Stocks finished higher on Thursday. The Dow was up 134 points to 18506. The S&P 500 gained 11 points to 2163 and the Nasdaq Composite added 28 points to 5034. The benchmark S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both hit new record highs. Big gains for the major indices were noted in prior commentaries and that bullish action signaled a new "confirmed uptrend" for the market (M criteria).  Volume totals were slightly higher than the prior session on the NYSE but lower on the Nasdaq exchange. Advancers led decliners by a 3-2 margin on the NYSE and 4-3 on the Nasdaq exchange. There were 58 high-ranked companies from the Leaders List that made new 52-week highs and were listed on the BreakOuts Page, versus the total of 72 on the prior session. New 52-week highs solidly outnumbered new 52-week lows on both the NYSE and the Nasdaq exchange.

Charts used courtesy of www.stockcharts.com

PICTURED: The benchmark S&P 500 Index hit a new record high with its 5th consecutive gain.  

See the Featured Stocks Page which now lists a few noteworthy candidates that have made headway.

The S&P 500 advanced for a fifth session amid a rally in financial shares and optimistic updates on the global economy. On the data front, initial jobless claims came in at 254,000, below the expected 265,000. In a separate release, producer prices rose 0.5% in June, above the projected 0.3% increase. In M&A news, Monsanto (MON +3.06%) rose after receiving a $54.7 billion takeover bid from Bayer AG (BAYRY -0.29%).

Nine of 10 sectors in the S&P 500 finished the session in positive territory. Financial stocks paced the gains with JP Morgan (JPM +1.52%) up as the investment bank beat analyst earnings expectations. Citigroup (C +2.58%) advanced ahead of its quarterly release before the open on Friday. Yum! Brands (YUM +2.95%) rose after the restaurant chain raised its profit growth outlook. BlackRock (BLK -0.65%) fell after reporting a decline in quarterly profit.

Treasuries declined with the benchmark 10-year note down 15/32 to yield 1.52%. In commodities, NYMEX WTI crude gained 1.6% to $45.49/barrel. COMEX gold fell 0.8% to $1332.60/ounce. In FOREX, the British pound jumped 1.5% against the dollar, as the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged and signaled future stimulus measures.

The Broker/Dealer Index ($XBD +1.02%) and the Bank Index ($BKX +1.72%) both posted gains and the Retail Index ($RLX +0.34%) also edged higher. The Integrated Oil Index ($XOI +0.59%) and the Oil Services Index ($OSX +0.94%) both posted modest gains. The Semiconductor Index ($SOX +0.74%) led the tech sector while the Biotechnology Index ($BTK +0.16%) inched higher but the Networking Index ($NWX -0.75%) fell. The Gold & Silver Index ($XAU -0.05%) finished flat.

Charts courtesy www.stockcharts.com

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Color Codes Explained :
Y - Better candidates highlighted by our staff of experts.
G - Previously featured in past reports as yellow but may no longer be buyable under the guidelines.

***Last / Change / Volume data in this table is the closing quote data***

Symbol/Exchange Company Name Industry Group	PRICE	CHANGE (%Change)	Day High	Volume (% DAV) (% 50 day avg vol)	52 Wk Hi % From Hi	Featured Date	Price Featured	Pivot Featured
								Max Buy
TDG - NYSE Transdigm Group Inc AEROSPACE/DEFENSE - Aerospace/Defense Products and; Services	$272.74	+1.65 0.61%	$273.60	335,898 39.10% of 50 DAV 50 DAV is 859,000	$272.32 0.15%	5/11/2016	$248.33	PP = $245.00
								MB = $257.25
Most Recent Note - 7/12/2016 4:21:45 PM G - Touched a new high with below average volume behind today's small gain. Recent lows and its 50 DMA line ($254.81) define important near-term support to watch on pullbacks. >>> FEATURED STOCK ARTICLE : Near Highs After Finding Support Above 50-Day Moving Average Line - 7/1/2016  |  View all notes | Set NEW NOTE alert | Company Profile | SEC News | Chart | Request a new note C A  S  I
NTES - NASDAQ Netease Inc Adr INTERNET - Internet Information Providers	$195.50	+1.87 0.97%	$197.28	768,432 52.35% of 50 DAV 50 DAV is 1,468,000	$202.70 -3.55%	6/29/2016	$182.42	PP = $186.55
								MB = $195.88
Most Recent Note - 7/13/2016 12:53:11 PM Y - Color code is changed to yellow after pulling back below its "max buy" level. Disciplined investors avoid chasing stocks more than +5% above the prior high or pivot point. Prior highs near $186 define initial support to watch on pullbacks. >>> FEATURED STOCK ARTICLE : Rallying Within Striking Distance of Highs - 6/29/2016  |  View all notes | Set NEW NOTE alert | Company Profile | SEC News | Chart | Request a new note C A  S  I
HTHT - NASDAQ China Lodging Group Ads LEISURE - Lodging	$38.77	-0.04 -0.10%	$39.46	315,040 128.07% of 50 DAV 50 DAV is 246,000	$40.00 -3.08%	7/13/2016	$38.87	PP = $39.29
								MB = $41.25
Most Recent Note - 7/14/2016 12:30:31 PM Y - Gains for new highs and a strong close backed by at least +40% above average volume may help clinch a convincing technical buy signal. Reported earnings increases more than +25% (C criteria) in the past 3 quarterly comparisons through Mar '16. Annual earnings (A criteria) have improved after a downturn in FY '11. See the latest FSU analysis for more details and a new annotated graph. >>> FEATURED STOCK ARTICLE : Negative Reversal After Touching New High - 7/13/2016  |  View all notes | Set NEW NOTE alert | Company Profile | SEC News | Chart | Request a new note C A  S  I
MXL - NYSE Maxlinear Inc Cl A Telecom-Infrastructure	$20.61	+0.11 0.54%	$20.75	720,241 62.85% of 50 DAV 50 DAV is 1,146,000	$20.98 -1.76%	5/16/2016	$19.24	PP = $19.20
								MB = $20.16
Most Recent Note - 7/12/2016 4:20:33 PM G - Challenging its 52-week high. Color code was changed to green after rising back above its "max buy" level. Recent lows and the 200 DMA line define important support to watch. >>> FEATURED STOCK ARTICLE : Slump Into Prior Base and Below 50-Day Moving Average Raised Concerns - 7/5/2016  |  View all notes | Set NEW NOTE alert | Company Profile | SEC News | Chart | Request a new note C A  S  I
PATK - NASDAQ Patrick Industries Inc WHOLESALE - Building Materials Wholesale	$65.03	+0.09 0.14%	$66.19	159,664 105.04% of 50 DAV 50 DAV is 152,000	$68.13 -4.55%	5/24/2016	$53.45	PP = $50.68
								MB = $53.21
Most Recent Note - 7/13/2016 5:07:01 PM G - There was a "negative reversal" today after getting very extended from any sound base following an impressive spurt of gains. Disciplined investors avoid chasing stocks more than +5% above prior highs. Its 50 DMA line ($53.92) defines near-term support to watch on pullbacks. >>> FEATURED STOCK ARTICLE : Getting Extended From Prior Base After More Volume-Driven Gains - 7/6/2016  |  View all notes | Set NEW NOTE alert | Company Profile | SEC News | Chart | Request a new note C A  S  I
Symbol/Exchange Company Name Industry Group	PRICE	CHANGE (%Change)	Day High	Volume (% DAV) (% 50 day avg vol)	52 Wk Hi % From Hi	Featured Date	Price Featured	Pivot Featured
								Max Buy
FBHS - NYSE Fortune Brands Hme & Sec Bldg-Constr Prds/Misc	$61.33	-0.05 -0.08%	$62.17	891,067 50.51% of 50 DAV 50 DAV is 1,764,000	$61.64 -0.50%	6/22/2016	$57.71	PP = $60.08
								MB = $63.08
Most Recent Note - 7/11/2016 5:52:21 PM Y - Hit another new high with today's 4th consecutive gain still lacking above average volume. See the latest FSU analysis for more details and a new annotated graph. >>> FEATURED STOCK ARTICLE : New Highs Lack Important Institutional Volume Punch - 7/11/2016  |  View all notes | Set NEW NOTE alert | Company Profile | SEC News | Chart | Request a new note C A  S  I
NVEE - NASDAQ N V 5 Global Inc Comml Svcs-Consulting	$31.00	+0.30 0.98%	$31.57	152,169 123.71% of 50 DAV 50 DAV is 123,000	$30.72 0.91%	4/19/2016	$28.20	PP = $28.10
								MB = $29.51
Most Recent Note - 7/13/2016 5:10:13 PM G - Finished near the session high and hit a new all-time high today while tallying a 6th consecutive gain marked by below average volume. Its 50 DMA line and recent lows in the $24-25 area define near-term support to watch. >>> FEATURED STOCK ARTICLE : Perched Near Highs After Rebound Above 50-Day Average - 6/30/2016  |  View all notes | Set NEW NOTE alert | Company Profile | SEC News | Chart | Request a new note C A  S  I