The Early Take on the Market:
Oil, free trade, and BREXIT are the focal points of the markets on this first day of spring, 2017. Oil prices are falling again this morning as rising U.S. drilling activity has traders fretting about supply. The problem here is simple - despite the much ballyhooed production cuts by OPEC, stockpiles of crude continue to swell. And with the hedgies bearish on crude, it looks like the path of least resistance is down. Next, at the weekend G-20 meeting in Germany, both Angela Merkel and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe called for a concerted effort to defend free trade. And the fact that the group's communique at the close of the meeting did not contain any warnings about protectionism was considered a win for the United States. Finally, word is that U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will trigger the process of leaving the European Union (aka the "BREXIT") on March 29. And while the move isn't exactly a surprise, we must recognize that in globally interconnected markets, currency movements can play important roles in the trading of things like oil, commodities, emerging markets, and gold. As such, this situation remains something to watch.

Turning to our portfolio...

LEADERS Model: We made an adjustment in the LEADERS model Friday. In short, we felt the political risk associated with health care should be recognized. In addition, Health Care had slipped to #4 in our ranking. As such, we swapped out the Health Care ETF (XLV) in favor of the Basic Materials ETF (XLB). Thus, the LEADERS Model currently holds the top rated sectors of the stock market: Technology, Financials, and Materials. P.S. The LEADERS model continues to outperform the S&P 500. YTD, the LEADERS model is up 7.7% vs. 6.2% for the S&P.

CORE EXPOSURE Model: Today, the CORE model's exposure is a smidge below the model's recommended level at 90% vs. 100%. However, with the exposure level bouncing around a fair amount recently, we will likely stand pat here.

TRADING Model: We continue to hold EEM for a trade but will be watching how the position reacts to a stronger dollar.

Note: The TRADING model attempts to add value to the portfolio through what are perceived to be low-risk trading opportunities and is not intended to be a "market timing" strategy.

How To Use the DDTS Models: The DDTS is designed to be a modern, multi-strategy, risk-managed portfolio. Thus, the overall portfolio is a combination of all 3 models. However, we trade the models independently to allow for the use of the models on a standalone basis. If we were to choose just one model to follow, it would be the LEADERS for growth orientation, the CORE for a more conservative, risk managed approach, and the TRADING model for an opportunistic "value-add" approach.

Target Exposure Explained
This column is the goal percentage in terms of the overall exposure for the model. This is shown due to the fact that we utilize leveraged ETFs.

% of Model Explained
The number shown in this column represents the percentage of the the model this position represents.

Current Rating Explained
This is our rating for the day. The Current Rating tells you what action we would take if we did not currently hold the position. A "Buy" rating means we would be willing to purchase the position at current prices. A "Strong Buy" suggests this would be our first choice to buy. A "Hold" rating indicates we would not make new purchases at current levels. And a "Sell" rating indicates we will likely exit the position in the near-term.

Positions Can Change
Positions often change during the trading session. Remember that we will send a Trade Alert via SMS Text Message and/or Email BEFORE we ever make a move in the models.

About the Daily Decision Trading Service
Our easy-to-follow Daily Decision Trading Service is a modern, pro-level, multi-strategy, multi-manager approach that is made up of three models:

- The CORE Model
- The LEADERS Model
- The TRADING Model

We start with THE CORE Model holdings. This risk-managed position is designed to provide the appropriate level of exposure to the U.S. stock market given the current risk/reward environment and makes up one-third of the overall DDTS portfolio. The goal of the CORE is to give us "the forest" and to stay in tune with the market's big, important moves. And when the bears come to call, the CORE is designed to take defensive measures by moving into capital preservation mode.

Next, we allocate one-third of the overall DDTS portfolio to THE LEADERS Model. This model focuses on the top sectors in the market. Because in short, when technology, biotech, the banks etc., start to heat up, we want to make sure we have an overweighted exposure to the market leaders.

And finally, one-third of the DDTS portfolio consists of THE TRADING Model. This model seeks trading opportunities based on swing-trading and mean-reversion strategies. These are designed to be short-term positions and the primary goal is simple: to add value via an opportunistic approach to trading!

When combined, the three models represent a modern, multi-strategy, risk-managed portfolio.

Wishing You All The Best in Your Investing Endeavors!

The Front Range Trading Team

Daily Decision Links:
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NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. The analysis and information in this report and on our website is for informational purposes only. No part of the material presented in this report or on our websites is intended as an investment recommendation or investment advice. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed nor any Portfolio constitutes a solicitation to purchase or sell securities or any investment program. The opinions and forecasts expressed are those of the editors and may not actually come to pass. The opinions and viewpoints regarding the future of the markets should not be construed as recommendations of any specific security nor specific investment advice. Investors should always consult an investment professional before making any investment.