Investor sentiment is the view of the market by investors. This is the combined view of all investors at any one time. Since this is not static, but rather always changing, investor sentiment is usually seen in three general categories: extremely optimistic (bullish); extremely pessimistic (bearish); and neutral or equal in number of optimists and pessimists. The view of investor participants can be based on either fundamental or technical reasons. Investor sentiment is seen as moving the main indices, which will push individual stocks in its wake. For example, a company might not be a great stock, but if the investor sentiment for the overall index is extremely bullish, this optimism will push up the price of most, if not all, stocks. Many view extreme market sentiment readings as a contrary indicator; when most people are bullish (optimistic), the market is close to a short-term top and vice versa.

The stock market continues to be in correction mode and so are gold and oil prices. But, the trading action in the equity market isn’t that bad at all; the down days aren’t that pronounced and we’re seeing solid rebound days, which signals that buyers are definitely out there. Daily investor sentiment is no doubt affected by developments in the eurozone and I think it’s fair to expect things to get worse regarding the sovereign debt crisis. European policymakers are likely to apply another round of “patches” to the problem; but, next year, I think the eurozone will be in for some real turmoil.

This combined with the usual geopolitical concerns and slow growth in the U.S. economy means that there is no rush for stock market investors to take action. It’s like the domestic stock market is in some sort of holding pattern, waiting for a shock to occur. Regardless, investment risk remains very high.

The S&P 500 Index is now in danger of giving up all its gain since the beginning of the year. I suspect we’ll get some consolidation around 1,300 on the index, but if this breaks, we’re back to where we started. The stock market was due for a correction after this year’s solid price move. The problems in the eurozone are now compounding the pullback.

It’s my expectation that second-quarter earnings season will be just as solid as the first quarter. The stock market, however, just might look right past the numbers if problems in the eurozone get worse. It’s the uncertainty of it all that is keeping domestic investors from betting on domestic fundamentals, which are better than those in the eurozone. I repeat my view that stock market investors should be watching their favorite large-cap, dividend paying stocks closely for new entry points. I think the correction has further legs, but price-to-earnings ratios continue to be fair.

I’ve learned over the years that anything can happen in capital markets and that, very often, price extremes are the norm. With the stock market being emotionally driven (just like the rest of the world), you have to expect the market to overdo the underlying fundamentals. I suspect that it won’t be too long before we get a small rally in the share prices. I don’t expect any major shock like a debt default in the eurozone to all of a sudden just happen. My best guess is that we’ll get a slow but continuous deterioration of investor confidence in eurozone bonds, which will precipitate a political crisis before a debt default or currency breakup. Institutional investors are just about done buying the bonds of weaker eurozone countries.

We’re in for a lot of change over the next 18 months and it isn’t going to be pretty. The stock market is rightly stalled over all the eurozone uncertainty, while domestic fundamentals slowly improve. If there was one industry where I’d like to see further price correction, it’s that of railroad stocks. (See U.S. Economy: What Freight Haulers Are Saying About It.) This is one sector where companies keep saying that the operating environment is getting better and, to be frank, I’m becoming less enthused about investing in businesses that operate outside of North America.

Gold and oil prices are having a really difficult time right now and I suspect that the falling price trend will continue for another month or so. The spot price of gold is going down because that commodity was due for a correction and because of strength in the U.S. dollar, which is trading up on worries about the eurozone. Oil prices are going down because of a massive of glut of oil in storage in the U.S. market and due to reduced expectations for global economic growth. It is the age of austerity and, frankly, I think it’s fair to expect a lot of change over the next 18 months, and by change I mean politically, economically and socially.

So far during the recent price correction, the stock market is holding up well. If the S&P 500 Index broke 1,300, I’d be more concerned, but because the market isn’t overpriced, institutional investors will continue to buy dividend yield when the market retreats. As for gold and oil prices; being commodities, they could experience significant price swings for the rest of this year, even as part of a long-term uptrend.

It’s going to be very difficult speculating on the long side in gold and oil stocks over the next several months. Oddly, it seems like the eurozone is calling the shots in U.S. capital markets. At the very least, the sovereign debt crisis is responsible for domestic investor sentiment.

I’m waiting for a bottom in spot gold; when it happens, I believe speculators should jump all over gold-related investments. The only caveat is the risks associated with the euro currency. Any breakup in the eurozone could have a cascading effect on currencies and the resulting “flight to quality” would skew the U.S. dollar above its fundamentals. As gold and oil prices tend to trade inversely to the U.S. dollar, spot gold could be down for a long time, because of the sovereign debt crisis and the resulting currency chaos.

So, it goes without saying that investment risk for investors remains very high at this time. All assets, even real estate values, are vulnerable with currency instability. I don’t know how things will play out in Europe, but the fact of the matter is, Greece never should have been admitted to the euro currency in the first place. In the end, a massive upheaval in the eurozone is likely over the next couple of years and investors need to protect themselves.

Near-term, gold and oil prices should experience more downside, as speculators pile into the trend. I see gold as a very important asset to own for the rest of this decade, but the price of gold will be skewed by the U.S. dollar trading as the only reserve currency. As for oil prices, I figure we’ll see price consolidation around $90.00 a barrel, which will be a boost for consumers and the industrial economy. (See The Winning Stock That’s a Positive Sign for the Economy.) Oil prices are the pulse of capital markets in terms of sentiment and expectations for economic growth. Right now, oil prices are saying things are slowing down.

The current stock market correction has some legs, so be prepared for more downside. We’ve got gold below $1,600 an ounce and oil solidly below $100.00 a barrel—this is a broad-based market correction in investable assets and it will likely linger for a while.

The stock market began to roll over naturally after the majority of first-quarter earnings were reported. We were due for a market correction just based on the market’s strong performance from the beginning of the year. Then, the most recent catalyst was the political uncertainty in the eurozone and the continuing worries regarding European sovereign debt. The timing could not have been more perfect. Going forward, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if stock market trading action is difficult right until the end of the summer. Then, it’s election fever. The old adage, “Sell in May and go away,” looks like a winner this year.

In terms of investment strategy, now isn’t the time to be a buyer. I think stock market investors should wait for the current market correction to play itself out, while watching for good corporate news and dividend increases. The spot price of gold is also in correction mode and could be soft for the next couple of quarters, perhaps even into next year. For stock market speculators, I continue, however, to like mining stocks. For the majority of an equity portfolio, higher dividend paying stocks are the only way to go in a slow growth environment.

Investor sentiment isn’t all that bad at this time. The stock market needed a market correction and is gyrating on Europe, but the domestic outlook is still decent and stocks are not expensive. Some industries are doing much better than others, but this is the nature of economic recovery. It takes a lot of time for the system to balance itself out after the mortgage debt-induced financial crisis.

So, if you’re a stock market investor, you need a lot of patience. Most U.S. corporations said in their first-quarter financial reports that they expect business to get better in the bottom half of the year. The fundamentals, in terms of valuations and corporate earnings, are actually pretty decent for the stock market. But, the marketplace is now in fear mode and the biggest problem is all the uncertainty. We’ll see how long this market correction lasts. Anything is possible these days.

I would add that the gift of a material price correction is the opportunity to invest in good companies at a more attractive price. Equally important is the falling price for oil, which has an almost immediate impact on disposable income and corporate earnings. The financial world isn’t coming to an end (at least not quite yet); it’s only going through a well-deserved market correction. There is an underlying strength to the stock market and that’s because of valuations. (See The Best Performing Index Over the Last 12 Years.) Share prices could be soft for the next several months, so retail investors will likely keep to the sidelines. I expect institutional investors to keep buying higher dividend paying stocks throughout the year. I also expect increased dividend announcements right into 2013.

I have a strong sense that the stock market trading action we’ve experienced over the last several months will continue over the next quarter or so. One day, the stock market will be up on some positive economic news; the next day, the economic news will point the other way. The stock market is at its current level largely due to two equal factors—the Federal Reserve and reasonable valuations. At the beginning of the year, the U.S. central bank said just what institutional investors wanted to hear—it will support the economy further if necessary. This lit the fire of equity market buyers and, because current corporate earnings support current valuations, the market has held up well.

The trading action since the March 2009 low set during the financial crisis has been remarkably repeating itself quite succinctly. When economic news showed improvement, the stock market accelerated briskly and after a while the trend experienced a meaningful correction. After several months of correction, another decent piece of economic news sparked another upward leg. Just pull up a four-year stock chart on the S&P 500 Index and you can see the consistency in the trading action.

Extending this consistency to the near future, it would seem that we’re on the final leg of a stock market that’s ready to top out and experience another correction. According to the chart, the length of the upward price trends since March 2009 is getting shorter and this leads me to believe that the stock market is setting itself up for a big top, not just another correction. This, of course, is a gut-feel type of analysis. Nobody can predict the future.

The inconsistency in the marketplace is the economic news itself, which continues to highlight uneven recovery in the U.S. economy. The inability of important economic news like orders for durable goods or consumer spending to show a consistent trend is in itself telling. Economic recovery in the U.S. economy is still very fragile and, as a stock market investor, it makes it very difficult to bet on. (See How Are You Going to Earn in the Age of Austerity?)

There remains an underlying strength to the stock market today. Investor sentiment isn’t robust, but it isn’t in the doldrums either. With first-quarter earnings season mostly over for large-cap companies, inconsistent economic news is going to produce inconsistent trading action in the equity market. The economic news isn’t all that bad; it’s just not showing any lasting robustness. It seems to me that the near-term trend is that there isn’t one.

We’re in a stock market now that is completely event-driven. Stocks are fairly valued and earnings expectations are modest. Betting on an underlying theme like low interest rates or recovery in the housing market seems irresponsible, because the Federal Reserve has pretty much done all it can. Prospects for the U.S. economy therefore lie entirely with the individual.

As expected, there have been a lot of dividends increases from big, brand-name companies with excess cash on their books. New business investment is somewhat lagging given all the risks in the marketplace, so it’s much easier for companies to increase their dividends and/or initiate new stock market buybacks. This is, after all, what stock market investors’ want.

It’s pretty clear that the U.S. economy isn’t accelerating; it’s just slowly moving forward with an improving underpinning. What was evident in the recent gross domestic product (GDP) news was that the inflation rate is affecting GDP growth and it’s not only due to higher energy costs. Consumers have to spend more to attain the same amount of goods and that puts the brakes on economic growth.

For the most part, however, investor sentiment in the stock market remains positive and the corporate news is mostly good enough for institutional investors to be buying. And this is what they are buying—large-cap companies with increasing dividends.

We’ve had all kinds of increased dividends announcements from the big companies that you know, such as IBM (NYSE/IBM), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE/JNJ), American Express Company (NYSE/AXP), DuPont (NYSE/DD), ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE/XOM), Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE/PG), and the list goes on. (See Dividends: The Only Way to Keep the Mini Bull Market Alive.)

This makes the S&P 500 Index appropriately valued at 1,400 and, if the economic news holds relatively positive, we just might get another 10% in price appreciation from the stock market this year. Nothing should surprise you when it’s an election year. The Federal Reserve seems intent on keeping stock market investors happy.

Still, we’re not seeing consistency in the numbers, whether it’s regarding the economy or corporate earnings. Stock market leaders are staying stock market leaders, because they have solid operational leverage. Dividend paying stocks like Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE/UNP), IBM, The Southern Company (NYSE/SO) and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ/INTC) are great examples. But there are also a lot of companies that are struggling on a relative basis. Stock market bellwethers like Ford Motor Company (NYSE/F), Alcoa, Inc. (NYSE/AA) and Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ/ORCL) are lagging.

I actually think that retail shares are a great indicator for the health of the U.S. economy. As illustrated in the latest GDP report, consumer spending kept the numbers alive. Retail stocks don’t tend to pay dividends, but they obviously represent the consumer, who remains a very large part of the U.S. economy. Going forward, I think we’re just going to get more of the same—mixed news on the economy and more dividends increases from big-cap companies. It’s not full steam ahead, but low and slow.