stock market still riding high, bear market scenarios may not be at the forefront of the average investor’s mind. There are plenty of professionals out there that are predicting that the markets will be turning south in the near future. There are others who believe that the bulls are still in control, and they will be leading the charge higher over the next few months. Nobody knows for sure which scenario will play out, but being ready for any market situation may turn out to be a portfolio savior in the long-term. Any time the stock market drops sharply or sees sustained losses, investors may start to worry. These declines are usually followed by extreme headlines from financial news outlets. It is important to remember that corrections are a normal part of market cycles. Being able to control panic and pessimism may be a great skill for the investor to use when times get tough. Knowing exactly what stocks are in the portfolio can help make unsettling market conditions bearable for investors. If the hard research has been done and the plan is in motion, there may not be any need to second guess and cause more problems before things turn around and smooth out.